With Easter here, it’s time time to take a pause and think about the whirlwind that has been the first 3 months of 2018 and what lies ahead for the rest of the year, particularly with our Italian Cycling Tours. It’s also time to take time out to do the things we love – riding, enjoying good food and wine with family and friends and definitely some downtime.
As I was thinking about the riding I’ll be doing this Easter weekend, I started to feel a sense of relief about the prospect of being able to take my time….and really enjoy the ride.
I believe we ride differently when we are away on holidays, compared to when we are at home with the pressures of meeting all of our commitments. So, I’ve written a short list of the different things that we see happen, particularly with guests riding on our Italian cycling holidays, that you might like to weave into your riding over this Easter break ….whether you’re at home or away.
Don’t forget it is a holiday.
This is about time and allowing yourself more time to complete a ride so that you can really take in the surroundings.
This could be a longer ride or with a mate who needs to talk as much as they need to pedal.
Ride somewhere different.
Broaden your scope and plan to go somewhere new. It could be as simple as if you always head out in an easterly direction, flip it and head west. Or if you have plenty of time and the pioneer spirit, jump on a train and ride home.
It’s too easy to fall into a rut and ride the same routes time and again. Keep those for when you have limited time.
Eat something interesting.
This is my personal favourite because for me, the food is a big reward.
Do a little research and see whether in the general direction you’re heading, there is a good and interesting place for lunch or a long ride in the morning and then a long leisurely lunch in the afternoon.
This could be the start of an Italian foodie tour to see who has the best antipasto or pasta…. or both….
Forget the numbers.
Turn off the computer and just ride.
The plethora of numbers and data that you can download about your ride and performance is possibly better left for when you’re not on holidays.
Ride for the pleasure of the ride, and ride by feeling, not by maintaining or pushing to a set of numbers.
Enjoy the journey.
Look around you, enjoy the scenery.
Challenge and push yourself, but not to the point where you’re just short of breaking, or not enjoying what you’re doing.
Easter is a time to pause, and just like the quote I read the other day ‘life happens when we are interrupted.’
Enjoy the interruption and if you’re still deciding where to travel this year with your bike and will be doing a little research over the Easter break, take a look at our Italian Cycling Tour options.
Happy Easter.
