Goal Setting

Okay, so the road racing season is over. Sad. Boo-hoo.

As much as it pains me to know that I won't have to suffer up any more power climbs, or dodge any more sketchy riders... It's also a great time of the year to do other things, and take advantage of not having to endure any of the aforementioned, uh, "finer" points of racing.

So, since I've been sick for the past week, and have been without a bike until a few days ago (due to an an unfortunate crash), I have been busying myself with school, chores, friends, and good books. Actually, right now I'm reading a great book - well, really it's more of a pamphlet when you look at it's physical size - called Plunder and Blunder. It came recommended to my by my dad, and covers the rise and fall of the American Bubble Economy from a number of interesting perspectives. The winners, the losers, and the political talking heads all have their say, though the overall tone of the book does tend to bash the regulatory systems that have (in the author's opinion) lead to the collapse of the housing market, and the economic recession that we've been in. Good book, and it gives me some information that I hadn't gleaned off of my great applied econ course from last year.

Anyway, all of this can only keep my mind busy for so long. There comes a point in every athlete's off-season (usually not too far into it), when they realize they'll need to start setting goals and prioritizing for their next cycle of competition. I've come to that point in the past few days, and have started thinking about exactly what I want out of my next year. So far I've come to a few concrete conclusions, and a few things I can do in the coming months to help myself get there.

First my general goals (in no particular order):

1. I need to maintain my aerobic fitness.
   - I'll swim 3-4 times per week from September through November.
   - I'll fit in at least one long base ride per week. 4-5 hours at a moderate sub-tempo pace. Only as school allows.
2. I need to build power.
   - Weight lifting, starting the end of September 2x per week, progressing to 3x per week at higher weights and more cycling specific lifts starting November 1st. January will be maintenance lifting 2x per week, allowing a transition to cycling specific training.
   - Intervals - TBD after a consult with a coach.
3. I need to manage my body composition and overall health.
   - Simple. Eat a healthy diet. I think I've got this one covered, but I'm going to make a much more concerted effort at watching my vitamin/mineral intake and keep my immune system strong.

Now my more specific cycling goals (in no particular order):

1. I will go under 54 minutes at the state championship TT next year. I feel this is a reasonable goal considering my performance this year of 55:22 in rain/thunder/wind.
   My true goal is to see 52:xx, but 54 seems reasonable for now.
2. I will race category A in collegiate. I'll do this by placing well in early B's races, and moving up.
3. I will win a Category 3 road race or criterium. I will train my sprint, and learn to time my attacks better. I will get to the line first.
4. I will help a teammate win a race. I'll take the wind, I'll block, I'll lead out, and I'll chase down counter attacks. I want to be a part of a team that backs each other up. I'll need to learn some tactics in order to make this happen.

I guess that's it for now. I'm going to get up and go swimming tomorrow, eat some more fruits and veggies, drink some extra water, and get plenty of sleep. Sounds like a good start.

Best regards, thanks for reading.