The art of being a lazy athlete

The old cycling adage “don’t walk if you drive, don’t stand if you can sit, don’t sit if you can lie,” governs most athlete’s lives. Hard smart training is only half of the equation. Off the bike being horizontal becomes number one priority. Spending my rest day traipsing around London last week made me reflect on what is optimal recovery.  I found myself making a sneaky dive for the last tube seat and acquainting myself with the sofa after toughing out 10 minutes of standing small talk at a drinks party (nearest the canapés naturally).  A day out is an great mental break but when you spend your life sitting down on the bike and trying to be horizontal off the bike weight bearing trashes your legs. Only cyclists can truly appreciate this!

Off the bike we are pretty darn lazy human beings! The look on people’s faces when you take the elevator one mere flight is brilliant. So what are some suitable rest day past times?  Anything that shares parallels with what’s on offer in an OAP day centre I guess! Going out for coffee, lunch, pedicures, movies all fit the bill. A wild existence the life of a 21 year old cyclist I hear you say! I used to find it really hard and felt guilty doing nothing but the better you become at training the better you become at resting. The hardest part is all the jet setting for races, other than venturing out for the race the cultural experience is limited to your bed and the hotel breakfast buffet!

Thanks for reading; I am off for a sit down shower!