Been out for a while

Compliments to all for the new season and trust that everyone is doing well.

I am ashamed to admit that I have been out of the cycling scene for the better part of a year now. I have been hindered by the overwhelming pressure at work and the occasional illness. To make it more interesting the work started affecting my personal life and the cycling had to go on a back burner for a bit.

These are some of the challenges we face in a world driven by money and success. I take my hat of to some people, that have a 7 to 5 job and still have the time for weekend sports and family. On the other end of the scale you have people that work 8 to 4 and even have time for a cycle after work, I on the other hand, missed that job interview. Needless to say we have to make time for exercise or blowing off steam in our busy lives.

A good friend of mine is a avid mountain biker, this guy will cycle before work and after work, if he was afforded the opportunity(with his new 29er), but as with many of us, he has to sacrifice some of his love for cycling, to family time and work.I can see the disappointment in his eyes, when he talks about it. I am sure many of you face the same dilemma.

We have to find a balance and I seem to have lost my ability to balance work, play and sleep. The guy who said that you must have 8 hours work, 8 hours play, 8 hours sleep, needs to be kicked in the teeth, because he obviously has not experienced the real world. I am not so good at maths, but on average(and this is me thumb sucking) per day, a person in Johannesburg spends 9 hours at work and 2 hours in traffic, which leaves 13 hours for family,sleep and play. I know I need at least 8 hours sleep to get me through the next day, which leaves me with 5 hours for exercise and family time. It sounds like allot, but break it down to cooking, bathing, conversation with spouses and the odd task around the house, you are not left with allot of time for yourself.

The point I am getting at is, that I only have weekends to really get in good training. I have to force myself to work less weekends and spend more time on the bike(note that this does not go down well with bosses). I have gone for three 50km rides in the last month and I am enjoying it again. I am trying to get the balance going again and making so "me time", everyone needs some "me time". The Ride for Sight cycle race is coming up next weekend, I am not as prepared as I was last year, but I am hoping for a decent time. I am also hoping that I can keep the momentum going trough the year, as I am going for a decent time at the Momentum 94.7 cycle challenge. I enjoy recreational cycling and I know that many of you share my sentiment. I hope that many of you have found your balance and I would like to hear how you have sustained it. I just hope that I can find the balance and sustain it when I start having kids(which is not going to start soon).

My next challenge is to join the mountain biking scene, but that's a whole new can of beans, that will be opened another time.

See you on the roads.