Training Daze

I haven't raced in weeks. So, I haven't put anything on the blog in a while either. Well, here it goes.


I was disappointed to wake up Saturday morning to pouring rain and thunder, and a cancellation message for the group ride. Although, after getting pushed into oxygen debt repeatedly on Thursday's group ride by my new friends the Tanzi brothers and El Presidente on his Cervelo P3 (with training wheels - no 808's thank god - and no, not that kind of training wheels), maybe I wasn't too disappointed about having to wait a while and go for a ride by myself later in the day. So after the morning's thunderstorms passed by and the sun started to shine around noon, I headed out to find some hills and put in some miles and think about what to write here while working on my prized cycling tan. The goal this year is to have perfect sock lines. But I didn't make it too far before I had to turn my full attention to survival. Apparently, when they issue a "wind advisory" and predict 50 mph gusts, they mean it. So as I was tacking my way back to Poughkeepsie from out past Millbrook, my ride turned into a series of efforts with the goal just to make it to the next intersection without getting blown into the poison ivy on the side of the road or into traffic.



Which brings me to today's topic: goal setting. How do you even pick a goal? Too high = disappointment, too low = sandbagger! Even if you pick the right goal, how do you know you're training enough to achieve it? Even if you've got a goal and you're working toward it, how do you deal with getting derailed in training - should you adjust your goals? And even if your preparation has gone perfectly, how do you deal when it all goes away in a flash on race day - a flat, or a crash? Of course, we all have to approach these questions from our individual perspectives, based on what we want to get out of racing and the other responsibilities in our lives that limit our training time.



Someone asked me the other day if an upcoming race I mentioned I'd be doing was an "A" race for me. I had no answer. Aren't they all "A" races? I always want to win! Why the heck plunk down your money and pin on a number if all you're planning on doing is a "training ride?" I can do that for free. Then again, approaching races with different levels of expectation recognizes that you can't always be at race peak. The racing season is long, and so maybe you should pick out races of higher priority, based on considerations like whether the course is suited to you and where you are in your training plan. I should know this myself, since after going through a heavy racing schedule last year for Anthem, and facing increased obligations at work, I decided to race this year for Bikeway and by myself just so I could pick and choose and do fewer races and be able to race them for my own result, rather than working for the team most of the time. So, I can make them all "A" races.



This Sunday is the Bear Mountain Spring Classic down at Harriman. Because a bridge is out, the course has changed, with a big climb back up out of the hole at the bottom of the downhill rather than the rolling climb up Tiorati Brook Road, which we'll have to do a few times and should hopefully whittle down the field. So far only 15 P/1/2/3 women are registered though, including the winners of the Battenkill P/1/2 and 3 races, so it won't be easy. The race is a qualifier for the Nature Valley Pro Ride again, too. Although I only finished 5th at Bear last year, everyone ahead of me either already had a spot on a team, was ineligible or declined, so I went out to Nature Valley. I got to race on a team with 5 other women from around the country who also qualified, and we raced with 120 of the fastest women in America, including Kristen Armstrong - world and Olympic time trial champion. And, we were directed by Mike Engelman, who runs the US Women's Cycling Development Program. I met some great people and gained valuable experience. Unfortunately I crashed on the third stage. I did get up and get back on my bike(though I don't remember doing it), and with Mike talking me back through the caravan on the radio I finished the stage and the race, but in the crits I was just fighting to get in enough laps to be able to start the next day before getting pulled. On the one hand, I have a bone to pick with that race and would like to go again, but then again, I don't want to go out and use vacation days and risk another bad race. So I can't even figure out if winning Bear and going to Nature Valley is even a goal for me. But, I sure would like the option. So, I guess my objective is set.



On another note, I am happy to see our Team Bikeway.com ranks growing and the amazing results our team members are already posting, and we're barely into May! The very purpose of our team is to help each other set and realize goals, and hopefully we're doing that already. I have had the chance to meet and ride with many of you, and will hopefully meet more at upcoming group rides and races. It would be really great to have as many of us as possible out at Noah's ride or the Tymor MTB race (put on by our own Tim Schopen of Bikeway and Eastern Sports Promotions) on May 23rd. We'll need group leaders and sweepers for Noah's ride and Tim can always use a hand with timing or other race duties, so please let us know if you can help out. Also, I see Londina has an event coming up. And, our friend Adam Andrade, aka The Cheesecake Pedaler, has a tasting party at Bittersweet in Poughkeepsie on the 21st. Check out The Cheesecake Pedaler on Facebook.



Finally, another goal: first turtle rescue of the 2010 season on Sleight Plass Road on Saturday!