Cycling: How to get over the hump

Michael Brown (left) battling his way through the L'etape Australia in New South Wales' Snowy Mountains. Photo / sportgraf.com

Michael Brown is going through a mid-life crisis so thought it would be a good idea to tackle the Pioneer, a seven-day mountain bike race from Christchurch to Queenstown. This is his third training blog.

Funk, hump, slump. Call it what you like, I was in it last week.

I had a good case of the can't-be-bothereds, which is not really advisable with only seven weeks until the Pioneer. This should be a key training period. I'm still out there doing it (well, most of it - I admit to missing one training ride) but the enjoyment factor diminished for a period.

It doesn't help that I'm still tired and sore (read my first blog here) and it never feels like I get enough sleep. That pesky thing called work seems to get in the way, too.

My coach, Richard Greer from Team CP, says it's very common to go through a bad patch but it's crucial it doesn't derail training. You're allowed to have bad days, just not too many of them.

"The key thing is you are still in the game," he reassures me when assessing the amount of time I've spent on the bike recently. "It doesn't have to be amazing all the time.

"That hump happens at different times for different people and happens at all levels. It's about refocusing on the big-picture goal and also getting that enjoyment back. Maybe it's changing things up and going for a fun mountain bike ride or downhill ride or riding with friends.

"Setting some simple targets can help you feel like you're back on track. And having a coach helps."

It does, actually. I can't hide from Richard, who can see what I have been up to each day and on each ride. It's like having your mother watching over your shoulder to check you've done your homework.

The funk came immediately after a couple of races, the Taupo mountain bike race and the L'etape in Australia (a one-day road race that attempts to replicate a mountain stage of the Tour de France - see my report here), so it might have been natural for motivation to drop with two goals ticked off.

There has also been a fair bit going on with the kids, work and life in general.

"We're not professional riders and have jobs and families," Richard says. "Let's be honest, we're always in the negative [with the family because of the amount of training], it's just matter of making sure that doesn't drop too far."

I'm not really into motivational speeches but this quote from the late Yankees catcher and manager Yogi Berra, who had a delightful way of mangling the English language, might help.

"When you come to a fork in the road," he said, "take it."

I need to head down plenty of roads during the next seven weeks.

For more information on the Pioneer, see thepioneer.co.nz

For more on Richard Greer and endurance coaching outfit Team CP, visit teamcp.co.nz