Hey, Cella—

I had a similar spell in the early part of this year. Over the course of a few months I went from riding outdoors every chance I got…to riding mostly on a trainer in front of the TV…to riding occasionally on a trainer in front of the TV—and being afraid to ride outside again—to hanging the bike in the garage and putting the trainer away. I sort of got into this weird place where I even contemplated selling my bike and getting something less fancy because I wasn't worthy of carbon and Ultegra. Yup, it was a spiral.

The good news is, spirals work both ways, because once I finally forced myself back out on the bike for an outdoor ride—with no pressure to do anything epic or exhausting—I rediscovered the exhilaration that lured me into cycling in the first place. I think the key is to reestablish the joy in your relationship with cycling—that pleasure that doesn't understand the language of "training ride" or "hill repeats" and instead recalls the freedom you felt as a kid when you got your first bike. I'll come back to you in time, but you might have to cajole yourself into that first ride. Keep the faith, and enjoy the trip back.