In a previous tip I gave pointers on how to look over your shoulder without veering into traffic. If you need to look over your left shoulder drop your right elbow. This is a very subtle way of steering your bike.

I find that most new riders steer with their shoulders or wrists. There is nothing wrong with doing this. But what if you want or need to be more subtle.

If you are in a peleton with 100 other riders you will quickly feel cramped. You still need to steer even though you are now handle bar to handle bar. So if you need to steer left drop your elbow slowly and hold it long enough to put your bike where you want it. If you pull your elbow back up quickly you will return to the line you were riding.

I have been a bit befuddled as of late at what training subject to tackle next on this blog. Its been staring me in the face for the last few weeks and I have been to busy to recognize it until now.

While I was reading a post on Joe Friel’s Blog I realized I had been thinking very hard for the last several weeks about this years performance by yours truly. A recent Blog entry by Joe Friel is titled “Seasonal Summary” and it takes an organized approach to reviewing an athlete’s performance for the year.

Below you will find the five questions he asks and and I am going to answer them based on my 2009 performance.

1. What was the high point of your season? Why does this stand out for you? Was it what you thought it would be at the start of the season?

Actually I had several high points this year but I am only going to cover 2. I spent most of my off season developing my strength, climbing and rehabbing a bad muscle imbalance in my lower back. The shocker was that I turned into a better criterium racer when I thought I had been focusing my efforts on individual Time Trials and Road Races. I had two stand out Criterium finishes and one in the rain where I chased down what seemed like an endless barrage of attacks. The other criterium felt almost effortless and I was in the break and setting myself up for the last of 3 laps when I was taken out in a wreck. Even with the wreck this was a major accomplishment for me. The previous year I stated that I wanted to be at the front more than anything.

2. What was your greatest disappointment? Why did this happen? Is there anything you could have done to have avoided it?

I would have said the wreck in the criterium mentioned above that left me with a broken wheel and a fractured elbow was my greatest disappointment. However I had a much bigger disappointment this season. My season ended in July to what was originally diagnosed as Asthmatic Bronchitis and has now been diagnosed as VCD, Vocal Chord Dysfunction.  VCD is a benign disease related to a history of Acid Reflux. VCD is treatable and curable through medication and diet. VCD is a constriction of the vocal chords after coughing, sneezing or any effort above normal conversation that causes the Vocal Chords to constrict and not allowing me to breathe in. I am really not sure I could have avoided this. I have not had Acid Reflux symptoms in years so it came as a bit of shock that this happened at all. I was told by my Doctor that it strikes w/o warning. All of my symptoms of VCD are all but gone and I have returned to training.

The other related disappointment is a fortuitous one. While going through 8 doctors and a myriad of tests it was discovered that I have nodules on my thyroid and that tests have given my Doctors enough information to warrant the removal of half of my thyroid. This has yet to be done but my procedure will occur in a few weeks. Here is hoping that its nothing and that I will be a few grams lighter next season.

3. Looking back, do you think you trained as wisely and as hard as you could have trained?

This seasons training was the hardest I have ever undertook and I am very proud of my efforts. I will be adding more bike intensity in the middle of plan, more so then I did last season. I will also be interjecting new on bike work outs in an effort to increase power.

4. What is the one thing you most need to work on for next season in order to perform better?

This is tough as I have several areas I want to improve but I would have to say that I need to improve my Anaerobic Endurance.

5. What would you most like to accomplish next season? Is it a good stretch and yet within your reach if you do things right?

I really want to move to Category 3 but I have been advised that I should stay a Category 4 at least through our Spring Training Series of Races unless I can win a couple of races or maintain a top 5 standing fr most of the series. I am not sure how realistic this jump from 4-3 will be considering my pending surgery and what if any outcomes await me. My primary reason for wanting to become a Cat 3 was to participate in the Masters Nationals next season as they are being held in the city I grew up in, Louisville KY. This might be the last year that the master National are held in Louisville.

That’s it a nice and tidy summary of the 2009 season. I could most certainly cover other items related to performance, psychology, and goal setting but I think the above method is great. Most often simpler is better.

Its fall in the USA and the sun is setting faster. While the Sun’s rays may not be as strong this time of year you still need to protect your skin. I continue to use sun block even in the winter it works well in preventing wind burn.

Don’t like the greasy feel of sun block on your hands? Many brands market sun block in a stick. I like the stick because its fast and doesn’t get my hands messy when covering ears, and nose.