The guys I ride with at work know that I have a couple of rules for riding in certain weather: I don't ride in the rain and I don't ride when it's below 42 degrees.
I've broken both those rules for races in the last 8 days. Last week it was pouring rain. This week is was 36 degrees. Sure, it was sunny, but the 18 mph wind gusts made it feel a lot colder.
Like last week, I got in a decent week of training with a sharp drop in training the last few days. I felt terrible on the bike both days, but had faith that I would be ready this morning... and I was. Warming up, I felt really good.
I planned on taking a risk with my pacing strategy. With the gusty winds on the way out, I planned to go full gas out to the turnaround and hope that I would have enough to work with the tail winds on the way back.
After beating me last week and getting ahead in the series standings, Anthony was starting in the spot 30 seconds behind me, so he had the advantage of being able to see where I was at all times. I was going to really have to do well to override that.
The start went well and I was right up to speed quickly. Unlike last week, I was paying attention to my position, trying to stay under the wind as much as I could and I kept my power right where I wanted it. Even with the headwind, I was seeing speeds in the 24 to 25 mph range.
I hit the turnaround at about 8:50 and an average of 298 watts. There was no way I could maintain that the whole way back and I knew it... right according to plan. I kept my power up until the last second and rolled smoothly through the turnaround. As I got back up to speed, I saw that Anthony was not far behind me, but I couldn't really judge how far.
The way back was WAY faster. As I had planned (hoped?), the tailwinds were really strong on the way back. I was pushing 27 to 28 mph at some points. I was really struggling to keep my power up, but I knew it would not be near my top end.
I hit the finish line with everything I had. Just in time... I could barely feel my fingers anymore! I looked a lot more determined in the finish line photos.
It turned out that Anthony beat me by about 12 seconds, like last week (all that work for the same results?!?!). If I'm going to win the series, I need to start beating him. At this point, I'm not quite sure how to pull that off.
That said, he was someone I raced all last year. If someone is going to beat me, I'm happy that it's someone I already know and respect. It was his first win and it's awesome to be able to congratulate a friend on a huge accomplishment like that.
What I Did Right:
Put faith in my training
Planing and executing my experimental pacing
Focused on my position
Kept the power up the whole time
What Could have been Better:
I think today went really well. I didn't make any obvious mistakes.
The Numbers:
Distance: 7.3 miles
Time: 17:11 (I did 17:32 last year)
Speed: 25.5 mph
Avg Wattage: 284 watts
Avg Heart Rate: 164 bpm
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Racing in the Rain
Last year, there were a few key races that I would have done rain or shine, but most races I didn't even sign up for until I saw the forecast a couple of days in advance.
This year, going for the series, I don't have that option. Today's 45 degree, raining, and 15 mph winds conditions at the start were just something I had to cope with.
This was also my first week on the in-season training plan. It was so strange doing intervals right up until Wednesday and feeling terrible during yesterday's warmup... I was a little worried that I would feel that way again today.
The course was 7 miles, almost entirely flat, with just a very short roller hill that was less than 30 seconds long. The only real technical action anywhere was the turnaround.
It started raining almost as soon as we got there. Luckily I brought the tent to warm up under, letting me at least stay dry for a little while.
It was great running into a few QCW teammates and all the gang from last year. Rich moved up to the 45+ category but Nick and Anthony are back for another round. If I'd had to guess, I expected it would be the three of us fighting out the series.
Being the first race of the year, I was a little out of practice at held starts. I was a little shaky while I was being held but got it together with about 10 seconds to go.
Almost as soon as I started, it started to rain harder... great.
About a mile in, I was so glad that I had a thermal jersey, tights, and waterproof shoe covers on. Still, I could feel the cold water coming off my front wheel and hitting my shins. Within another mile, the water was running over the tops of my shoe covers and I could feel the water squishing in my shoes each pedal stroke. The head wind was not helping any.
I was a little worried about my pacing. As I've mentioned in the last few weeks, my power output has not been great. I was optimistically thinking I would average 280 watts. I hit the turnaround at 284, which had me wondering if I'd gone out too hard.
I took my time with the turnaround. I slowed down way too early to get a look at the turn and really should have kept the pressure up longer. I slowed down a lot, took the actual turn really slow, and then pushed gradually back up to speed. I probably lost several seconds, but I would rather lose a few seconds and stay upright than take the risk and crash. Not to mention, I hadn't done a turnaround at race speed since last August... come to mention it, I haven't ridden my TT bike outside since then either!
The way back was a LOT faster with the tailwind. I still felt good and pushed the power a little higher. I caught two people on the way back, which is always a confidence booster.
I hit the finish line, looked down at my computer, and was really happy. I'd averaged 287 watts, well over my goal. I was a little slower than last year, when I could do 293 watts for a race of this length, but it was much better than I thought I would do.
I was also happy with the time. I was hoping for around 17:00 (25 mph). I finished in 16:32 (25.5 mph).
When the results were posted, that was enough to get me 4th place. The top two guys were triathletes who probably would not be in most of the series race. Anthony got 3rd (at 16:20) and he is definitely competition for the series. He is going for the series the same as I am, so I will have to work to get ahead of him in the coming races. Nick was not far behind in 7th. Knowing those two are fitter than ever will be good motivation for the coming weeks!
Looking at the photos, I noticed two things that I need to work on:
What I did right:
Warmed up in the tent
Corrections in my training the last few weeks
Maintained my optimism despite the rain and cold
What could have been better:
My turnaround
My position on the bike
My focus on giving it everything I've got
The Numbers:
Distance: 7 miles
Time: 16:32
Speed: 25.5 mph
Avg Power:287 watts
Avg Heart Rate: 167 bpm
This year, going for the series, I don't have that option. Today's 45 degree, raining, and 15 mph winds conditions at the start were just something I had to cope with.
This was also my first week on the in-season training plan. It was so strange doing intervals right up until Wednesday and feeling terrible during yesterday's warmup... I was a little worried that I would feel that way again today.
The course was 7 miles, almost entirely flat, with just a very short roller hill that was less than 30 seconds long. The only real technical action anywhere was the turnaround.
It started raining almost as soon as we got there. Luckily I brought the tent to warm up under, letting me at least stay dry for a little while.
It was great running into a few QCW teammates and all the gang from last year. Rich moved up to the 45+ category but Nick and Anthony are back for another round. If I'd had to guess, I expected it would be the three of us fighting out the series.
Being the first race of the year, I was a little out of practice at held starts. I was a little shaky while I was being held but got it together with about 10 seconds to go.
Almost as soon as I started, it started to rain harder... great.
About a mile in, I was so glad that I had a thermal jersey, tights, and waterproof shoe covers on. Still, I could feel the cold water coming off my front wheel and hitting my shins. Within another mile, the water was running over the tops of my shoe covers and I could feel the water squishing in my shoes each pedal stroke. The head wind was not helping any.
I was a little worried about my pacing. As I've mentioned in the last few weeks, my power output has not been great. I was optimistically thinking I would average 280 watts. I hit the turnaround at 284, which had me wondering if I'd gone out too hard.
I took my time with the turnaround. I slowed down way too early to get a look at the turn and really should have kept the pressure up longer. I slowed down a lot, took the actual turn really slow, and then pushed gradually back up to speed. I probably lost several seconds, but I would rather lose a few seconds and stay upright than take the risk and crash. Not to mention, I hadn't done a turnaround at race speed since last August... come to mention it, I haven't ridden my TT bike outside since then either!
The way back was a LOT faster with the tailwind. I still felt good and pushed the power a little higher. I caught two people on the way back, which is always a confidence booster.
I hit the finish line, looked down at my computer, and was really happy. I'd averaged 287 watts, well over my goal. I was a little slower than last year, when I could do 293 watts for a race of this length, but it was much better than I thought I would do.
I was also happy with the time. I was hoping for around 17:00 (25 mph). I finished in 16:32 (25.5 mph).
When the results were posted, that was enough to get me 4th place. The top two guys were triathletes who probably would not be in most of the series race. Anthony got 3rd (at 16:20) and he is definitely competition for the series. He is going for the series the same as I am, so I will have to work to get ahead of him in the coming races. Nick was not far behind in 7th. Knowing those two are fitter than ever will be good motivation for the coming weeks!
Looking at the photos, I noticed two things that I need to work on:
- My head was up way too high, I was trying to hard to see ahead in the rain and it wrecked my aero position
- Anthony wanted it a lot more than I did. His look at the finish line said "I AM HERE TO WIN!!" The look on my face said "This sucks. Am I done yet?"
What I did right:
Warmed up in the tent
Corrections in my training the last few weeks
Maintained my optimism despite the rain and cold
What could have been better:
My turnaround
My position on the bike
My focus on giving it everything I've got
The Numbers:
Distance: 7 miles
Time: 16:32
Speed: 25.5 mph
Avg Power:287 watts
Avg Heart Rate: 167 bpm
Sunday, March 16, 2014
2 Weeks to Go
The racing season is just two weeks away and I'm doing my final preparations for it.
Looking at the first four races, all four are completely flat. The first three are short, around 17 to 18 minutes. The fourth is a little longer, probably around 30 to 32 minutes. Give the time of year and the proximity to the ocean, I expect all four to be cool and windy.
The courses for the second group of four are much harder. The first one is a 5.5 mile hill climb with grades up to 18%. The next one is a technical 9.9 mile course with steeply rolling hills. After that is a17.8 mile course that is completely flat and straight, and just focusing to maintain speed is the challenge. Wrapping it up is another steeply rolling 11-mile course.
My fitness is coming along nicely. I've corrected the mistakes in my training that I mentioned last time, but I'm only beginning to see a change. It takes time to change performance!!
My weight is a little high. I'm currently 4 pounds over my target weight (currently 171, with a target of 167). My weight has been slowly drifting downward, at about a pound a month instead of my targeted 3 pounds a month. Once the racing starts, I don't know that I'll be able to lose more weight since I'll be training very intensely and need to maintain the incoming fuel.
My motivation and confidence are not at their best. I missed the power targets in my last two tests. I'm struggling to finish long intervals more due to mental focus and drive issues than problems with my legs and lungs. I think the problem stems from the pressure of doing so well last season and feeling the need to live up to that.
My biggest concern is going to be continuing to improve my fitness once the season starts. With races on 8 weekends in a row, all of them part of the series, I need to race as well or better on the later races as I do on the early ones. While I've spent a lot of time figuring out how to make that training as efficient and effective as possible, the time to put it into practice is almost here.
Looking at the first four races, all four are completely flat. The first three are short, around 17 to 18 minutes. The fourth is a little longer, probably around 30 to 32 minutes. Give the time of year and the proximity to the ocean, I expect all four to be cool and windy.
The courses for the second group of four are much harder. The first one is a 5.5 mile hill climb with grades up to 18%. The next one is a technical 9.9 mile course with steeply rolling hills. After that is a17.8 mile course that is completely flat and straight, and just focusing to maintain speed is the challenge. Wrapping it up is another steeply rolling 11-mile course.
My fitness is coming along nicely. I've corrected the mistakes in my training that I mentioned last time, but I'm only beginning to see a change. It takes time to change performance!!
My weight is a little high. I'm currently 4 pounds over my target weight (currently 171, with a target of 167). My weight has been slowly drifting downward, at about a pound a month instead of my targeted 3 pounds a month. Once the racing starts, I don't know that I'll be able to lose more weight since I'll be training very intensely and need to maintain the incoming fuel.
My motivation and confidence are not at their best. I missed the power targets in my last two tests. I'm struggling to finish long intervals more due to mental focus and drive issues than problems with my legs and lungs. I think the problem stems from the pressure of doing so well last season and feeling the need to live up to that.
My biggest concern is going to be continuing to improve my fitness once the season starts. With races on 8 weekends in a row, all of them part of the series, I need to race as well or better on the later races as I do on the early ones. While I've spent a lot of time figuring out how to make that training as efficient and effective as possible, the time to put it into practice is almost here.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
4 Week Checkup
With 4 weeks to go until the first race of the year, I did a little bit of testing today.
I've got a strong foundation and I've been seeing for very good numbers for my 8:00 and 5:00 power, but I have not tested my 20-minute power in quite some time. It's probably a mistake to have gone so long without it since I have several races that will be right around 20 minutes in length.
To put it simply: the results were terrible.
I was shocked when I cracked about 14 minutes into the test at what I expected to be a power I should be able to maintain. Boy, was I wrong!
Looking back over my training data for the last few months, I can see exactly where I went wrong and I think I have some ideas about how to fix it. I'm just a little annoyed that I didn't notice these problems earlier. With all the training data that I have, the mistakes were really obvious in the charts and graphs, almost at first glance.
The big question is whether four weeks is long enough to correct the mistakes I've made.
I've got a strong foundation and I've been seeing for very good numbers for my 8:00 and 5:00 power, but I have not tested my 20-minute power in quite some time. It's probably a mistake to have gone so long without it since I have several races that will be right around 20 minutes in length.
To put it simply: the results were terrible.
I was shocked when I cracked about 14 minutes into the test at what I expected to be a power I should be able to maintain. Boy, was I wrong!
Looking back over my training data for the last few months, I can see exactly where I went wrong and I think I have some ideas about how to fix it. I'm just a little annoyed that I didn't notice these problems earlier. With all the training data that I have, the mistakes were really obvious in the charts and graphs, almost at first glance.
The big question is whether four weeks is long enough to correct the mistakes I've made.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
The Inner Limits
Over the last few weeks, I've been struggling with my motivation on the bike. I get on the trainer and... hmm... maybe that's the problem.
This winter has been so snowy and cold that I haven't been able to get outside much. In fact, I've ridden a total of 100 miles outdoors in the last 3 months (not even twice each month). Meanwhile, I've been riding 8 to 10 hours a week on the trainer.
By comparison, last year I was riding about the same number of hours each week but was getting outside at least once every other week or so. By this time, I had ridden almost 300 miles outdoors.
I'm definitely fit, exceeding the numbers from this time last year. I'm just having a hard time getting on the trainer for long enough to keep it going.
Making it even harder, I've been taking more risks in training. Last year, I gradually increased my intensity over the winter, increasing my targets just a couple of watts per week. As a result, I was able to hit my targets every workout all winter long. This year, I occasionally try to go a little higher, maybe 10 or 15 watts higher than I know that I can, intentionally going too hard to see how long I can hold onto it.
Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't, leaving me gasping for air and feeling a strong sense of failure. The times when I succeed, it feels amazing. The times I don't, it can mess with me for a few days.
Hopefully it will all pay off when racing season starts in 7 weeks!!
This winter has been so snowy and cold that I haven't been able to get outside much. In fact, I've ridden a total of 100 miles outdoors in the last 3 months (not even twice each month). Meanwhile, I've been riding 8 to 10 hours a week on the trainer.
By comparison, last year I was riding about the same number of hours each week but was getting outside at least once every other week or so. By this time, I had ridden almost 300 miles outdoors.
I'm definitely fit, exceeding the numbers from this time last year. I'm just having a hard time getting on the trainer for long enough to keep it going.
Making it even harder, I've been taking more risks in training. Last year, I gradually increased my intensity over the winter, increasing my targets just a couple of watts per week. As a result, I was able to hit my targets every workout all winter long. This year, I occasionally try to go a little higher, maybe 10 or 15 watts higher than I know that I can, intentionally going too hard to see how long I can hold onto it.
Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't, leaving me gasping for air and feeling a strong sense of failure. The times when I succeed, it feels amazing. The times I don't, it can mess with me for a few days.
Hopefully it will all pay off when racing season starts in 7 weeks!!
Friday, January 31, 2014
Patterns
OK, I have to correct myself.
This racing season is not 9 weeks in a row. It goes something like this:
8 weekends in a row of races (1 race each weekend)
2 weekends off
2 weekends of races (10 races in 12 weekends)
4 weekends off (break time to recharge and build a bit of fitness)
2 weekends of races
1 weekend off
2 weekends of races (4 races in 5 weekends)
It won't be an easy summer!
This racing season is not 9 weeks in a row. It goes something like this:
8 weekends in a row of races (1 race each weekend)
2 weekends off
2 weekends of races (10 races in 12 weekends)
4 weekends off (break time to recharge and build a bit of fitness)
2 weekends of races
1 weekend off
2 weekends of races (4 races in 5 weekends)
It won't be an easy summer!
Saturday, January 18, 2014
The Main Ingredient
Last year at this time, my training outlook was very different.
My weight was on a long slide down, having lost about 25 pounds from where I started. My power numbers were constantly climbing. My major goal for the year was not until July, with a backup plan for August. Most of the other races that I was planning were just tune ups to help me reach the one major goal.I was trying some new ideas in planning my training and really know if they would work.
It's hard to believe that starting point led to the most successful racing year I've ever had. It was by far my best year on the bike. I had two very good years on skates, finishing on the podium several times in 2001 and 2002, but those were a long time ago. I switched to cycling in 2004 and my winning results pretty disappeared until last year. The one thing that 2013 had in common with those years was a massive increase in training volume. In 2001 and 2002, I trained 425 hours each year. In 2013, I trained 525 hours. Not only did I train a lot, I put a lot of intensity into that training and it was all aimed at a concrete goal.
For comparison, in 2011 (another year when I raced a lot but had no real results), I trained 430 hours but most "just rode around", doing lots of mileage but not getting much out of it. I had no structure and very little intensity in my training. My goals shifted almost every week, especially when I switched from crits back to TTs (again).
I spent several years doing the West River Time Trial in Philly. I loved doing that event, but I had no idea what I was doing with regards to training for it. My training volume for many of those years was in the 250 to 325 hour range but, again, I was riding a lot with little intensity or structure, even though I had a very clear goal (which was to get under 20 minutes in the TT)
I was pretty sure that it took all 3 ingredients, solid goals, a large volume of training, and focused intensity to make a season successful. I've been racing in some form or another since 1995 and only three years had all three ingredients.
For me, the intensity is the ones that's hardest to keep in the mix. It's so easy to back off on a day that's supposed to be hard and say "it's just for today." It's really easy to just do a long easy ride and say "it's building foundation!!"
But it's all an excuse. Without the intensity, I can be fit (very fit, even) but I won't be race-ready. No matter how much easy riding I do, I need that harder tempo, threshold, and VO2 work to get as good as I want to be.
I have to remind myself of that almost everyday.
My weight was on a long slide down, having lost about 25 pounds from where I started. My power numbers were constantly climbing. My major goal for the year was not until July, with a backup plan for August. Most of the other races that I was planning were just tune ups to help me reach the one major goal.I was trying some new ideas in planning my training and really know if they would work.
It's hard to believe that starting point led to the most successful racing year I've ever had. It was by far my best year on the bike. I had two very good years on skates, finishing on the podium several times in 2001 and 2002, but those were a long time ago. I switched to cycling in 2004 and my winning results pretty disappeared until last year. The one thing that 2013 had in common with those years was a massive increase in training volume. In 2001 and 2002, I trained 425 hours each year. In 2013, I trained 525 hours. Not only did I train a lot, I put a lot of intensity into that training and it was all aimed at a concrete goal.
For comparison, in 2011 (another year when I raced a lot but had no real results), I trained 430 hours but most "just rode around", doing lots of mileage but not getting much out of it. I had no structure and very little intensity in my training. My goals shifted almost every week, especially when I switched from crits back to TTs (again).
I spent several years doing the West River Time Trial in Philly. I loved doing that event, but I had no idea what I was doing with regards to training for it. My training volume for many of those years was in the 250 to 325 hour range but, again, I was riding a lot with little intensity or structure, even though I had a very clear goal (which was to get under 20 minutes in the TT)
I was pretty sure that it took all 3 ingredients, solid goals, a large volume of training, and focused intensity to make a season successful. I've been racing in some form or another since 1995 and only three years had all three ingredients.
For me, the intensity is the ones that's hardest to keep in the mix. It's so easy to back off on a day that's supposed to be hard and say "it's just for today." It's really easy to just do a long easy ride and say "it's building foundation!!"
But it's all an excuse. Without the intensity, I can be fit (very fit, even) but I won't be race-ready. No matter how much easy riding I do, I need that harder tempo, threshold, and VO2 work to get as good as I want to be.
I have to remind myself of that almost everyday.
Monday, December 30, 2013
12 Weeks and Counting
I'm back from Christmas, fully rested, and very well fed... so much so that I gained a few pounds from eating so many candies and cookies while just sitting on the couch (and driving 1200 miles!!)
I have 12 weeks until the start of racing season. In that time I need to lose 12 pounds (I am at 176 and need to be 164), get used to riding my time trial bike again (I have not ridden it since August), and build up my fitness to where it needs to be (I need to gain about 15 watts on my threshold).
I really set the bar high last year, being on the podium for 7 out of 11 races (and winning 3). I'd love to improve upon that.
Time to get to work!!
I have 12 weeks until the start of racing season. In that time I need to lose 12 pounds (I am at 176 and need to be 164), get used to riding my time trial bike again (I have not ridden it since August), and build up my fitness to where it needs to be (I need to gain about 15 watts on my threshold).
I really set the bar high last year, being on the podium for 7 out of 11 races (and winning 3). I'd love to improve upon that.
Time to get to work!!
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Winter Boot Camp
From the time we got back from Vegas to the time we leave for Christmas, I had 14 days to train. Since I was well rested after several days of not riding and am going to have several more days off, I decided to absolutely floor it for those two weeks.
I have not taken a single rest day or a single easy day and trained twice on some days. While pushing this hard I hit some surprising numbers, many of which slightly better than what I was doing last February. I have gone from worrying about being behind and not hitting the results I needed to being right on schedule. I wanted to hit the Christmas break absolutely exhausted and in desperate need of a recovery week. It's safe to say that I've hit that goal.
When I get back, I will have 12 weeks until my first race.
I will be starting to ride my time trial bike more, getting used to a position I have not been in since August. From then on, I'll be doing all my hard training and test days on the TT bike to give me better data for my races. I'll also be fixing a few mistakes that I made in last year's training and gradually building up to the hell-on-Earth schedule that Hunter and I worked out so I can gain fitness during my insane 9-weeks straight of racing in the spring (yes, I'm more worried about surviving the workouts than I am the races!!).
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays!!
I have not taken a single rest day or a single easy day and trained twice on some days. While pushing this hard I hit some surprising numbers, many of which slightly better than what I was doing last February. I have gone from worrying about being behind and not hitting the results I needed to being right on schedule. I wanted to hit the Christmas break absolutely exhausted and in desperate need of a recovery week. It's safe to say that I've hit that goal.
When I get back, I will have 12 weeks until my first race.
I will be starting to ride my time trial bike more, getting used to a position I have not been in since August. From then on, I'll be doing all my hard training and test days on the TT bike to give me better data for my races. I'll also be fixing a few mistakes that I made in last year's training and gradually building up to the hell-on-Earth schedule that Hunter and I worked out so I can gain fitness during my insane 9-weeks straight of racing in the spring (yes, I'm more worried about surviving the workouts than I am the races!!).
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays!!
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Season Plans
(Just a quick note: this is my 150th blog post!!)
This week, the schedule for the NJ TT series was posted. Since doing well in (or even winning) that series is my goal for next year, I was eagerly waiting for that information.
The schedule contains 14 races running from the last week or March until mid August, with events from 6 miles to 24 miles. It won't be easy to do consistently well in that range of races over that period of time, so the goal will carry even that much more weight with me.
Making matters even more difficult, over a 12-week span there are 10 races. It will be really difficult to increase my fitness for the longer races later in the season while racing every week (and every race matters for points in the series, so I can't just take it easy for a few).
With so many issues, I was really starting to struggle with planning it all out.
My wonderful wife had heard me mention some various coaching options that I'd considered before but hadn't ever pursued before... so she got me one for Christmas. She bought me consulting time with power training expert, Hunter Allen.
She gave it to me early and we were able to set it all up this week.
Hunter and I spoke this week and it was amazing.
It felt like most of the call was me talking and explaining. Hunter was asking me questions and guiding the discussion, but ever for me, I felt like I was talking a lot, but that really makes sense. In order for him to give me the best recommendations, he needs to understand my goals, my abilities and limitations, and how I performed in previous races.
He made some great recommendations and gave me a few different options to try out. This season won't be easy, but that's part of why I'm looking forward to it.
While my goal was primarily looking forward to next year, I also got a great secondary value: he validated what I was already doing. There's nothing quite as great as hearing an expert you admire tell you that the training plans I had come up with on my own were good ones.
I didn't just get great ideas for next year. I also found a little more motivation in training.
This week, the schedule for the NJ TT series was posted. Since doing well in (or even winning) that series is my goal for next year, I was eagerly waiting for that information.
The schedule contains 14 races running from the last week or March until mid August, with events from 6 miles to 24 miles. It won't be easy to do consistently well in that range of races over that period of time, so the goal will carry even that much more weight with me.
Making matters even more difficult, over a 12-week span there are 10 races. It will be really difficult to increase my fitness for the longer races later in the season while racing every week (and every race matters for points in the series, so I can't just take it easy for a few).
With so many issues, I was really starting to struggle with planning it all out.
My wonderful wife had heard me mention some various coaching options that I'd considered before but hadn't ever pursued before... so she got me one for Christmas. She bought me consulting time with power training expert, Hunter Allen.
She gave it to me early and we were able to set it all up this week.
Hunter and I spoke this week and it was amazing.
It felt like most of the call was me talking and explaining. Hunter was asking me questions and guiding the discussion, but ever for me, I felt like I was talking a lot, but that really makes sense. In order for him to give me the best recommendations, he needs to understand my goals, my abilities and limitations, and how I performed in previous races.
He made some great recommendations and gave me a few different options to try out. This season won't be easy, but that's part of why I'm looking forward to it.
While my goal was primarily looking forward to next year, I also got a great secondary value: he validated what I was already doing. There's nothing quite as great as hearing an expert you admire tell you that the training plans I had come up with on my own were good ones.
I didn't just get great ideas for next year. I also found a little more motivation in training.
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