Well time flies when the bulk of your free time is spent on a plane at 30,000 feet. As I type, I am en route to Bozeman and to my two lovely ladies having wrapped up the second of three track cycling camps before the World Championships.
In between camps, I have been busy speaking and reconfiguring the Sprinter for the upcoming travel/race season in hopes of making the sleeping arrangement a little more comfortable for Miss Amelia and prego Sara. Yesterday, I also wrapped up the most intense film project I have ever seen in person, let alone been part of. Not sure if I have the liberty to discuss the details at this point, but let’s just say I would suggest to those non-NCAA Basketball fans out there: you may want to consider becoming a fan of the coverage come March.
With regards to the bike and training camps: each on e has been brutally wonderful. As can be expected, the first camp provided a big shock to the system. With seven back to back sessions in 4 days, it left a mere exterior shell of a man. I would be lying if there were not moments I doubted whether I was going to be prepared come Worlds, and more importantly if I was even on the right track. Having not been on the track for nearly 5 months had its consequence, namely a rookie move that sent me sliding to the apron during the first workout. Additionally, the banner winter forced me to nearly sub comb entirely to riding indoors, which always seems to make for slower progress and higher mental burnout. Alas, I survived camp one and even managed to pull out some descent lap times on the last day.
Camp two was mixed bag of disciplines. We kicked off in Chula Vista for a few days as we completed some performance testing at the Olympic Training Center, i.e. our biannual time trail tests. Being as nearly all of us on the National Team have the sole purpose of going hard for no more that 5 minutes, doing so for 30 minutes represented a major challenge. Our 1st TT test occurred on a slightly rolling course approximately 9 miles in length. My experience during the test echoed that of the entire team. While our legs seemed up for the task, beyond 10 minutes it was very difficult to find a groove mentally. In essence my legs said “we got this”…and my mind said “ugh, how about we stick to going hard for 5 minutes.” The second day of camp is the most brutal for the vertically challenged as it is an uphill TT. Fortunately, with one effort under my belt the second TT was less of a mental battle, and I managed to finish seconds of my personal best, a time I set last year while in peak shape. Following road camp, it was off to the track for 4 more brutal days.
In distinct contrast of the first camp, I felt much more reassured and confident throughout the second camp, that everything was moving in the right direction. Sure, there was cumulative fatigue in the legs that left the stop watch running a little long at times, but overall the sensations were coming back. Despite some tough months of indoor training, gains have been made and the entire team is well on their way to another great session.
Now it is back home for a few days to recoup, wash clothes and hug my ladies before the final polish is put in LA the end of February.