COVID Diary 4/27/20
So, Irish people are not especially adept at managing their relationship with “feelings” (I had to look up feelings in the dictionary). We’re masters at burying “shite feelings” far away from prying eyes.
Suffice it to say that I have several shovels, small gardening ones for small stresses all the way up to mechanical earth movers to bury all the big “feelingly” stuff. There I’ve said it, I’m doing an incomprehensibly inadequate job at being at peace with what’s going on (we’re good at self-deprecation too). As a father, brother, husband, entrepreneur, and immigrant there are many layers of stuff that my Neanderthal Irish DNA battles with.
Now, don’t get me wrong, if it’s me against the world with my family and Cyclologic team at my side, I’m in my element. I love a good scrap and the people that I am privileged to call teammates love a fight, or they wouldn’t be on our team. So, what the hell does this have to do with Cycling? Well, it’s simple. Cycling has superpowers over stress.
I do not have any particular lack or time or reasons to not ride my bike. I have been in an internal intemperate malaise. Finally, last weekend I hauled my ass out on the bike for a 60-mile Sonoran jaunt. It was magical. It would not have happened if not for several voices prodding me, some were gentle, some resorted to lighthearted impatience and some just turned up and let me vent about the uncertainly of PPP, EIDL and other COVID related stresses. I felt better, I functioned better, and I feel like I’m more like myself.
Cycling helps to dissolve life’s mundanities and stress; that said I can’t explain why I’m still indoors and not riding much. I need a goal or something else to motivate me given that at some point cycling outdoors may be less feasible due to COVID or the blistering temps that we are about to endure here in Arizona. Enter one of my “voices” that prods me. Sometimes it’s gentle and sometimes it’s less so when I need it. Barry and I tried ZWIFT and I was excited but non-compliant. Barry moved from Zwift to Sufferfest, and he likes it. You can see Barry doing a training session on our Facebook page.
So, Barry inspired me to try Sufferfest. On Tuesday I’m going to do my 4DP test and see all my inadequacies. Those are many, but the Sufferfest difference is that it gives you a program to fix those deficits. Barry has been prescribed weekday Sufferfest workouts with weekend outdoor rides. Sounds like exactly what I need! I am ready to have some goals again.
Stay tuned to our social media channels on Tuesday when I will share the test and our MOTION METRIQ lab indoor training setup. Barry has also stacked the deck, so I do not falter. He has recruited a crew of Cyclologic stalwarts to share their Smart Trainer setups and how they are using Smart Trainers to stay sane. My accountability crew does not leave much room to NOT commit to this challenge. I will report again next week on my experience and its impact on my sanity levels. UGH, WTF I have just committed to? See you on the interwebs in all my disheveled-ness…