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

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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.