January 2026 – The weather in the UK is great, and I’ve kicked off the new year on a high note.
Last year was pretty busy, and I didn’t manage to hit all the goals I had set—cycling goals, of course. But there’s no point dwelling on that now. A new year brings new opportunities.
Since December, I’ve been planning all my sporting events, and I’m really excited. It’s going to be an action-packed year—I can’t wait! As I mentioned, last year was active but not as much as I had hoped, so over the holidays, I’ve been catching up on my riding. Then, after two weeks of regular solo rides, something I didn’t expect happened: an injury.
At first, I thought it was nothing serious—a little knee pain that would pass. But unfortunately, it wasn’t that simple. A few days later, trying to protect one knee ended up causing pain in the other one too! Really? Is this some kind of joke? Despair, frustration, and nerves all hit me at once—I felt completely overwhelmed.
Has anyone else experienced something like this?
Lying here with plenty of time to think, I wondered why this happened. I feel like it might have happened before… or maybe I’m just imagining it. I don’t know. I’m stressed about the situation and need to rest.
The night passed, and in the morning it hit me—I remembered! Yes, it has happened before, more than once. It always returned to normal, and painful injuries after long rides aren’t new to me. Why did I do nothing about them? The answer came quickly: because they went away and didn’t seem serious at the time.
This year I turn 43. After 12 years of cycling, it should be going easier, but unfortunately, it’s getting harder. I’ve made plenty of mistakes I didn’t even realise I was making—and now I’m paying the price.
In my upcoming posts, I’ll share what I plan to do to get back to enjoying cycling without unnecessary injuries.
Why “what I plan to do” and not “what I did”? Because this year, I’m starting to try things I’ve never done before—I want to see if they work. Step by step, I’ll describe them. Through these posts, you’ll see what I’m doing and how it affects my well-being.
The goal isn’t to avoid being tired after long rides—it’s to avoid those small, frustrating injuries.
I invite you to comment, and I truly appreciate any tips from more experienced cyclists!