Racing was one of the biggest priorities during Lance’s preparation for the 2009 Tour de France, because there are physical and psychological demands found in competition that cannot be replicated in training. This is true for elite athletes as well as amateurs and novices, so I encourage all the athletes I work with to enter competitions and events prior to their goal events.
Even though I’ve been riding and racing for nearly 30 years, prep races are still important for my training as well. That’s why I’ll be at the Carmichael Training Systems Sand Creek Series race tomorrow on the grounds of the Air Force Academy. The trail up there is great, it’s a 12-mile loop that’s almost entirely singletrack, and although it crosses a few roads within the Air Force Academy, you’d be surprised how remote parts of the course feel.
I credit prep races for a large part of my improvement at the Leadville 100 over the past few years. The first year I trained for the race, I didn’t feel much like racing during the spring and summer – and there weren’t very many opportunities to race anywhere nearby. When Andy Bohlmann from Sand Creek Sports decided to go back to promoting mountain bike races in Colorado Springs in 2008, he organized a few weekend races and a few mid-week training races. I participated because the events were so convenient, and those shots of intensity really delivered a boost to my fitness.
When Andy approached me about sponsoring the Sand Creek Race Series for 2009, I was happy to partner with him. He is a very good race promoter, his events are top-notch, and with enough sponsorship he would be able to expand the series to include more events. This year I think there were 7 or 8 events, including a UCI race that brought in the top pros in the country. My coaches and I have competing throughout the spring and summer, and even though I may not be close to winning my category, the fact that there’s a start line, a finish line, and a pack of other riders out there with me drives me to dig deeper and go harder than I would go on my own.
So I’m looking forward to the race tomorrow, and I encourage any athletes who are preparing for a goal event to find similar events in the months and weeks leading up to your goal. If you’re preparing for a marathon, run a few 5k and 10k races. If you’re getting ready for an Olympic distance or Half-Ironman distance triathlon, enter a sprint triathlon for training purposes. Races and events should not only be the endpoint of a training program; they should be an integral part of it as well.
Chris Carmichael
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