Numerically, 2012 was a good season.
I lost 10 pounds. I set several new power records for myself. My 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 8:00 and 20:00 power numbers are all 10% higher than they ever were before. I started training with GPS and set a few course bests.
The weird part is that I did all of that in just the last 12 weeks.Up until then, the year had its highs and lows.
The first 4 months of the "off season" went pretty well. I was training regularly, maintaining my threshold power, and building up my leg strength and pedaling efficiency. I was starting to see signs of my threshold improving and I was getting close to my best sprint power.
Then I broke my nose. I couldn't really train for a week until the swelling went down, and then I got a sinus infection that kept my training to a minimum. After nearly a month off, I started rebuilding.
A month after that, I wrenched my back. I took a few weeks off, let myself heal a bit, then started up too hard and hurt my back again.
This time I took a month or two of nothing but easy riding. My motivation was gone and I just had no desire to train at all.
In June, my motivation came back as mysteriously as as it had gone. I was training seriously, with both a plan and a purpose.
I think next season I'm going to plan my training and goals in smaller blocks, probably of 8 to 12 weeks. That might mean not even picking my "A" races until the spring, when I can say what skills and strengths I've cultivated over the winter.
We'll see how it goes!
