A touch of autumn

Is this going to be the cold winter that everyone has predicted for the last couple of years? This morning as we headed out on the road for a training ride, the wind had a chill to it that heralds the change in seasons.

Already, the mornings are darker and getting out of bed is a battle. Now adding the first shivers of winter, its going to require huge mental effort to stay disciplined.

But it wasn't just the chill, it was the additional effort of riding into a relentless headwind that stayed in front no matter what direction we rode. By 55km, I was tired and sore. Much of it coming from my non-cycling training - push ups, sit ups, squats and abdominal crunches.

That coffee stop couldn't come quick enough today. But the good thing about these rides is the mental tenacity that one gains and I play games with my head, imagining I am out in the Karoo, in the bitter cold, hanging in until the next support station.