Over the weekend, my partner and I decided to take our first hike of the year out in Surrey.

One thing we really enjoy doing on Sundays is getting out of London for some fresh air and a bit of nature.

With the weather starting to dry up recently, it felt like the perfect opportunity.

So we drove about an hour out of London to a small town called Shere, a beautiful little place where parts of The Holiday were filmed.

We’ve been there a few times before, but this time we tried a hike we hadn’t done previously.

It ended up being a really nice 10km route.

Not too muddy.

Quiet trails.

A cool breeze and mild temperatures.

The weather wasn’t quite the sunshine that was forecast, but honestly it didn’t matter.

Just being outside in nature with my partner, switching off from the noise of the city, reminded me how important it is to slow down sometimes.

But there was another reason this hike meant a lot to me.

Recently, I’ve been recovering from shingles, and over the past few days, I’ve only just started easing back into activity by cycling to work.

On Saturday, I actually felt pretty tired for no obvious reason.

So this hike was really a test to see how my body was feeling.

Thankfully, once we got going, I felt good. Not pushing hard, just moving, enjoying the moment and listening to how my body responded.

And it reminded me of something important…

Even though I’m a coach, I still need to remind myself to be patient with recovery.

Like many people, my instinct is to get back to full training as quickly as possible.

But rushing recovery rarely works.

Sometimes the smartest thing you can do for your long-term progress is simply take your time and let your body catch up.

That’s actually something I work on a lot with the cyclists I coach.

Because many of them are juggling demanding careers, busy schedules and ambitious cycling goals.

And often what they need most isn’t just another training session…

It’s someone to help them step back, adjust the plan, and make sure their training, recovery and lifestyle are actually working together.

Just like my partner reminded me this weekend to ease off a little.

Having someone in your corner who understands the bigger picture can make a huge difference.

If you’d like that kind of support with your cycling, training structure and recovery, you can learn more about my 1-to-1 coaching below.

Click here to find out more.