Lockdown - one year on

[Frosty]

Edit: taking a leaf out of Peter Sagan’s book of 100 riders each having their own story. 100 riders, 100 different stories.

 

Here's my story of "lockdown", with some data leading into it.

Having come off a club Tour to Durban, a few half marathons and the 947 Ride Joburg, I took a break that had some riding, but not much. I got back into it in mid January with the hope of planning for the Maluti D90 in April 2020. Some green spikey thing had other ideas plunging us into a lockdown never before seen in our lifetime.

 

Rouvy and Zwift kept me busy when work (essential services) allowed me a break here or there. Then we had something called the 5Km radius and a curfew of 6-9), later extended to some hours I cant remember. Then the radius of "you shalt not go out of" was dropped and we returned to some normality, as a cyclist. In the meanwhile golfers were fuming that they couldn't play a round at their locale.

 

Events popped up, and I did one for the entire 365 days of lockdown... the Winter Fast One. Really enjoyable, even though I was "spinning out" on some descents. Plans to return to racing came, and were gone (with the wind). By year end, I was about 600Km short of hitting what I thought was an impossible target when we went into lockdown. Thanks goodness for some Challenge called the Rapha 500, as it forced me to put in 3 big rides (140Km each) in 4 days (with Christmas day giving me a 30Km IDT ride). As I was travelling to the land of the Disa on the 28th, I had 60Km to do in 4 days, of which 2 would be spent driving from the highveld to the Overberg.

 

8pm on the night we slept over in Beaufort West, el Presidente told us all beaches were no-go areas... what did he think us Vaalies would react? Luckily I had the dikwiel, some awesome trails around Kleinmond and two weeks of sublime weather.

 

2021 carried on where 2020 left off, and was again disappointed when the 2021 Maluti D90 was also called off. Oh well, riding has been a joy over the last 365 days. My 2021 goal has been stepped up a touch... 220Km (minimum) every week, to the end of the year.

 

So, what's your story... let's keep it going and have something to look back on in 1, 2, 5, 10 years from now.

Edited March 27, 2021 by Frosty

[The Ouzo]

I had just come back from Cape Town when the rumours started that we were headed for full lockdown.

I had just done one of my best CTCT to date and was feeling pretty good looking forward to more races in the year. I'm not sure what triggered it, but when the rumours of full lockdown started coming in I got my IDT sorted out and ordered a speed sensor for my Garmin in anticipation.

 

The idea was to ride at minimum 4 or 5 times a week with a goal of sticking it out for minimum 1 hour of the trainer. If I recall I managed a 2 hour ride.

 

But the results of all the riding were that my weight dropped, fitness increased and I was feeling really good, my daily IDT session was my meditation keeping me sane through all the disruption in the world.

 

Pretty soon the school told us we would need to home school the children, so my days would start with and early morning IDT session next to the pool and then onto home schooling.

 

They then opened up the radius of death and I mapped out the maximum route around me and proceeded to get my daily meditation in before home schooling.

 

Once back at work we were given the option to return our company cars so that we could save on perks tax. I jumped at the opportunity as it would allow me to get my daily ride in, my thinking is I would stick it out for a month or 2 at most, then winter would hit and I would take up a company car again. I never got to have a company car again, I enjoyed commuting so much that I bought warmer kit, bought lights and just carried on.

 

 

 

In December I moved to a company 2km from home, to close to commute, but what it did allow me to do was ride before work and still have enough time to shower and eat before my long 5 minute drive to work.

[ChrisF]

Jip, what is year it has been .... 

 

January 2020 a friend forwarded a link for the 2-day Stanford Classic stage race.  Having never done a stage race, this was a bucket list item for me.  The event offered medium and longer distance rides for each day.  I knew I could manage the medium distances, but was not so sure of the elevation ...

 

I entered and got busy training, specifically adding hill repeats to my rides.  Felt good to see the progress. 

 

Few weeks later we visited family in Hermanus, and I used this opportunity to do the Red route of the Hermanus trails.  This was going to be a good test of the distance and elevation.  Cool, cloudy morning, with just a bit of light rain near the dam.  Actually perfect riding weather, and it was going good.  By the time I turned my knees were tired, but expected after all the climbing.  No worries, downhill ... stood on the pedals and enjoyed the ride.  OUCH !  My right knee did not like this one bit - just standing on the pedals were becoming seriously painful !!  I stopped at Die Plaaskombuis for a breakfast, and rubbed down my knees.  The last 15km to where we stayed was done on tar, mostly pedaling with the left leg....

 

 

Skip a few medical consultations .... Torn meniscus, added to 20 years of aggressive arthritis, I was advised to stop riding MTB.     The option of an ebike got the nod of approval, though impacts are to be avoided.  Second week of February I bought the ebike, but it was many more weeks of rehab before I would be back on a bike.

 

NOPE, rehad wrapped up after 27 March 2020, so I had to wait for the morning of 1 May 2020 before I finally could ride the ebike.

 

Thankfully the IDT helped in not loosing the last bit of fitness.  Glad I bought this during the previous long winter.

 

 

Not exactly the year we planned and hoped for 

 

 

BUT, I am very grateful to be out on two wheels, enjoying the great outdoors.   

 

Looking forward to a time when I can enjoy my ebike in one of the Worcester MTB events. 

 

 

In January 2021 I tried my trusty old commuter ..... nope, knees dont like it one bit !!     It has since been sold.  An e-gravel-bike is in the planning stages .... more time in the saddle, less impacts ..... we live in hope 

 

 

 

We are resiliant !!  Covid is just another stumble block in our route .... we WILL overcome this.

Edited March 27, 2021 by ChrisF

[SwissVan]

Only one year !!!!

Feels much longer

[ChrisF]

...

 

Edit - removed, off topic

 

Edited March 27, 2021 by ChrisF

[shaper]

Am 1 year older, still here and been more fortunate (or is it lucky) than others. Being thankful and look forward rather than looking back!

[RobertWhitehead]

One year in and I got retrenched, started fiddling with bikes, had a mini meltdown and also got a lot fitter and stronger. I do most of my riding indoors, I prefer it to riding outside so it wasn't a major problem for me. I got a new permanent job and am still fiddling with bikes. My fitness level has shot up and I am on new thyroid medication to help with the meltdown (man softness). Hoping to do the Baviaans and possibly the Dash this year.

[Stretch]

Still working from home... Still restricted to 5km from home. Did the most running mileage last year than any other year.

 

I don't see that as a positive.. Just making the most of a bad situation

[RocknRolla]

2020 was a good year for cycling for me distance wise.

2018 was better from an event point of view, which will probably never be repeated in my lifetime.

Set myself the goal of riding every day during hard lockdown, which I did, and even through the extension. Took a bot of a dip when we went back to the office, and sites, and after December, I decided to up the activity load, and try to keep the momentum.

 

the real world gains I have gotten from indoor cycling is great, The fun factor of the gaming aspect of indoor riding, almost makes it feels like I have been cheating, when I ride outdoors...

 

I absolutely love Zwift, it has changed cycling for the better for me, I cant wait for Tour Of WTopia to start, as I know it’s going to e some weeks of hard riding ahead, and with that, fitness increases...

 

The lockdown and work from home has removed all of the noise, that got in the way of my cycling. I am making time for cycling, structuring my work around it as much as I can. It’s been positive for me.