PASSION: REIGNITED

Having spent the past year chasing threshold power numbers, cycling has become a wee bit of a chore of late, a little stale, a little mind-numbing.  Same old, same old.  Because time is precious these days, the routine has been the same for the past 12 or 13 months; either jump on the trainer, dial up 340w and sit there for as along as possible, or, if the weather is conducive (we've had an amazing fall), suit up, and ride hard for the window that you have available.  Hopefully, when you get back and shove everything to the side to  download your Garmin, you'll see a big, fat IF number and a weighty TSS to boot.  That routine gets old in a hurry towards the end of a season.

With an amazing streak of weather, I've turned my focus on enjoyment.  Screw power, forget HR.  Get out

there and enjoy the sunshine, camaraderie, the views from high above, and the wind in your face.  I think I've climbed Cypress more in September and October than I have all year (20 times in the last two months!).  I'm amazed at the consistency too.  Riding by feel at a fairly sedate pace - without any data whatsoever -, times range from 34 to 37 minutes - I'll take that!

With the dip in temperature, Cypress is a no go, so what to do?  My brain can't take a session on the trainer just yet, not at the moment, not this early. I'm thinking TRAIL RUNNING!  Back in the day, I would run for hours. The constant undulations, uneven footing, and stride variety engaged your mind, the seconds would turn to minutes, the minutes to hours, and 3 or 4 hours would slip by without noticing. I remember the freedom I felt gliding up and down the trails, feet happily dancing around, over and on top of any rocks. I need to feel that again!