Dylan Girdlestone, team captain of OfficeGuru, says they are staying positive as they wait for normality to return once the current lockdown period in South Africa ends.
Team captain of OfficeGuru Dylan Girdlestone is keeping himself and his riders positive during the lockdown period in South Africa. Photo: Supplied
The initial three-week lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus was due to end at midnight on Thursday but has been extended by a further two weeks.
“I’m helping to keep our riders motivated and fit by challenging them with activities every now and then, such as Zwift rides,” said the 30-year-old.
“Right now there isn’t much structure to the training as there is currently no goal in sight. Trying to ride daily is the plan.”
The Johannesburg resident feels that indoor training can provide a very high-quality workout.
“This is due to the fact that you have to pedal all the time and maintain focus for the whole ride.
“It’s both a mental and physical exercise.”
He did however feel that it was a much harder workout than on the open road.
This was due to the “constant pedalling and focus. The time goes by way slower and there is no escape for your mind when you start to suffer.”
Regarding goals, Girdlestone said it was possible to achieve 80 per cent of the preparation needed to achieve your goals.
“The other 20 per cent comes from actually handling your bike on the road, improving your skill. Also the bike reacts differently to power output on the road versus the indoor trainer.”
Despite the current state of affairs and everyone experiencing something new and challenging, Girdlestone felt the team was handling it okay.
“Elite cyclists are used to not doing much other than riding most of the time, so to those who don’t have day jobs it’s not much different from normal life I think.”
He added that the coronavirus had naturally influenced their plans and goals for the season.
“Everything has pretty much gone out the window, so until we know when racing will actually resume we can’t even set goals.
“Right now the plan is just to keep my sanity and hope to get back to normality.
“I also have a full-time day job with Positive Sports Solutions, which is a more important goal I think. So getting back to work and trying to catch up and minimise the losses there is key.”
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