sarals 

Sara's 2014 Road Season. A Season of Change.

Road racing is now over for me for the 2014 season. I toyed with the idea of putting into writing, on the internet for all to see, what this past season was for me. "Season of Change" is metaphorical, but it sums up in a very succinct way what I have experienced since I pinned on a number for the first time back in January.

Change meant "change your riding style". Ex determined that my efforts were too explosive and my self-selected cadence was too low. Adjusting my cadence upwards came fairly quickly, but my explosive, surging nature has been harder to get under control. I still do it to some extent, but I am worlds better than I once was.

Change meant becoming more disciplined. My coach goes through a lot of effort to design my training schedule to benefit me. I had to learn that what he wanted me to do was indeed going to help me, and the adage that "you have to slow down to go fast" was absolutely true. Oh, I have such a hard head sometimes!

Change meant "make your expectations realistic". I have to hit myself in the face with a hammer before I wake up sometimes. It took most of the season, but I finally came to accept that I AM OLD, and that even though I can go as fast as the young women under some circumstances, I cannot race with them for long. That was a hard one to grasp.

Change meant learning that I have physical limitations, and learning to work within them. My LTHR is unusually low. That was a bitter pill to swallow, and it affected me mentally in a very negative way. It took me the better part of the season to get past the notion that I wasn't "less than", I was indeed competitive, I just had to learn how and where.

Change meant learning to cope with the mental aspects of racing. Not being able to hang in and race early on was severely disappointing, and after being crushed physically and especially mentally at the Bariani Road Race, I was ready to hang up my cleats. What I thought I could and should do and what actually happened were two entirely different things. Never mind that I had raced a two day stage race one week earlier, I wasn't in season form, and that the large field was made up of a very deep pool of young talent. It wasn't my fault I did poorly. It was my fault that I believed I should have well. The mental game was the biggest struggle I faced this past season. It affected me until August, when I finally accepted my place and my limitations, and started listening to Ex. Once I got my mental priorities straight, I was able to get my racing on track, and then I started enjoying the ride.

Change meant being accepted by my age group racers. And they do. And that is huge!

Change meant looking forward to having fun. And that's what cyclocross and the upcoming Fred Rides are all about!

Change means that I will target favorable events next year, will be more realistic in my goals, and that I will pay strict attention to my coach and the training schedule. That will lead to success, and fun, and enjoyment.