I was speaking with my coach the other day about my fitness and how I felt that I might be approaching last year’s fitness levels before a string of health issues side lined me and has left me struggling to get back up to speed. Why is this important to me?

When I was younger and studying to be an artist one of my uncles (an artist) shared with me that studying art was like revealing magic. Well I discovered some magic last year when racing! When I was fit enough and working hard but could still breathe in the peleton I was able to truly see the race in front of me. I was able to suddenly see who was getting ready to jump, who was suffering, who was talking to whom and who was riding poorly. It was like having the curtain lifted to reveal a completely different world. I wasn’t worried about holding on to the wheel in front of me or when I could recover and when I thought I would ever get feeling back in my legs. I could move on instinct alone and not burn match.

When I started to train with a purpose and structure I had one real goal in mind – “Get into the mix!’ I just wanted to be involved in that part of the race where athlete’s are responsible for the outcomes of races and not just there to sit in or struggling to hang on. I will continue to train and race this season in an effort to be in the mix. I know I am close and if I can just see it for a shining moment I know I will go into the off season like a man possessed and train even harder so that I am guaranteed to be in the mix in next year’s racing season.

I had some time over the 4th of July weekend to decompress and relax, ride, train on new roads and be with family. This gave me an answer to a question I have had all season, Why am I trying so hard when its obvious I am having a rough season? Its easy I want to live in that moment when the curtain pulls back and I can see the race for what it is.

This leads me to the subject of this post: Believe in your self and your training. For those of you who are coached you know exactly what I mean. You are living on faith that the time, sweat, blood, money and sacrifices are going to pay off. You know they will but you still let doubt creep in. I can’t tell you to stop doing that and it will miraculously get easier it won’t. You have to listen to your self and your coach and make decisions sometimes daily on your day to day progress.

If you are not coached and trying to self coach and you have entered into the vicious cycle of trying harder and not seeing results I have a simple suggestion. Set daily and weekly goals in other words bite off smaller pieces instead of looking at the whole season and saying I have not met this HUGE goal.

Keep trying and you too will get to experience the magic of a bike race.

Need help? It may be time to hire a cycling coach. Give me, Rob Grissom of Positive Performance Coaching a call at 502) 509-7624

OK here it is the last of the recon articles. I have given you several pointers on what you need to do to ensure a successful attempt at winning your next road racing event.

This article is going to be a check list! Something you can copy, print or share with your fellow racers. If you feel that I have missed something or you have different experiences by all means tell us about it and leave comments.

1 Week Before the race

• Confirm with your spouse/family/parents that you indeed will be racing at X race on X day
• Pre-Register for the race (You may need to do this as soon as your race opens for pre-registration)
• See who else has registered for the race
• Check the 7 day forecast (After Registering) Road Racers RACE in all weather!
• Tune up the bike today and fix problems now!
• If this is a priority race then make it a priority to sleep, eat and train like its a priority race
• Find out which teammates are going and who may want to share a ride
• Do not eat 3 hours before going to bed

5 Days before the race

• Check race registration to see who else has registered
• Check with teammates again on who is and is not going with you
• Check weather again
• Look up the race route on Google Earth or bikely.com and look at elevations
• Make a trip out to the race course and ride the course (Preferable) or drive the course
• Make sure you will have a complete clean uniform (Kit)
• Clean bike
• What items are you taking with you the day of the race out side your normal training day?
• Get race day items gathered up in one place
• Get to bed early (9-10 hours of sleep is preferred)
• Drink up to 2 liters of water a day
• Diet should primarily consist of good carbs and lite on the protein
• Do not eat 3 hours before going to bed

3 Days before the race

• Check race registration to see who else has registered
• Check weather again
• If riding a longer road course take notice of all major elevation changes and right down the mileage when they occur
• Tape a small elevation change cue sheet to your top tube or stem where you can see it
• Clean and lube your drive train
• DO NOT MAKE ANY MECHANICAL CHANGES TO YOUR BIKE!
• Go through your race day items (Do you really have everything?)
• Get to bed early (9-10 hours of sleep is preferred)
• Drink up to 2 liters of water a day
• Diet should now be almost all good carbs
• Do not eat 3 hours before going to bed

2 Days before the race

• Check weather again
• DO NOT MAKE ANY MECHANICAL CHANGES TO YOUR BIKE!
• Go through your race day items (Do you really have everything?)
• Get to bed early (9-10 hours of sleep is preferred)
• Drink up to 2 liters of water a day
• Diet should now be almost all good carbs
• Have you started to mentally go over how you are going to race this race?
• Has your team decided who is the race leader and what roles you and your teammates will fill?
• Gather up any food stuffs and fluids you may need the day of the race
• If you are going to take a rest day this week make it today (Stay off the bike or just lightly spin)
• Do not eat 3 hours before going to bed

1 Day before the race

• Check weather again
• DO NOT MAKE ANY MECHANICAL CHANGES TO YOUR BIKE!
• Pack your race day items and put them and your bike in your vehicle. (hold off on the bike if you do not have a garage)
• Get to bed early (9-10 hours of sleep is preferred)
• Drink up to 2 liters of water a day
• Diet should now be all good carbs
• You should now have a mental visualization of how you are going to race this race?
• Do not rest today – Get out on the bike for 45 minutes – hour and ride a moderate pace and throw in 2-3 one minute efforts
• Shower and shave before going to bed
• Do not eat 3 hours before going to bed

Morning of the race

• Check weather one last time (Make sure you have packed appropriately for the weather!)
• DO NOT MAKE ANY MECHANICAL CHANGES TO YOUR BIKE!
• Pack your bike in your vehicle if you did not the night before
• Drink 2-3 cups of coffee (If you like Coffee, who doesn’t)
• Bathroom time dealing with Race Day Jitters (If you suffer like most of us)
• Start drinking your favorite sports drink
• You should eat your breakfast 3 hours before the start of the race
• Do not shave face or legs day of a race (Superstitions and sweat irritation)
• Leave your home with enough time to get to the race course with 2 hours to spare!

2 Hours before the race

• DO NOT MAKE ANY MECHANICAL CHANGES TO YOUR BIKE!
• Drink some more sports drink
• Pick up number at registration
• Dress for the race and pin your number on (Did you know its against USA Cycling rules to wrinkle your number?)
• Make sure you have enough fluids and in ride nutrition to get you through your race or to the feed zone
• Either hit the road to warm up with your teammates or set up your trainer next to theirs
• Go over racing plans one more time with your teammates

15 minutes before the race

• DO NOT MAKE ANY MECHANICAL CHANGES TO YOUR BIKE!
• Drink some more sports drink
• Breathe deeply and make your way to the start/finish line
• Make sure your helmet is fastened (USAC Officials will give you grief if its not)
• Listen closely to the race promoter and officials about course notices and rules.
• Take anything you hear about the course from a competitor with a grain of salt
• If you are so inclined say a little prayer
• Wait for the gun/whistle
• Clip in and go

After the Race

• Drink some more sports drink
• Breathe deeply and safely make your way through the course one or more times to work the “Junk” out of your legs
• Meet with teammates to compare notes
• Get changed out of uniform ASAP!
• Drink some more fluids (Coke, Carb Drink, Water)
• Make sure you have all your stuff packed and ready to go
• Go celebrate with your team and or family You Just finished a/another race!!!

Remember knowledge is power – Prepare to Race Smart

Part 1, Part 2

I also thought about titling this new series of articles “Or what you don’t know is what hurts the most.” Thought that the alternative title wouldn’t appeal to cyclists or would scare away some our newly minted racers.

We amateur competitive cyclists spend a considerable amount of time and money on all things training and gear, hours on the bike and flashy wheels. These things can help you reach your goal(s) that is for certain. However many of us fail to use our most powerful weapon. Our brain and its ability to reason deduct and recognize patterns.

We are a very focused and dedicated bunch and often ask our selves how can I get better at this or how can I do this smarter. We sometimes lack the experience or the incite to answer our own questions about the matters beyond training and riding. While I am not an expert, elite or a Pro racer I am a researcher by trade. I have been paid well to ask questions, lots of questions. I have tried to apply this to my racing and coaching efforts and sometimes I am rewarded for my inquisitive habits.

The next time you get ready for a race ask yourself the following questions:

• Who are my/our competitors – Know thy enemy
• What route does the course take – Learning the ups and downs

These two very simple questions if researched thoroughly will result in a wealth of information that might just give you the upper hand.

Know thy enemy!

Most of the sites you register to race in the United States will contain a list of the other competitors you will be racing against and the team(s) they race for. If you do not know whom you are racing against you better get to it and do some research. Go to USA Cycling and look up the athlete in question and take look at their race record. Get on Google and search for and book mark all of your local and regional teams. Many teams will publicly release race reports for sponsors and fans.

• What races have they been in and how often do they race?
• What team do they race for?
• How large is the team they are on?
• How many of they’re teammates have registered for this race?
• Have you ridden with any of these athletes in other races or training rides?
• What are there strengths, weaknesses and how can you exploit them in a race?

Learning the ups and downs

There has been a nasty trend I have noticed in my region and that is the exclusion of course maps or even course descriptions for posted races! My favorite course description is “Gently Rolling Terrain”. One athlete’s course description is another athlete’s nightmare.

It is critical in Road Racing events to know the course you will be racing on. Even though races that are in far away locations or on city streets that may not be accessible until they are closed for a given race you can still learn about the course. All sanctioned races must have race director or promoter email associated with the race. Race directors or promoters are obliged to share with you a map of the course.

• If you cannot get a map or you get a vague course description from the race director/promoter try these tips the next time.
• Check out your local race web forum or email listserv and ask others if they can shed some light on the course
• Go to web sites like http://bikely.com, http://mapMyFitness.com and search for the title of the race. Someone may have already posted the course.
• Contact the bike shop(s) near the community you will be racing. Many times the bike shops maybe race or team sponsors.

Once you have found the course you need to ask yourself “Do I need to pre-ride the course?” The short answer is yes. However if this is not a priority race or you do not have the time to visit another state or county to pre-ride a course ask your self the following questions.

• How long is the course?
• Is this course rural, urban, or a hybrid?
• Where are will I shine on the course?
• Where will I struggle on the course?
• Are there any road surfaces I need to worry about?
• What does the elevation profile look like for the course?

So how does one answer these questions and use the answers to apply tactics to a given race?

More to come in the next post!

Until then have a great long weekend, hit it hard and keep the shiny side up.

Part 2, Part 3