Time for a Redirect

Howdy! If there is a term I have been using a lot in talking with our athletes over the past four weeks it is “redirect”. Given the rapid spread of COVID-19 and the compensatory reactions, the landscape of the typical cycling season has changed quite a bit compared to what most of us thought it would look like when we sat down in November to craft our plan for the year. For a few weeks I was changing training on the level of a week at a time, correcting to what the next target was. Well, at the current juncture, it is pretty clear we have moved past that model. A lot of events have been cancelled, and to me as a coach it is clear that the purpose in training right now should not be driven by what specific event an athlete is training for. I have to say, it is a bit of a relief. First and foremost, because the current health situation goes far beyond sport, and certainly beyond the nuts and bolts of how we’re training for a specific event. So it is a relief to see the global reaction to the situation, and the sporting community reaction to the situation.

All that said, in my opinion it is time for another redirect. For a lot of athletes, without knowing when their next competition is, they feel lost and don’t know how to train, why to train, etc. My philosophy has been that in this period without competition for awhile, there is a lot of opportunity. And in defining that opportunity, we find purpose. My challenge to both myself, and my athletes, is to look at this period and to define to ourselves what the purpose is in this period and how we are going to use it to better ourselves.

I see the opportunity to ride without the pressure or stress of impending competition, to do rides that athletes love but do not get the time to do when they’re preparing specifically for a race. I have had so many conversations with athletes, in past race seasons, about how I know the ride they described sounds really fun, but that it won’t help them for their upcoming competition. Well now is a time to embrace those rides. Go enjoy them.

I also see the opportunity to train with a great load of purpose, even if an athlete has now idea when their next competition will begin. No athlete is perfect, and no athlete is complete in terms of their skillset on the bike - physiologically and technically. Often we work to address these weaknesses, but never can address them to the extent we know can really make a big impact, because of what we must focus on to succeed in the approaching races. Now, with no races in the near future, there is a great opportunity to work on aspects that are going to make an athlete better in the long run but we typically don’t address in March. Always wanted to work on that time trial? Now is the time.

So my unsolicited advice for the day is, it’s ok to feel a bit lost in the short term. But there is a lot of purpose to be had in this period without racing. So my challenge is to define that purpose, and pursue it. We’ll be here, working away, and come out of it better for when competition resumes!