The Final Preparation Begins

August 14, 2019

"It was time to get all my thoughts, lists, ideas, to-do's, etc. on paper and start preparing."

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.

5 days to go - Tuesday, August 13th

This close to a big event, it isn’t really about the bike or the training anymore. It’s about the preparation. Dialing in the final details that can make or break your race.

The last time I did a big event race (Leadville 2014), I made a series of preparation mistakes that eventually lead to a DNF. This is despite being well supported and having a good team behind me. So, for Steamboat, I want to be very prepared and having thought through everything.

It was time to get all my thoughts, lists, ideas, to-do’s, etc., on paper and start preparing. I need to get the van ready for #vanlife, food bought for #vanlifing and racing, make some sort of schedule to keep me on task so I don’t end up stressed on Friday, etc. It felt good to start this preparation and start to feel excited about the race as opposed to stressed or frazzled. I also got an updated start list so I could dial in on who my competition is (it’s very strong! MTB’ers, Roadies, Triathletes, Gravel, and CX racers).

For training, I woke up feeling a lot better today (yay!). I had a 90min private Time Trial lesson with a nice woman and it was perfect. Some easy riding, some fast riding (in her draft), and low stress. Before meeting her, I did 20min of dynamic stretching, Foundation Training, core, etc. I definitely could have done more today, but, like I mentioned yesterday, just because you can ride harder/longer, doesn’t mean you should. Then I left my bike at Tin Shed Sports to have the final touches put on. This pretty much means give it to my friend and former team mechanic Erik, to make sure it is race-ready. The front brake was rubbing, so I’m glad it’s in good hands to get it dialed.

Rolling and stretching in the evening ended a very nice day.

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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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