Cycling is the only non-sport physical activity that I enjoy, and have enjoyed for as far as I can remember. Cycling, at its core, is not a particularly mentally challenging activity, however it also isn’t meant to be so. It focuses on physical exertion in terms of endurance and lower body strength, which can be refined even more at greater distances. Over the course of a year, I restarted cycling and went from cycling in my neighbourhood to on the road, greatly improving my overall ability.
LO 1 – I identified my strengths and weaknesses by cycling and using a watch to track my heart rate and cycling rate. A few of these included my endurance, which upon reflection I realised to be something that I could improve by practising and increasing my cycling time with each session.
LO 2 – It was challenging to manage new locations, as I was previously mostly experienced with flat tracks, and even longer distances were part of the challenge. I also had to keep endurance and hydration in mind, and all of this was challenging because of the level of physical fitness I was at when I initially started the activity. Through constant practice, I was able to overcome this.
LO 3 – By managing my time by allotting time for cycling as part of my physical well-being, both inside and outside school. It was easier to plan this allotment then it was to initiate it, as a lot of external factors such as school submissions came in the way. I also used a calendar app to help with the same, and on off-days, I even cycled in the mornings.
LO 4 – Perserverence was necessary for me as this took me more than a month to improve in, as is the case with a lot of physical activities. Having a reminder app also helped me to stick to this, and in doing so show commitment to something that would positively impact my lifestyle.
Not only did this activity help me improve physically, but it also helped me develop a mental outlet which will be useful for me in the future when I need to take a break from the ups and downs of everyday life. Furthermore, it also helped me become a more balanced learner, as well as a risk-taker because of the increased limits and new surroundings in my journey. I also feel like this is something that I will surely do again in the future as it has helped me immensely in organising and improving my quality of life.
