Groundhog Day

August 14, 2019

"The week before a big event is tricky. It's easy to do too much."

by Alison Powers, ALP Cycles Coaching

In February, I wrote a blog post called Training to Train and in it, I disclosed that I had signed up for a bike race-Steamboat Gravel (SBT GRVL), a 141-mile race with 100 miles on dirt/gravel roads. Now, 1 week away from race day, I thought it would be fun and interesting to blog every day leading up to the race. I will blog about the specifics of my training, my preparation, my headspace, etc. All the things that lead up to race day that not everyone gets to see or understand. 

6 days to go - Monday, August 12th

An early ski coach of mine used to always say, “at the end of the day, you are your own best coach”. I didn’t understand that. Did that mean he was a bad coach, or I needed to learn how to be a ski coach? I’ve come to learn that coaches are unique. Each coach has his/her own coaching philosophy, style, way to communicate, teach, etc. At the end of the day, I needed to learn how to filter out what helps me best (and get rid of the rest) and use that to help me. At the end of the day, I am responsible for myself, for my training, and for my results.

Today felt like Ground Hog day of last Monday. While my legs didn’t feel like 100 lb weights, I did sleep in and felt like I could have kept sleeping. I was/am tired. Again, it was disappointing to be tired after 3 days of really easy activity or rest. I don’t know if last week was too hard, or it’s hormone-related (all I have been wanting to eat the last 4 days has been chocolate/dessert, so that’s my first guess), or a crazy bike racer headspace. But, I'm glad I have the experience to know that my body will come around. So, again, I reminded myself the most disappointing thing would be to wake up on race day with tired legs.

The week before a big event is tricky. It is so easy to do too much. One too many workouts can wreck months of preparation. I can race a criterium with fatigue in my body, but I can not race a 141 mile gravel race with fatigue in my body. So, I will rest and have trust in the process and my body.

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ABOUT ALISON POWERS

Alison Powers only recently retired from cycling, finishing her final season on the UnitedHealthcare Women’s Team. Her career has spanned a wide array of wins, including the 2013 USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championship where she won in memorable fashion by soloing after an early breakaway that obliterated the pro women’s peloton. Other standout results during the 33-year-old’s 2013 season include the win at Redlands Bicycle Classic, second at the Tour of Elk Grove, third at the US National Road Championship and the US National Time Trial Championship, and stage wins at Cascade Classic, Tulsa Tough, Tour of the Gila and Redlands Bicycle Classic. Hailing from Fraser, Colorado, Powers has been racing bikes professionally for eight years and is a true athlete with her career beginning as a teenager in mountain bike racing. In her mid 20s, she added in alpine ski racing before switching over to the road. In addition to being the current Criterium National Champion, Powers has two other national championships (Time Trial, Team Pursuit) and 2 NRC titles (2009, 2013).

About ALP Cycles Coaching

ALP Cycles Coaching is located in the mountains of Colorado, and is a cycling coaching company with over 25 years of professional sports experience. ALP Cycles Coaching is unique in that we have 4 coaches, Alison Powers, Shawn Heidgen, Jennifer Triplett, and Patricia Schwager who each brings her own coaching strengths and personal experiences. We work together to create a training plan that works for each and every person. Visit them online at http://alpcyclescoach

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