Last Friday, I noticed a few bites on my left arm.
At least… I thought they were bites.
Naturally, my partner and I went into full “deep clean mode.”
We stripped the bed.
Washed all the sheets.
Cleaned clothes.
Hoovered everything.
Problem solved, right?
Except it wasn’t.
By the start of this week, more spots were appearing, still only down my left arm.
Now, one of the advantages of working 40 hours a week inside a GP practice is access to medical expertise.
So I asked one of the GPs I work with if she could spare five minutes to take a look.
She did.
And her response surprised me.
“It’s shingles.”
At 43, that wasn’t on my bingo card.
But after speaking to colleagues, including one in her twenties who’d also had it, I realised something important:
Shingles doesn’t just appear because you’re “unhealthy.”
It appears when your immune system is under stress.
And when I looked at my life objectively…
- I’m travelling to Devon monthly, organising an event.
- I’m working full-time in a private medical clinic.
- I’m running two businesses, including a growing coaching business supporting cyclists over 40 to ride faster and lose weight.
- I’m training hard for Mallorca in April.
Even though I felt okay…
I’d been wiped out.
And here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Stress doesn’t always feel dramatic.
Sometimes it just quietly accumulates.
As cyclists over 40, we like to think we can just push through.
Train harder.
Work harder.
Keep showing up.
But your body keeps score.
And even though I preach recovery, rest days, sleep and smart structure…
Life isn’t always as simple as “put your feet up.”
We have responsibilities.
Clients.
Partners.
Businesses.
Careers.
There’s a fine balance between ambition and overload.
This week, I’m taking a full week off training.
Not because I’m lazy.
Not because I’ve lost motivation.
But because long-term progress requires short-term restraint.
That’s the lesson.
Recovery isn’t weakness.
It’s a strategy.
And this is exactly why structured training matters for cyclists over 40.
Not just riding more.
Not just squeezing sessions in.
But knowing when to push… and when to pull back.
If you’re juggling work, family and training, and you’re unsure whether you’re progressing or just accumulating fatigue…
Let’s talk.
Click the link here to book a call.
I’ll help you find the balance between performance and sustainability, so you can ride stronger without burning out.
Speak soon,
Neil
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