March 24, 2017

IN THE SADDLE: Early mornings and time to think

Joshua Nuttall is part of the marketing team at Purple Group, a CN&CO client. He uses his IN THE SADDLE column on our blog to share the thoughts that pop into his head while he’s out riding his bicycle…

4:30am…my alarm rings!

A large reason of why I get up in the early mornings is because of the image above. It’s quiet, peaceful and energising at that time of day. It gives me energy and offers me a space to think, clear my head and get ready to klap it.

There is a term used to describe people like me who get up early to train and also manage to put in a days graft at the office: working class heroes.

Any idea why watching the sunrise provides this energy? I have a few, but am keen to hear yours. Drop a comment below, or tag @cnandco on Twitter and tell us your energising morning stories!

No doubt a couple of peeps will think I am mad, but hey… maybe I am a bit bonkers; it’s what makes my life interesting and keeps me on my toes!

So, what’s been happening in the bigger world of bicycling while I have been riding my bike?

This week I have had a serious case of FOMO (fear of missing out). The world’s biggest and arguably toughest stage race, the Cape Epic, has kept many people glued to Twitter and the live-tracking tab since it started on Sunday 19 March.

I have several mates participating. Tracking their progress has made the hunger to get onto that start line in the near future even greater.

On a side note – it’s good to have goals as it gives you something to aim for. However, I have learnt that there are a number of different routes to achieving them and thus am prepared to take each opportunity when it arises.

Back to the Cape Epic… some are racing it in the UCI elite category (these are the real racing snakes at the sharp end of the race) while others are doing it for different reasons (helping mates, riding for charity, etc). Each person’s race is different, with unique targets and objectives.

If you are interested, check out their progress and social media:

Take a cheeky break from work and follow the live tracking of the Cape Epic via the Dimension Data Race Centre App or at www.cape-epic.com/livetracking. The app and trackers aren’t the best, but it’s quite cool to cheer the boys on all the way from Jozi! (On that point, maybe a business opportunity for a tech company out there to challenge Dimension Data and come up with a better tracking app for next year?)

Remember to make time for the things you enjoy or that help keep you sane – even if it is at 4.30am.

The photo below was taken sometime last week on the way home from a ride. It’s getting light later now and a little bit chilly. There are some rad sunrises and sunsets at this time of year, take a moment to appreciate them if you can!

Thanks for reading and keep on klapping life. 🙂