STEPPING UP PART 1 - RESET, REBUILD RESTART

How do you step up and take your performance to the next level? Determined to shrug off a disappointing 2021, Alex Ballinger kicks off this three-part series by going in search of inspirational advice

We've all been there. Whether it's being dropped on the club ride by the notorious local hitter, being caught by your minute man in a time trial, or being left to watch as an ultra-lean climber vanishes over the horizon at your favorite sportive, we've all wondered what it would take to reach that level.

After a slightly disappointing 2021 season (see panel), I found myself questioning what was next for my own riding. After two years of committed training and with some lofty targets on my calendar, I came away from last year feeling no closer to the rewards I had been pursuing, and possibly even further away than I had been in 2020.

During an extended off-season, I reflected on the exploits of a number of relatable, real-life riders whom it seemed to me had solved the puzzle, successfully balancing the demands of everyday life while still competing at a high level. Two riders in particular: Yewande Adesida and Nick Blight - each riding in a different discipline, in different parts of the country - helped give me the kick I needed for one more tilt at my goals. I decided to ask Adesida and Blight for some tips on how to step up to the next level while coping with the demands of daily life. Here is what I learned...

YEWANDE ADESIDA

RESET: 'Find the right balance'

“Something I took from a webinar early in the pandemic (mid-2020) is that balance is different for everyone and it doesn't have to be achieved every day," said Adesida, a part-time Ph.D. research student, part-time rowing coach, and a track rider, from north-west London. Balancing training, competing and life should not be a day-to-day struggle, said Adesida, but rather a process over the course of weeks and even months.