i've gone crazy (sort of a whine)

[DeniseGoldberg]

Cheryl -
It's perfectly OK to take a break from cycling and training. I know it's hard to stop - me too! - but I also know that allowing myself to take a break helps me to focus again. Take a break, think about your goals, and think about how (and where) your training fits into your every day life. I've found that just taking a break can revitalize my cycling.

Something else I've found that helps is varying my rides. It sounds silly, but I easily fall into the habit of riding the same routes over and over again. Some of that is because I commute to work by bike in the warm (and daylight-supported) months. And some of it is just habit. I find that throwing my bike in the car and going someplace completely different to ride helps a lot too. I live in eastern Massachusetts, so it's a relatively short drive to starting points for rides along the coasts of New Hampshire and Maine - and soaking up the views along the coast from my bike helps me.

--- Denise