Guilty (but oh-so necessary) pleasures
There are various reasons why it may be best to not go from one race to the next without taking a break. For some it may simply be a time constraint or commitments to regular life. Some people don’t like to travel too far from home. With the benefit of hindsight, I can tell that pressing the ‘enter everything’ button does me no favours.
Old hands believe in the adage that ‘racing is the best training’, however can only be true to a point. If you end up making a habit of punching out marathons well over 100 kilometres, it catches up with you. For those studying numbers, it can be evident in lowered maximum and average heartrates. Perhaps you will lose your appetite and be restless, or even unable to get out of bed.
There comes a time when we all need some time off – and maybe even to let loose a little. If you are an international man of leisure also living the marathon lifestyle – you are spoilt for choice. Package deal holidays could be a good option, or finding somewhere secluded. But we are racers – we need and want excitement.
My personal favourite is heading to a moderate-sized town for a few days, making friends, and seeing where that leads. It offers a chance to mingle with those who don’t have irregular tan lines, and who can walk at a pace greater than a shuffle. Meals are enjoyed, not just a part of living. Stopping for a coffee is just for enjoyment, not for its ergogenic effects.
Time spent in the real world is refreshing – and makes me hungry for more racing action. While making friends who would be utterly shocked at the hours devoted to marathon mountain-biking, I realise how much the sport means to me. It provides an identity, and a reason for existence – it’s a lifestyle.
As good as time off is I can only ever last a few days. There will usually be a turning point where I realize ‘enough is enough’, and I want to ride my bike in the mountains. Although this could be due to a particularly nasty hangover, it is also because mountain-biking makes me happy. It makes me a better person. Time off is great, and it can be essential to freshen up for your next round of hard marathons. But when you’re so far away from home, on form, and ready to go – use it or lose it.