It's only Rock & Roll - but I like it...!
I could waste hours watching cycling on the telly, the Giro d’Italia is on at the moment, the end of each stage is exciting as are the mountain climbs but why do I sit there watching the flat stages? Nothing happens for hours but I still find it hard to drag myself away! Professional Cycling is surely one of the hardest of sports and the guys in the peloton are among the fittest of athletes. A three week Grand Tour is a real test of strength, both physical and mental. I so want to believe they are drug free and, of course a lot are, most are? It’s a cleaner sport these days. However, there are cyclists who still cheat, as there are in other sports and there’s the rub, whenever there is a positive test on a cyclists, its big news. The rolling sports news programme on Sky features results for all sports and seems to enjoy breaking news of failed drugs tests by cyclists, but gives few actual race results (it does give more results now but that is more to do with plugging Team Sky, than providing information). How many golfers were tested at Wentworth this last weekend? As an amateur cyclist/triathlete I have been tested 3 times. Indeed, if random testers arrived, would they even be let into the clubhouse? How many premiership football players are tested, post match or in the off season? What about jockeys, rugby players, tennis players, cricketers or even darts players? I would think some cyclists are tested more often in a three week tour, than some athletes are tested in their whole careers. Of course nobody can deny, cycling has created a lot of its own problems and still has work to do, it would be nice, though, if all sports were treated the same. It’s probably no coincidence that it is the rich sports that are treated more fairly than others, as Mr. Dylan said, “Money doesn’t talk, it swears!!”
I took a call the other week from the Bournemouth International Centre -“could I come down and give some massage treatment to one of the artists who was performing that evening?” Not wanting to miss a bit of excitement on a Wednesday afternoon I got myself down there, (a very understanding client was happy to change her appointment for me.). It turned out to be the drummer from a rock group, with sore shins from constantly banging the pedal drum! He responded very well to some “Hands on Treatment” back stage. Two tickets for the show were provided, as were passes to the after show party. Sports massage is hardly rock & roll - but I’m waiting for the call to their world tour!
Here comes the Sun! Doesn’t the sun make it easier to train? The recent warm spell seems to motivate us more, which is odd because it’s still hard work. It’s just great being outside and we have waited long enough for it. The ice in the winter is a distant memory and spring was a disappointment too - however it is definitely here now. I try not to worry about the weather, never waste energy on things you have no control over, worry about the things you can control. Speaking of which, I got caught up in a crash in a road race recently. A touch of wheels caused 5 or 6 riders to come down; luckily I was not directly involved but ended up in the verge, just trying to avoid the carnage. Actually no one was hurt too bad, just a bit of gravel rash, it did however mean race over as the remains of the peloton disappeared up the road. Shame, as I could have won that race. (I say that about every race I crash in!)
My form is ok, nothing special, I need to find an edge, I am looking hard but the answer is staring me in the face and I know it - I am not training enough - I come up with reasons for my lack of fitness, but they are just excuses, work, time, family… The real reason is I’m just not putting in the hard work and deserve the form I’ve got. I like the simplicity of endurance sport but I like it more when I’m going well. Even this paragraph is an excuse, I need to train!
See you up the road…
E D
Eamonn Deane is a TrainingBible UK specialist in the field of sports massage. To find out more about his work, check out his new website at
www.sportsmassagebournemouth.co.uk
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