Change is the natural state of things. The above description of my cycling activities and ambitions no longer applies, as I've now well and truly got the bug. My ambitions are high and my training schedule full. Sadly, there is no "Helen" day any more and I'm often a right-off during the week due to some very early morning rides. This is a selfish and consuming sport, so watch it!
By the way, the target audience I have in mind for this blog are people starting out in the sport. When I first began endurance cyclikng, I wanted to get an idea of what it was like, but didn't find much around that helped. Hopefully this has been useful to those of you who are/were in a similar position to where I was. Happy cycling! :-)
About me (January 2012)
My name is Andrew Morrison. I live in Paraparaumu, which is around 55 kilometres north
of Wellington, New Zealand. I’m in my
early 50s, am married, and have three children in their early twenties. I work as a research analyst in the Ministry
of Education in Wellington, commuting daily by train.
I’ve always been interested in solo sports activities, such
as tramping, running and cycling. They
give me great pleasure and I get quite depressed when I can’t channel my energies
into them. Unfortunately, I’ve been
plagued with a problematic right knee since my mid-teens, which has often meant
long periods with no such activity. Running
has been completely ruled out since about 5 years ago. However, I’ve found that cycling has been
fine, as long as I am careful and watch my style. I’ve rarely made it to my current level of
fitness, so things are looking good for the future!
Work and family have always come first for me. However, now with the children grown up, I
have claimed Saturdays as my day to use as I will, i.e. to go for long
rides. Sundays are for my wife, although
she often has the doubtful pleasure of an exhausted husband not good for anything
very practical. I also usually take an
hour’s lunch from work and use it for gym work.
As my cycling and fitness improves, I may be able to negotiate the odd
evening ride during the week.
So that’s me. Not a
great background for sporting greatness.
But I enjoy it, it’s really filling my life, and I want to see how far I
can take it.
Hi Andrew,
ReplyDeleteit was finally good to put a face to the name at the Grape Ride. I enjoyed reading your blog posting. Ive found just like yourself that endurance/marathon cycling can seem a lonely sport and took me sometime to get used to the zone focus that the top riders get into. But once you get to know them they are a great bunch of guys. The start line is not a place for them to socialise LOL. I do find that once the tension of the start is over and every one is relaxed and the initial fast pace settles down it can become quite sociable. For the past 2 years Ive gone to Taupo to support the 10/8/4 lappers before doing the double, I make a point of going out in the early hours of the morning and joining riders for a while and have spent time riding with both Colin, NickD and Ron Skelton on their 2/3/4th laps etc. I had hoped to make a better showing this year at the GR, but the reality of having an injury for which Im going in for surgery on in 3 weeks was always going to hold me back :-( I did manage to cover 1/2 distance before withdrawing, if you include my warm up and detour due to the lack of signage! Anyway once Im recovered, which should be by mid June, Id be more than pleased to join you and maybe others for some LSD rides a pat of the Taupo Build up. Don't forget as well we have the 6 hour at Manfeild coming up in May. Whilst the time is the defining point don't write it off as its very fast and great training for speed! Last year Colin A, Soren Hall and I did it solo and averged over 37kmh!