Well, it's been 19.5 weeks since I started cycle training again and I thought I'd take a minute to reflect on where I'm at and how I'm feeling now that the Tour of Bright (ToB) is only a couple of days away (before my feelings are influenced by the results of the ToB).
During the middle of the program, I felt stressed and anxious that I would never have enough time to get properly fit. I thought that in the week leading up to the ToB I'd be going a little bit insane with stress about the looming race. But instead I feel strangely serene, resolved even. I think this is for two reasons: I've done the best I could possibly do in hitting the training sessions over the past 20 weeks; and I'm aware that the training is done and there's nothing I can do now to change my riding to influence the results this weekend.
Thinking back to where I was 20 weeks ago I can only describe myself as proud of what I've achieved over the past 20 weeks. I had a pretty low-level of fitness after an extended period off the bike, was a nervous nelly in a bunch and bike generally and didn't know whether or not I'd be able to commit to the training due to competing demands on my time. But I think I'd now describe myself as probably the fittest I've ever been, comfortable in a range of cycling situations (including descending and cornering at speed) and proud of my training strike rate (although my boss may use a difference adjective to describe my commitment to my training...). I know I've still got a lot to learn (like Rach I'm waiting for my hotdog turn epiphany) but it's still nice to know I've improved during the program.
Gamin Connect provides me with the following rough stats of what I've been up to since I started training again on 19 July:
* I've spent over 223 hours riding (lucky Garmin Connect doesn't provide me with a stat for how much associated time I've spent having cycling-related coffee, or beer for that matter!);
* I've ridden approx 5,700km, which included 67,684m of elevation; and
* I've burnt nearly 90,000 calories.
But what Garmin Connect can't portray is how much fun I've had riding over the past few months. Here's a snapshot of some things that I am now recalling from the program:
* epic 4 hour ride to Corin from SFP with Andrew, Brad and Tim, where it rained for 3/4 of the ride and we all ended up slightly disoriented (probably hypothermic!) and all conversation ended up consisting of words ending in "y" (eg, Brad being pleased to have fixed his weird "squeaky, squeaky, rubby, rubby" bike);
* coached session with Jason Mahoney (also in the rain), with half the squad singing as we were going up Red Hill;
* chilled out E1 Wednesday sessions, where it's all about the company and catching up in a relaxed atmosphere;
* getting stuck in a hail storm on the return journey from Collector;
* turning up to ANU for another coached session with Jason Mahoney to find him doing his best impression of a commando with chain grease all over his face (yes, I honestly thought he was instigating his own "boot camp" style of training and was most disappointed to find it was just from a mechanical);
* doing a coached session while suffering from food poisoning, and leaving a trail of fluorescent green vomit on the lawn of a random embassy on Mugga Way;
* head / shoulder butting a car in O'Connor on my way to a training session and not getting completely freaked out about it;
* doing Red Hill repeats without closing either of my brakes and doing Stromlo repeats with my back wheel rubbing (yes, it appears that I haven't learnt much mechanically while doing the program - might try and rectify that for the next program!); and
* changing a tyre all on my own on the side of the road for the first time ever (even if it did take roughly 25 minutes).
Some of the above would have been absolutely horrendous if not for the awesome group of people I've been training with. Everyone is fun, quirky and entertaining, and they've all pushed themselves to their limits over the past 20 weeks. We've gotten to know each other and respect each other as individuals and cyclists as part of the program, and I know this is a group of people I will stay in touch with forever (and yes, I am getting soppy and sentimental with old age, or maybe it's just cycling-related fatigue). But what's so awesome about cycling is that we're all equals: as one squad member said, he knows pretty much everyone in the squad's heart rate zones, their climb times for local climbs, grades they race, what their cycling goals are, etc, but doesn't necessarily know what they do for employment. I kind of like that about cycling (although that's probably because I'm a lawyer and everyone generally hates me for it). :-) I hope everyone in the squad (including Jason M) knows how grateful I am for all of their support and friendship over the past 20 weeks (if they don't now, I suspect they will at post-Bright drinks on Sunday afternoon ;-) ).
I'm not sure what I'll be doing after the ToB. At some point (generally before I fell in love with training again) I thought that completing the ride would be enough for me, and I'd retire from cycling (or maybe more from training) and get back to the reality of being a lawyer-mum-wife-friend-occasional cyclist. But I'm pretty sure I'm going to miss it (and the squad!) when it's over and done with. I will enjoy easing back the training a little from next week and into Christmas, but I love the discipline, pushing myself and getting fitter and faster (not to mention being able to eat anything I want!). And I'd miss all my cycling buddies way too much to not train with them as well.
But I guess I don't need to worry about what I'll do post-Bright just yet: I should really focus on achieving my ToB goals. What else is there to say but thank you and bring on the ToB!
Showing posts with label racing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label racing. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Why I think its good to start racing early, even if you arent likely to win
Firstly, I have some bad news for you, you are probably not going to win the Tour de France. I only found this out recently and I was pretty shocked I must say, I thought I was a dead cert for getting the yellow jersey on one of the mountain top finishes next year.
Seriously though, is there any point entering races when you aren't going to win?
I think so, and here is why.
Sage advice would tell us to train and train and not enter any races until we are really ready to do so, because we might suck, and it might make us feel bad.
I have another theory that worked for me and may work for you, please remember that I am not an expert and don't know what I am talking about half the time, - so take this advice with a grain of common sense.
Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, here is my two cents on why I think its good to have a go at a race early. Note that - this doesnt apply if you aren't safe in a bunch. If you aren't safe (ie you get scared and wobbly when someone pairs up close next to you or you cant hold a wheel within a wheel length, then you really probably arent ready and should practice that, in training, A LOT).
Even if you are riding slowly on the Sudnay or Friday training rides, you should always practice being a good, steady, communicative bunch.
Once you are pretty comfortable in a bunch, I have found for me that there are SO many new skills involved with getting to and through your first race, that its worth starting to practice them early.
I have made a list of some of these new skills below, and as you'll see, there is quite a bit to get your head around. Hence your goal for your first race should just be to experience all of these things. Maybe your second race goal will be to finish the course if you DNF'd the first time.
Maybe your third race goal will be to stay with the bunch for two minutes longer than you did last time, or when you feel you are about to drop off - just try and do two more turns through the pacecline. Maybe you'll practice gatekeeping before giving up.
Setting realistic goals is SUPER important to staying positive and seeing your own progress. You cant expect to win at your first race (although the turn out for womens grades is generally pretty low so you can often bank on a top ten finish for smaller races), but all of the skills below are worth mastering and celebrating as you master them.
But my point is we rarely get the chance to practice all of these skills in training, so - to get good at racing, at some point you'll have to start racing.
New Race Skills
On one of the above I have some extra thoughts.
Sooner or later, you are going to find yourself in a bunch where any number of these kinds of things (and more) might happen - and the first step to dealing with them is being prepared:
Seriously though, is there any point entering races when you aren't going to win?
I think so, and here is why.
Sage advice would tell us to train and train and not enter any races until we are really ready to do so, because we might suck, and it might make us feel bad.
I have another theory that worked for me and may work for you, please remember that I am not an expert and don't know what I am talking about half the time, - so take this advice with a grain of common sense.
Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, here is my two cents on why I think its good to have a go at a race early. Note that - this doesnt apply if you aren't safe in a bunch. If you aren't safe (ie you get scared and wobbly when someone pairs up close next to you or you cant hold a wheel within a wheel length, then you really probably arent ready and should practice that, in training, A LOT).
Even if you are riding slowly on the Sudnay or Friday training rides, you should always practice being a good, steady, communicative bunch.
Once you are pretty comfortable in a bunch, I have found for me that there are SO many new skills involved with getting to and through your first race, that its worth starting to practice them early.
I have made a list of some of these new skills below, and as you'll see, there is quite a bit to get your head around. Hence your goal for your first race should just be to experience all of these things. Maybe your second race goal will be to finish the course if you DNF'd the first time.
Maybe your third race goal will be to stay with the bunch for two minutes longer than you did last time, or when you feel you are about to drop off - just try and do two more turns through the pacecline. Maybe you'll practice gatekeeping before giving up.
Setting realistic goals is SUPER important to staying positive and seeing your own progress. You cant expect to win at your first race (although the turn out for womens grades is generally pretty low so you can often bank on a top ten finish for smaller races), but all of the skills below are worth mastering and celebrating as you master them.
But my point is we rarely get the chance to practice all of these skills in training, so - to get good at racing, at some point you'll have to start racing.
New Race Skills
- getting over the first race hurdle
- having a well serviced bike and remembering to lube it/check tyre pressure the night before
- choosing kit to wear in a race
- being nervous, and dealing with it
- turning up
- registering
- remembering your licence
- pining your number on correctly (believe it or not there is a wrong way)
- having nutrition
- warming up
- getting to the start line
- starting in a race start
- going lactic
- trying to hold the bunch for 3 minutes
- dealing with people you don't know in the bunch*
- getting dropped
- having a good old cry if it all goes horribly wrong, and still finding something to learn from it
- having a good old cry if it all goes horribly wrong, and still finding something to learn from it
- finishing the race
- eating the right food immediately post race so you dont bonk, and so your body can refuel (not doing this hurts you a lot more than you realise)
- stretching and recovering properly
- having a beer
- making a list of all the new things that happened and how you went with them
- turning up to your next race, even if you didn't win this one.
- making a list of all the new things that happened and how you went with them
- turning up to your next race, even if you didn't win this one.
These are all new skills and they are worth practicing early.
The more you get comfortable with them, the better you'll do as your fitness increases, particularly because being less nervous leads to better performance.
Imagine if you've mastered all of the above, over say a period of months, and during that time your fitness also increases. What this means is that within six months of training, that includes races, you'll suddenly find yourself not only fit enough to be competitive in your grade, but you'll have a world of confidence and feel like a bit of an old hand, instead of totally petrified.
Plus, having a few bad races makes you really appreciate the good ones, and more able to take it in your stride when things go wrong.
Imagine if you've mastered all of the above, over say a period of months, and during that time your fitness also increases. What this means is that within six months of training, that includes races, you'll suddenly find yourself not only fit enough to be competitive in your grade, but you'll have a world of confidence and feel like a bit of an old hand, instead of totally petrified.
Plus, having a few bad races makes you really appreciate the good ones, and more able to take it in your stride when things go wrong.
So enter a race soon, get dropped, get past the 'it's my first ever race' hurdle. There is really only one way to practice racing, and thats to race.
On one of the above I have some extra thoughts.
Dealing with people you don't know in the bunch*
We are super lucky in that within Valkyrie, we have a great bunch of sensible girls, all practicing good bunch skills and riding together.
Occasionally we also ride with the Vmaxx boys or other Vikings who are all super supportive and really really nice to us and look after us.
Occasionally we also ride with the Vmaxx boys or other Vikings who are all super supportive and really really nice to us and look after us.
This is not racing.
Sooner or later, you are going to find yourself in a bunch where any number of these kinds of things (and more) might happen - and the first step to dealing with them is being prepared:
Things that will happen at some point
- lots of really loud shouting
- totally disorganised bunches
- one person telling everyone what to do and it's not what you planned before the race or think should happen
- people riding unsafely / half wheeling
- people surging, dropping too many off the bunch on hills so that the bunch goes from 8 people to 2 people in a matter of kms (and loses the value of a bigger bunch draft)
- people not pulling their turns
- people gatekeeping who don't communicate to the riders rolling through
- people yelling at you
- people telling you to do things you haven't done before/ arent cmfortable with (eg echelons, pacelines)
- people in the bunch who don't know where they are going and are likely to go the wrong way (like me)
- people bump into each other (shoulders touch, wheels touch)
- someone falls off their bike
Ways to be prepared:
- practice communicating in your training bunches, make sure you use your 'outdoor voice'
- get used to feeling like you have the authority to speak up if a bunch isnt working well and you think it could do better (note, there is no Scout Badge for this, you just start doing it one day, so practice it in training). Or if you'd prefer - I hereby give you all the authority to tell a bunch what to do.
- use your skills practice to learn about riding safely, practice more hands on shoulders, shoulders touching etc
- always remember the don't look back rule. If you hear someone crash behind you in the bunch, keep pedalling forward, wait till its safe before stopping. Don't slam the brakes on and look back - thats a classic way to get yourself to fall off too.
- stand up for yourself, if someone is telling you to do something thats uncomfortable for you, Say So!
You have every right to speak up in the bunch.
What you'll get out of practicing standing up for yourself in this way, under pressure, when your blood is pumping, is a kind of resilience that translates through to the rest of your life.
You have every right to speak up in the bunch.
What you'll get out of practicing standing up for yourself in this way, under pressure, when your blood is pumping, is a kind of resilience that translates through to the rest of your life.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Saturday's Crit training session
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| Look out, we are doing Science |
We started with some skills drills, and were split into pairs with the great guys who volunteered to help us out. We rode next to our partner with one hand on their shoulder, shoved them a bit, and practiced leaning into them. Unfortunately that's where Linda came off her bike, but thankfully she was okish, and is hopefully on the mend.
From there we moved onto some laps of the crit track, practicing cornering and taking good lines, stealing wheels, keeping on the wheel in front (which I struggled with as my legs were telling me to its too hard, just take a break) and just getting used to people riding around us and gradually taking corners faster and faster. I think that by the end we were all much more confident on the track...and had made some good attacks.
Thanks Simon for the great coaching and to all the guys that came and gave us tips, encouraged and motivated us.
I was well and truly done at the end of the session.
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