Training Buddies

The highlight of my training last week was sharing my Saturday long ride with someone else.

Julz, one of our awesome Team CP members and an all-round super cool person (who kicks arse on the bike!) is also training hard at the moment, and kindly let me tag along on her flat ride over the weekend.

Motivated and excited about having a training partner, I bounced out of bed Saturday morning ready to train well! And as I reflect on our ride, I realize how much I got out of it, other than just the training! Riding with someone who is a stronger ride than myself made me push harder; a) so I didn’t slow Julz down (too much!) but also b) I found myself sub consciously following her rhythm and I realized that I can actually maintain a higher intensity for longer. It is so easy when I’m riding alone to get into a comfortable pace and forget to challenge myself to pick up the speed, so this really lifted me.

It was also really refreshing to ride somewhere new and learn a different route. We headed out through Tai Tapu and Lincoln, along quiet country roads and through beautiful countryside, areas I know but hadn’t ventured through on my bike previously. I am sometimes a little cautious when riding alone about where I go or how much traffic is around, but it’s amazing how my confidence grows when I am with someone else. And of course, I want many different options for the coming months of places to go so it is perfect to add a new route to my training log.

And then there is the banter and conversation! This took my mind off how far we had been and how far we still had to go, stopping the ‘clock watching’, which when your alone can be mentally tough. Further to this though, I learnt new things, loved sharing training stories and tips and got a whole lot more enjoyment out of the session. Which of course, as I have said before, enjoyment and laughter are key elements for me on this journey.

So I really shouldn’t have been surprised when we were getting close to home and Julz said “we’ve done 70km”. Really?! Wicked! I had taken very little notice of my watch over the past couple of hours so hadn’t even thought about how far we had been. Re-energised by this, after waving Julz off at her house I took a slightly longer way back home so I could tick over 3hrs, and hit the 80km mark.

When I pulled up my driveway I was stoked. I hadn’t ridden that distance in ages, and I was feeling good. I had just done (almost) the distance of one of the Velothon stages. This was just the confidence boost I needed!

So thanks Julz for sharing your ride with me ? Any time you are keen for company let me know!

And anyone else keen to join forces and ride together then get in touch! I think for me, training buddies and attending our Team CP group sessions might just be the key to lifting my performance in preparation for the Velothon Sunshine Coast.

Penelope Watson
Team CP Sports Coach
Follow Me.