Student-athlete blog on cycling.
August 2014. I started rowing. I was huge (read: obese), anxious, and a potato. No need to sugarcoat anything, let’s just leave it at that. October 5th, 2015. A bit of a jump. Spent the first year learning the ropes, realising that I’ve met the love of my life in one of its many earthly … Continue reading A severe shortage of hardware, and an alternate account of years 2014-2020.
“The greater the suffering, the greater the pleasure. That is nature’s payback to riders for the homage they pay her by suffering. Velvet pillows, safari parks, sunglasses; people have become woolly mice. They still have bodies that can walk for five days and four nights through a desert of snow, without food, but they accept … Continue reading Good for you.
A couple of days overdue. Things took a turn. A complete 180. Now, based in Anuradhapura, ~220 km from Colombo. It wasn’t at all what I expected, and at the same time, it’s exactly what I expected. Before any of this came through, I pictured a house by a lake, and a flat single-lane road … Continue reading New beginnings, round 2: The team
Hey, there. Nice to see you again. If this is the first Radha.blog post you’re reading, this is a weekly training log of a student-athlete. I will dish out nuggets of (cycling) wisdom whenever I come across some myself, and also keep you entertained with the occasional silly mistake.Currently training in the pretty HECTIC island … Continue reading The Importance of 1) Why, and 2) Meticulous Planning.
Thanks to an unimaginably hectic Sunday, I couldn’t do last week’s post any justice. Week 6, day 1. (Second cycle: week 2.) I was chatting with Coach today. Assessments are due, and ideally tomorrow morning. Any later and the rest of the week goes rough. Problem: The only way I’m going to find a long … Continue reading Beer belly, assessments.
And the wind keeps roaring, And the sky keeps turning greyAnd the sun is setting,And the sun will rise another day. Pearl Jam - The Long Road When I was small, I remember feeling a feeling of adventure when we were going somewhere we hadn’t been before. It’s not something I can put into words. If … Continue reading Dusk to dawn
Two months have passed since I set up this blog! I haven’t yet figured out the direction this blog will take, but it’s been some time since I wrote last. It felt a bit like one of those projects we all start big and ends up becoming a flop because I lost interest after a … Continue reading 24th May – New beginnings.
This article is for anyone who is new to cycling in Sri Lanka, and wants information about frequently used and relatively safe routes - listed below are eight routes divided into loops, flats and hills. I’ve also included a section on finding your way and staying safe on Sri Lankan roads. First things first: According … Continue reading ROUTES AND SAFETY – cycling in Sri Lanka
A breakdown + explanation of what I carry in my saddle pack, and why I don't go riding without it.
We have no Galle road anymore. Unawatuna and Mirissa went under, a few years ago, and nobody really makes trips down South anymore. Power outages are frequent. Norochcholai closed down two decades ago, but rains aren’t reliable anymore because monsoon cycles are unpredictable. Two years ago, they didn’t come at all, actually. Remember how bad that was?
Rādha 