I recently caught with EF-Education First rider Mitch Docker for a chat about several topics. Now in his 15th season as a professional, the engaging Docker is a dedicated family man. He also hosts Life in the Peloton, an insightful fortnightly show which gets into the nuts and bolts of what life is truly like as a pro cyclist.
In this first installment, Mitch takes us through how his life has changed amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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It's a late Thursday afternoon in early April. And in Mitch Docker's world, this usually means one thing: The Classics. Whether out on course reconnaissance or bunkered down in a Ghent hotel, the days preceding a Monument like the annual Ronde Van Vlaanderen are usually a mixture of intense focus and no small amount of pensiveness. But this year is different, and markedly so. With the world currently gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic, professional cycling, like all sports, is effectively on pause until further notice. For Mitch, though, he is still bunkered down, albeit further south and nearer the Mediterranean.
'I guess we got stuck here in Girona mate, but we're OK,' he says over the phone. The 33 year old from Melbourne had just returned from a short walk with his son before settling down for a chat about all things cycling, podcasting and, perhaps more pertinently, life. So how then has the current worldwide lockdown affected both Mitch and the greater Docker household?
'It was hard in the beginning,' explains Mitch as he asks Docker junior to close the front gate. 'Probably because there were suddenly no real racing objectives, plus so much uncertainty. But once I got through the first week and stopped worrying solely about myself and cycling, things seemed quite a bit easier. It's funny how something that's so much greater than one's own little world can put things into perspective. So we've got a bit of a routine going and things are going well now. I feel pretty grounded.'
Routine. Defined as a sequence of events that are regularly followed, the “R” word is one of the cornerstones in the life of any professional athlete. Training and racing schedules aside, though, a stable and consistent daily existence is key to le metier. Add in a well-developed personal instinct and it would be fair to say that after 15 seasons in the professional peloton, Mitch has an innate sense of what works for him. And what doesn't.
Case in point indoor training. If the corona virus has done one thing for the cycling industry, it has boosted the demand for indoor trainers and virtual workouts. And while many of his colleagues have posted impressive rides and training hours on their social media handles (Robert Gesink and his seven hour session on his balcony being but one example), Mitch's training approach in the current lockdown situation is dictated by his family commitments, personality and intuition.
'I can understand why some guys are doing massive volume indoors,' he says. 'A lot of them are single and living alone in small apartments without much else to do. So it makes sense as a way to kill some time and have a sense of purpose. For me, obviously, things are a little different. I'll do an hour or two first thing in the morning once the kids are sorted out and then maybe another shorter session early afternoon. But if not, then so be it.
'Another thing that is critical for me is freshness both mentally and physically. I don't want to be stale mentally once we can get back outside. I just know that for me to be pushing out an extra five or six hours a week now on the home trainer would almost definitely be taking away some drive when it's time to get out on the road again and put in the miles. I'm a guy who likes to exercise in general, but I also have only so many “mental matchsticks”.
'So once we have a clear date and a racing schedule, my coach and I know it will literally be “game on”. Not to get too philosophical, but until then it's really a case of being present with the family and maintaining fitness.'
Photo credit: Mitch Docker @mitchbowen
