January Review, Over a brew.

“Sometimes you gotta go back to go forward. And I don't mean goin back to reminisce or chase ghosts. I mean go back to see where you came from, where you been, how you got HERE." – Matthew Mcconaughey

It’s the end of January, and despite being a fully-fledged professional athlete for the first time, it continues to be the month where pre-season training takes flight and its culmination marks the beginning of the road racing season across the board, amateurs and professionals alike. Before I get too excited by the opportunities that lie ahead, join me for this month’s [January] review over a brew.

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I’ve Read

January flew by which can only mean that I had fun, and life was busy.

There was a training camp which challenged me and accelerated my progression, and confidence. At the training camp, I experienced important lessons about character, my colleagues, friends and how to level myself up. It is easy to go into a training camp with preconceived ideas of what I’m going to achieve in the week. But every time those plans are banished to the outer rim, as I am reminded of presence and patience being pivotal for athlete performance. Two skills of the mind require constant practice.

To help with this I find reading helps especially before sleeping. For too long I sat in bed both in the am and pm scrolling through social media hoping to see something that would elevate my dopamine, though it rarely came. Last season I began the challenge of reading twelve books in twelve months – a feat I proudly completed. Again in 2024, the target is similar and that is to ensure the habit sticks.

So, in January, I’ve been reading the novel The Meaning of Sport by Simon Barnes.

It is a book that I was loaned late last year. I never had a good moment to read it, feeling, in my gut, that I had to give it a chance when I was in the correct headspace. How right I was. I have destroyed the book. No, I have not set a new personal best in reading time, rather I have turned down the corner of 80% of the pages I’ve read such is the quantity and quality of the existential remarks that Simon Barnes makes throughout the book. I apologise

Richard Pennell

, Writer of

Pitchmarks

. I’ll have to buy you a new version).

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After reading 2/3rds of The Meaning of Sport, I’ve been inspired to recommence my consumption of sports outside of the world of professional cycling.

On December 19th, 2023, GCN+ shut down its servers. The whole cycling world went into mourning. Whilst I experienced a snippet of grief for what may lie ahead for the coverage of cycling, I have been amazed by the re-exposure to an abundance of sport. I love it. I can’t get past how incredible the sport that has been on offer through Discovery+. Simon Barnes has taught me new ways to watch sports, linking it with my knowledge and expertise.

The Australian Open Tennis was outstanding. My mouth was left agape at the intensity and speed with which Jannick Sinner returned several of the shots made by Daniil Medvedev.

Alongside that, the WRC Rally in Monte Carlo left me in awe. Who needs to watch 120km of bike racing (when it is my job) when there is so much sport in the world to excite and entertain? Not to mention the endless documentaries on Netflix too – Break Point; Full Contact; Nascar [and soon-to-be-released F1 Drive to Survive].

There is, of course, a time when homework is due, but it does not need to encompass every moment of every day. I’m glad I can still take joy in watching the athlete, not just the cyclist.

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Alongside my reading and watching as ways to switch off, writing helps me analyse what I’ve experienced. Forming those tales in my brain so that I can choose to remember them. A newsletter that will drop soon is about my recent, very insightful, and productive visit to CycleFit. But this month has been quiet in terms of the He Who Learns Newsletter.

I only published a newsletter on Coffee Culture within cycling as I was immensely busy with my training load and ensuring I kept the progress up between training camps, whilst including important family time over Christmas. Speaking of, I got a new Coffee Machine that I’ve been playing with since the festive period, which was the source of inspiration for the post.

I also agreed to contribute a monthly instalment over at Write. Bike. Repeat. by

Katy Madgwick

. In each volume, I’ll be musing over the inevitable lessons that I will pick up on the journey that is being a Neo-Professional Athlete. Check out the first chapter here.

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That’s the review part done. Now what am I looking forward to…

February is signified by one thing… a return to racing after a long, grey winter.

I’ll be honest [and I think every athlete feels this way] the return to competition is always exciting. Exciting to the nth degree. The adrenaline begins to kick in, feeling the flurry of butterflies in the gut. Yet it is juxtaposed with the nervousness that accompanies the unknown. The unknown as to where your competitors lie, and this time – the first time – can I compete?

Provisionally I’ll be taking to the start line in the South of France. A race called Le Tour de la Provence. This year there is no Mont Ventoux, just a prologue and three stages that should end up in sprints of some kind or another. I can’t wait to get started, though I am very nervous, which can only be a good thing.

These monthly reviews (despite not having written one since November) are important to me because as my favourite actor says in his book Greenlights; “Sometimes you gotta go back to go forward. And I don't mean goin back to reminisce or chase ghosts. I mean go back to see where you came from, where you been, how you got HERE." - Matthew McConaughey. It’s an opportunity to revisit all that I have achieved in January, however small. It inspires for the period ahead which in this case is very much needed as the racing season is just around the corner.

This Month in Pictures: Ringconn; The Meaning of Sport; Meal of the Month; Café; Calp Rock; Coffee Machine