My tagline for the last decade has been “Mom-Coach-Racer-Not always in that order”. Usually it all threads together nicely with each taking turns at the front. I didn’t expect 2010 to be any different for me. Expectations are funny things when seen with hindsight and curiosity.
2010 started right on target with a great race at 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo followed up with some local xc racing to sharpen the speed for Cohutta 100 in April. I DNF’d Cohutta which was not expected and stung. In fact I got hit by lightening during the race… I didn’t expect that! It fritzed me good and to the core. I didn’t expect the impact it would have and denied it had any effect on me but in hindsight it took me 10 weeks off training to feel any sort of good/normal after.
So racer was shelved and mom-coach took the lead for a while.
Next we spent July in Crested Butte. I didn’t do any training in CB but lots and lots of JRA (just riding around) with and without kids, which since has deteriorated into JGA (just goofing around) taking pictures of things I see on rides.
Toadstools
and Buffaloes
Thistles. I love thistles. They are the Scottish National flower full of folklore. A bare foot Viking attacker stepped on one at night and cried out, so alerting the defenders of a Scottish castle.
Rides have been more about big views
and awesome trails
Seeing curious things. This took a photo of me taking a photo of it. Ha, ha. Some researcher is going to have to look at that.
and fresh evidence of things that could eat me and were probably watching me.
and not at all about TSS, IF and watts. FT, VO2max and power. Not at all about “training”.
So now here I am, in mid August, not having actually “trained” since March. The last time I took 5+ months off training was 8 years ago and I gave birth…It is a curious place to find myself and was not expected!!
My “Coach” side is laughing because now I get to see the difference between months of JRA/JGA and actual training. To see/feel/be the difference between being fit and being fast, which I preach daily to clients. A visceral confirmation that this statement is true. Always so much to learn experientially as a coach – the good and the other…
My “Racer” side is not laughing so much as in 2.5 weeks time is Park City Point 2 Point race which I expected to race – oops! What am I to do with THAT expectation?
I bet your performance and speed will not be much worse than if you trained all summer, and may even be better. Just seems to work that way sometimes.
I have been in the same boat this summer due to a virus/overtraining and have even had a good chunk of time off the bike. I am very interested to see how I go this fall once I get riding again. Could go either way, will see?
I work around HV and know what it can do to the body and just got to ask, Um, whats it like to get hit by lightening?
I’ve always felt a bit frustrated when lightening starts going off during a race. During my lifeguard days we’d close the pool if we heard thunder. Send everyone home. Hide out in the office. I’ve had so many close calls and being 6’5″ I feel quite lucky that my number has never come up.
Mountain biking is the only sport I know of that doesn’t get cancelled because of lightening. We are a nutty bunch.
Bart’s right on the “not training” aspect. I quit “training” years ago and while sometimes I’m bummed at my results, when I really look at things I’m so much happier. More time with friends and family, more fun on rides, and no disappointment when I miss the podium by a spot or two. I’m a bit luckier as my fields are much larger so missing the podium in a stacked field, still beating riders that are sponsored A LOT more than me, and doing fun epics and play-arounds in between while others are doing intervals…..that all sums up to a much more important word….SATISFACTION.
You don’t have anything to prove. Have fun!
make the expectation an exception…;)
I just call all the JRA I do “training”. ;)
just put on the cap….here I come to save the day. happy b day.
Woah. Until just now I thought the “hit by lightning” thing was just a metaphor…yikes. In the movies that sort of thing makes a person a superhero, but I guess they never say what happens the other way around – when the superhero is hit by lightening.