Armchair training:
I’ve been ramping up my training for the Pedal to Paris Bike Ride by reading manuals.
It’s very comfortable and cosy reading up about gear changing and clip in shoes while lying on the sofa listening to the rain fall.
But..oh dear.
I’ve had another letter from nice Graham at the Royal British Legion about the London to Paris Bike ride. It’s made me feel very depressed.
He writes, ‘…we do stress that training is really vital. The more hours you invest in the saddle now, the more you will enjoy the ride itself. We always say training pays dividends.You won’t regret it!’
Although the letter says ‘training is vital’, I can’t find any specific reference to armchair training … Gosh! I haven’t invested any hours in the saddle since ages ago when Brown Owl lectured me for cycling in the rain. Do you think Graham has telepathic powers and is worrying that I might be falling behind schedule?
He’s also sent me another training plan.
Graham doesn’t mention anything about the incompatibility of training with gales and flooded roads. He refers to ‘hill training’ rather a lot which sounds ominous to me.
I’ve also noticed that he says the ‘Pedal to Paris’ ride is 450km. What!!!! I thought it was 350km. Now I feel completely exhausted and I’m not even on my Poppy Bike. I need to go and lie down on the sofa.
Yours anxiously,
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I won’t pass on Billy’s views on MT as I am sure you can imagine them! He is however impressed that you are at least studying the training bible.
Oh dear – can’t you persuade Billy to stretch a point re. MT? I was so pleased about the whole idea of getting in the Zone on the sofa.
I’ve found that armchair training is far too sophisticated for the masses to understand. Thus, they don’t mention it in broadly distributed communications! Plus, one can never underestimate the importance of mental training, which can really only be focused on when one doesn’t have to worry about operating a bicycle.
This training plan sounds very good to me!
You are SO right; that’s it exactly. I’ve been Mental Training (it warrants capital letters).
I trust you are in good form Emilio? There is a very fine photograph of you out and about, flying in the face of extreme weather conditions.
Yes, the conditions here certainly warrant lots of mental preparation before stepping outside, but I’m doing quite well. I’m looking forward to summer spent in a much warmer location
So I hear – how incredibly exciting! The agent and I are v. impressed with your terrific success and how lovely to be able to look forward to feeling warm again
I am impressed to notice in your picture that your feet are clearly practicing a pedaling motion while you read the Cyclist’s Training Bible.
I’m multi-tasking…