Groundhog Day

It's quarter to seven in the morning, my alarm has just started ringing and I've got the overwhelming feeling that I've been here before. Whether it was yesterday or last year is irrelevant but I have definitely been here before, in a Holiday Inn Express room with it barely being light outside trying to haul my heavy and lethargic body out of my bed that seems to be tightening its grip on me. Days on a training camp rarely vary, you wake up to the same faces everyday, the food is largely the same, and the focus of the day is constant, bike riding. In a way the near monotonous nature of the days is almost a comfort, no uncertainties, no hidden surprises to knock you out of your rhythm. You become consumed by the bubble of camp, all that's on your mind all day is bike riding. It's almost like the the outside world doesn't exist, to say you're totally disconnected would be a lie but it can feel that way at times, sat in the track centre under the artificial light, no phones, no communication, you don't even know what the weather is like (although it's a fair guess that it's raining in Newport) so for five or six hours a day anything could happen and you would be none the wiser. The only thing that's important is the riding whether it be on the track or the road the bike riding is what is important and why we are there. The efforts are always hard and everyone is tired but it never does morale any good if tiredness is a constant topic of discussion, it's better to forget about fatigue and soreness and dither away the time talking about irrelevant crap. I don't want my description of a training camp to be misconstrued in any way negative because it's quite the opposite, it's an excellent way to not only get some quality work in but also to see how you stack up against some of the other top junior bike riders in the country. It's an important part of any riders development, learning how to take care of yourself when mum and dad aren't there to wash your kit or get your bike sorted. Being alone on a training camp surrounded by other athletes requires you to get on with it, make yourself accountable for your mistakes but most of all learn from them and develop that maturity. It's always tough coming home from a camp, getting back to reality. Going back to school after a week away just doing what I love riding my bike is difficult. I always feel so deflated and dissapointed to be back, obviously I like being home and eating my own food and seeing my friends but I can't help but dream that one day I'll be able to ride my bike on a daily basis without having to go back to 'reality', well that's the aim anyway.