Form
Form is a fleeting thing. One day you can be on top of the world, spinning effortlessly, and the next you can be crashing to earth, barely able to get out of bed.
Last year I crashed to earth. I mismanaged the performance bump I got from the Tour of Fairbanks, and failed to notice how much fitness I was losing. I was piling on the miles, but wasn't recovering or doing any sort of real intensity. I rode myself into the ground, and when the Tour of Anchorage rolled around, I dug the hole a little bit deeper. Cyclocross provided a little mental boost, but to be honest I was only milking the last bits of fitness I had. Mentally and physically, I was done.
This year I'm approaching things a little bit differently.
After my unexpected result in Fairbanks, I did screw up a little. Call it a post-event come-down. I gained a few pounds back. I lost a little focus. I rode a little too hard at the wrong times. I didn't recover as well as I should have. That said, compared to last year it was night and day. The software I use to track workouts shows my performance is steady, instead of steadily declining like last year. Full credit goes to Janice Tower, who recognized the patterns last year (and I ignored her), then did her best to make sure I didn't repeat the same mistakes this year. To be honest, she's beating me up.
I have no illusions. I know who the fast riders are in my class. I know there will be a few that will come out of nowhere and surprise me. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I will not be on the final podium at the Tour of Anchorage. Good shot at top 10. Outside chance at top 5 if I can recover well. Maybe a decent placing in a couple stages. That's about the best I can hope for. I've been racing these guys all season, and I know where I fit in the food chain. All I can do is prepare the best I can and ride the best/smartest race I can.
Until then, I'm going to try to knock off a few pounds, follow the training plan, try to build some good will with the wife and ever-expanding family, and maybe even keep all of this in perspective. That last one is the tough part for a competitive, type-A guy like me, so perhaps I need a software program to track perspective.
Last year I crashed to earth. I mismanaged the performance bump I got from the Tour of Fairbanks, and failed to notice how much fitness I was losing. I was piling on the miles, but wasn't recovering or doing any sort of real intensity. I rode myself into the ground, and when the Tour of Anchorage rolled around, I dug the hole a little bit deeper. Cyclocross provided a little mental boost, but to be honest I was only milking the last bits of fitness I had. Mentally and physically, I was done.
This year I'm approaching things a little bit differently.
After my unexpected result in Fairbanks, I did screw up a little. Call it a post-event come-down. I gained a few pounds back. I lost a little focus. I rode a little too hard at the wrong times. I didn't recover as well as I should have. That said, compared to last year it was night and day. The software I use to track workouts shows my performance is steady, instead of steadily declining like last year. Full credit goes to Janice Tower, who recognized the patterns last year (and I ignored her), then did her best to make sure I didn't repeat the same mistakes this year. To be honest, she's beating me up.
I have no illusions. I know who the fast riders are in my class. I know there will be a few that will come out of nowhere and surprise me. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I will not be on the final podium at the Tour of Anchorage. Good shot at top 10. Outside chance at top 5 if I can recover well. Maybe a decent placing in a couple stages. That's about the best I can hope for. I've been racing these guys all season, and I know where I fit in the food chain. All I can do is prepare the best I can and ride the best/smartest race I can.
Until then, I'm going to try to knock off a few pounds, follow the training plan, try to build some good will with the wife and ever-expanding family, and maybe even keep all of this in perspective. That last one is the tough part for a competitive, type-A guy like me, so perhaps I need a software program to track perspective.
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