It's been a big year this year, and I am really happy to achieve some great goals I set myself at the beginning of it. I had always had my doubts of pulling it off till about half way through, and then some rain came and slowed up the racing and I was back to thinking maybe I would not get it. I wanted to race or have an event per week on average, which seemed a big task, but with joining the actvets, in the end it was not as hard as what I expected. The club has been great with weekly crits over the summer period and road racing about every second weekend, combined with mountain bike racing and various other events by the time 2012 comes around I should have 57 in the bag, (52 not including DNF's and charity rides).
Sometimes there is no better training than racing, and although some of these races would not be as hard as some of the training rides out there, they had a purpose. With many years of 24 solo racing I felt I needed something different in my training, I was always focused on hours in the saddle, below threshold efforts, and every time it seemed to come time for some intensity I'd either have a little break or become sick. I improved but it seemed like a 1/2 yearly groundhog. So after settling in C grade, and really knowing how my training should shape like, I decided on doing my own program. Fenner had been training me for over 2 years and he had been a great coach, but I just felt like I needed something different and not feel like those numbers or workouts were my sole goal. Instead my goal was to move through C grade and into B, and possible A (BTW A grade Vets is not a true A grade). My daily goals were still based on numbers but depending on what I felt like my weakness was, or what I wanted to improve on, or what I needed to do around my racing my efforts were logical and it seemed my improvements were coming and I was enjoying the training and racing.
Various MTB races came and went but it seemed I either had a load of fun or no luck, falling sick just before and during the National solo's was one race I wanted to do better in but luckily I only put in a small 10 day build for it. But the highlight was the Mont 24 in a fantastic team it was really good fun, and good to put all my effort into 1 lap at a time knowing I had time to recover, so much fun. Things went quite during winter but still some road racing to be had, but a load of work on the trainer, but thankfully Cadel kept me entertained for some of that :). But when the racing picked up again I moved to B grade on road and was pushing at another level, mentally I had some confidence to push hard and then go that bit more. I road not thinking about what efforts I had to do tomorrow, and just raced for today. I had established a solid quick build for the Garmin 24, and I was really happy where I was at and ready to enjoy it, and that is what I did. My year racing on the road has finished with being moved up to A grade (due to my racing tactics more that results I think), and with 1 A grade crit done and finishing mid pack my "grade goal" got smiley and star stamps all over it.
So I’m happy looking back, I have had some solid gains in area's that I have really needed. My riding has come a long way, which included allot of fun, somehow I just need to transform some of that to the dirt. 2012 will be another year and I think it is time to get dirty again and race more off road. At least riding off road I'm not being told to shave my legs or wash my bike ;). This year is not over, 1 more race to go on New Year’s Eve; it is going to be a load of fun pairing with Grantley for the wicked wombat. I can't think of a better way to finish it off, as I'm keen for more racing like this next year.
Race numbers:
Road Crits: 22
Super Crits: 4
Road Races: 10
Time trials: 2
Team 24's: 2
Solo 24's: 2 (1 DNF)
3-4 hour MTB races: 2
7-8 hour MTB races: 1 (DNF)
XC races: 2
Multiday races: 2
Marathon MTB: 1
Gravity XC: 1
XC Hill climb: 1
Dirt crits a shameful: 1
Charity events: 3
Still to come a pairing 8 hour with unlimited laps per person so essentially will be an 8 hour riding with a mate (apart for the first lap).
Definately lacking the 7-8 hour racing on offer, and marathons.
The most coolest and weird moment, is rocking up to Canberra Hospital checking out a mate and riding a full hot lap of the bike paths (from the hospital) of Lake BG within an hour.
So time for new goals, different training strategies again, and no doubt more improvements. I must admit the 3 hour and Gravity events on offer does sound great and maybe just what I need.
Merry Christmas everyone hope you are enjoying some time off work, to work off the eating season :).
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