Indulge, imbibe, unwind

Make a mental list of five of the most difficult challenges we face as cyclists. Stop reading and do this right now. Here are mine, which are likely colored by the current season: always staying motivated despite the time of year or weather conditions, getting on the rollers at 5 p.m. after a long day to try and knock out 2 hours of LT intervals in the basement, pushing yourself farther than the pain wants you to during an interval or while establishing a breakaway, thinking ahead instead of dwelling on the what-ifs after a race, understanding the sacrifices our loved ones make rather than just considering our own.

Though not on my list–and I wager not on yours–the hardest thing for a cyclist to do is to completely let go. Forget about the bike. Scrap the nutrition plan. Literally and figuratively let the air out of the tires. Relax, read, indulge, imbibe, unwind, and enjoy the respite that you have earned after months of structure, suffering, and rigidity. Take a peek out of the rabbit hole you’ve burrowed so deep within. If you think about it, it’s kind of amusing that this task should seem so difficult. But just like letting go of form, it is necessary. We need to recharge our minds, rest our bodies, and rekindle our connections if we hope to continue our ascent. Fitness will not disappear overnight or even over several days. But a week of repose will soon be long gone, like tan lines in December, so have an extra glass of wine.