Checking in

[Pink Kona]

So the race season has officially come to a close and my coach gave me the month of September off from the bike. He said I should only be riding for fun. Oh yeah - that's what originally got me into racing! I sort of vaguely remember what that's like!

Taking time "off" and being away from such intensity is proving much harder than I thought it would be. My first week off I still pedaled over 200 miles and felt guilty for not getting in the same amount of intensity. Since then it has slowly tappered off.... gone are the days of double workouts and long, above threshold rides and intense races. Hello to eating again and restoring balance into my life - if only for a short while. In the off season, it's really important to work on the muscles that aren't used during the seaon - imbalances can lead to injury. Which translates to working that weak upper body (my raisen puny arms!) and less focus on the legs. And gaining a few extra pounds is not a problem - especially considering the cold winter months ahead where any extra blubber is a novalty.

I ran into a fellow racer on the Burke-Gilman trail recently and we both admitted to the guilty pleasures of not racing as much. Being creatures of habit this off the bike nonsense was for the birds! But the advantages will come later - in a couple of months when I'm riding while it's drizzling on a cold 45 degree day I'll think to myself, oh how wonderful those off days were!!!

Cycling seems like such a collective experience. You build on memories, not only muscle but mental as well - and store them away. So when the time comes, and you need to pull from your reserve to tackle a big hill, sprint, or push to the finish line - it's there like a comforting old friend ready to be used to your advantage. I highly recommend keeping a journal or blog while training and racing so you can remind yourself when you need an extra boost of motivation what it felt like then and how far you've progressed.

Well - I have only one more week of "off" time. Training resumes in October. Until then I'll be in the climbing gym and cooking up a storm in the kitchen (since I have the time to!). I hope all is well in your neck of the woods!

[SadieKate]

Wondering what had happened to you. Hadn't heard from you in while. Sometimes a goal of doing nothin' is a good thing.

[BikeMomma]

Been thinking about you, knowing you were probably kept busy racing and all, and wondering how you were faring! Glad to know they give you some time off once in a while for all your hard work. Great season...wow. You're amazing, really.

Your post reminded me of a couple guys from here (Merced, CA) who got picked up by a Belgian cycling training and development center (I think it's just male only.... ). Their business is to go to other countries, recruit talent, and then bring them to Europe to race, train, and learn what racing is REALLY like. Here's a link to their site: http://www.cyclingcenter.com/index_cc.htm. One of the guys, Jason Klickna, updated his diary every now and then so that we locals could see what he was experiencing. You can read his by clicking on "diaries", then his name.

Anyway, your post reminded me sooo much of one of Jason's entries about time off the bike, about not wanting to take a break and being forced to stay off anyway. It's good reading....he has some funny experiences and interesting things to say.

He actually is back home now, and had his first group ride with us this morning. Man, is that guy lean and mean from racing over there! At one point, I was riding behind him and was marveling at the way cycling chisels the leg muscles in just that unique way -- narrow ankles, defined calves, narrowing to knobby knees, and then the cut quadriceps -- like an hourglass. I can tell a cyclist's legs anywhere, without even looking for tan lines, I swear. Amazingly, he spared us our dignity and rode slow. Our group split this morning halfway through, as some riders wanted to go a longer route (and probably a faster one, too). I could have rode with them and wanted to, but my front derailleur was being a p.i.t.a., so I figured riding with those guys would be suicide, since the pace would be higher, and I couldn't shift into my big ring.

Incidentally, I'm riding the bike leg of a team relay triathlon next Sunday (the 2nd). The route is 24 miles, which is no problem, but I haven't been able to train like I've wanted. Between busy hours at work, home, kids, night classes (and homework) starting up, and the ever-disappearing evening daylight (yuk, I hate the end of the season), my mileage this week was a measely 80 (50 today). I haven't been able to even jump on the trainer in front of the t.v.!

Soooo....next weekend should absolutely hurt! I'll let you know how it goes. Should be fun....my teammates are a couple gals from work. Nothing hugely serious as far as a goal of winning, but I'm hoping to place somewhere, or at least make a good showing of it. We'll see -- I haven't done a triathlon before, and I haven't time-trialed in a loonng time.

Glad to hear from you!!! Have FUN on your break. Probably not much more racing this year, right? What are your plans for the winter? Will you be doing any cyclocross or just logging in the miles?

Talk to ya soon!
- BikeMomma