Yesterday was the moment of truth. 5 Months ago I left Holland over trained (I'm speaking about cycling now) and I wanted to recover and prepair myself for the next cycling season in Italy during my internship at Ferrari. Winter seems very long, but you work, you train, you experience and then it is already February! Constantly I was wondering if I did the right training, in the right way, on the right time. Am I not too tired? Is my heart rate ok? You have to combine knowledge and experience with what your body tells you. And particularly I have some difficulties with that last thing!

Doing a test is the only way to see if you globaly did a good job. A test with one protocol that you repeat every period so that comparing of results is possible. Yesterday it was my turn again! A little bit nervous I stepped on the special test bike. I pushed the paddles and panted heavily when I reached my max heart rate. But for good results. Power is increased with 20 Watt, max heart rate is high again and VO2 max at a good level! And my fatt percentage decreased to 14%!

Happy with the results I took my cross bike and cycled back to Putten where my parents live. It was my first outdoor training in Holland and I was aware of the typical Dutch landscape. The cows on the grass-land and the smell of shit, haha! The amount of cycling roads suprised me again and I was almost forgotten about the enormous amount of roundabouts that we have in Holland! And lots of children cyling to school that you have to pass, which is almost impossible because they block the whole cycle lane. And when they finially give you some space to pass they have the feeling that they should give their opinion about your cycling talent or clothes. Youngsters....grrrr...

I must not complain, Holland means cycling and cycling means people on a bike on the cycle road. I think it is difficult to find someone in Holland who doesn't have a bike! But I don't know if someone has as many as my family have (see the picture)!! :-)