Now that the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race is behind me, it’s time to figure out what’s next. For Lance Armstrong, Leadville was a fun (but difficult) day on the bike, and now he’s off to the Tour of Ireland and some work for Livestrong. His goals are pretty well established for 2010, and he’s really looking forward to building the new Radio Shack Team.
As for me, I’m going to take it easy for a few weeks. The buildup to a large goal, while exciting, is also somewhat tiring. I trained consistently for Leadville this year, and I was very focused on the event for the weeks between the end of the Tour de France and the race. I advise athletes that it’s a good idea to take a little time away from structured training after a big goal event. You need the mental break, as well as the physical recuperation.
I’m going to stay on my bike over the next few weeks, but just for fun and to maintain my routine of riding during the week. I’m not going to worry about how fast I’m going, how much power I’m producing, or how many calories I’m burning. I’m just going to enjoy the outdoors and the fact that I’m pretty well trained right now.
In a few weeks, though, I know I’ll start thinking again about what I want to accomplish next as an athlete. I’ll get the itch to start training again, and I’ll feel that pull toward some structured interval training. After all, there’s another local mountain bike race in Colorado Springs this October…
My experience preparing for the Leadville 100, completing the event, and now moving on past it, can hopefully provide some useful lessons for anyone out there preparing for an endurance event:
1. Be Consistent in Training:
Even if your fitness isn’t exactly where you want it to be, it’s very important to be consistent with your training. I knew I wasn’t going to be as strong as I was last year, but I stuck with my training rides, adjusted them as needed based on my conditioning, and got the job done. My fitness was just OK, but consistency gave me the endurance and fortitude necessary to reach the finish line at Leadville (37% of the riders who started this year failed to finish).
2. Build a Strong Support System:
My family has always been supportive of my training, but this year it really helped that I had more than a dozen colleagues who were also preparing for Leadville. There were times during the winter and spring when I wanted to stay in the office and work, figuring I had plenty of time to train later, but their encouragement helped me get out there and train. When my summer training turned out to be lighter than I’d hoped, that earlier foundation they helped me build became very important.
3. Be True to Yourself:
However wonderful or inadequate your training has been leading up to an event, it’s important to recognize exactly how fit you really are, and plan your event accordingly. Had I started the Leadville 100 at the pace necessary to achieve a sub-nine-hour finish, I would have been so exhausted in the second half of the event that I may not have finished at all. I maintained an intensity level I knew I could sustain with the fitness I had, and even though it was a little slower than I wanted to go, it was the right speed for the day.
4. Pat Yourself on the Back and Move On:
As a coach, I’ve always advised my athletes to take some time to recognize their achievements. You worked hard, achieved something you wanted, and you’ve earned the right to be proud. Too many athletes just put their accomplishments behind them immediately and turn only to the next event. When you do that, you never get to really enjoy the fruits of your labor, and eventually you start to forget what it is that drew you to your sport in the first place. But don’t dwell on your achievements, either. I’m happy about Leadville, and I’m going to enjoy this feeling, but within a few weeks, I’m going to turn my attention to my next goal.
