my comeback

In 2012 I reached out to my former trainer and best friend to make a plan for my comeback. Together, we set goals and started tackling them.

The year 2012 was really hard as I had to lose about 25 kg, and also build fitness & strength. Luckily, the huge amount of self-discipline I gained through the years was still there, so I just made it all happen. 

Come March 2013, I was ready to race again!

The goal for 2013 was to get back to my former levels as fast as I could.

Being back in the bunch again after a few years of absence was quite a strange thing, but at the same time it felt so right again. On top of that, I felt mentally and physically stronger than ever.

I soon raced for the win again, and in May, I actually won my first comeback race. This was followed by another one in August, and lots of top three results before, in between, and after.

In 2007, I decided the 2014 season was going to be my very last season of racing. For real this time! Once again, it was about pushing boundaries and performing 10 times better than ever before. In other words, 10 top 3 rankings or better.

In order to approach things afresh, I switched trainers that year. With a new way of working mostly based on data and less obligation.

I soon noticed that this approach taught me to go to the extreme. I pushed my limits like never before and was able to push beyond what I could imagine I was capable of. It paid off! I became incredibly strong and based on the available data that was analysed on a daily basis, my results even became predictable.

I felt like a machine that year. It was all about physical effort, and physical performance, which became mentally challenging, especially the combination of professional work and personal life.

By the end of the summer, I got burned out. I was barely able to have a good night of sleep, and I was constantly getting in my own way.

Nevertheless, the 2014 season was incredibly successful! Based on the results, I did a better job than ever. I eventually reached that goal of 10 top 3 rankings, and I knew I couldn’t do any better. I was totally sure of that this time.

The downside, however, was this burn-out. I pushed beyond, and by the end of the 2014 season, the only thing I needed was full rest. I couldn’t get out of bed, I couldn’t go out to work, and I even couldn’t go out for an easy bike ride. I was totally done with it.

It took me at least two years to fully recover physically and mentally. Cycling still remained an obsessive activity: It was still about data, and I could hardly enjoy riding my bike.

Slowly but surely things changed, and this app called Instagram was such a great help…