End of season for me is a time to reflect on failures and where I can close the gap. While I like celebrating what I did well it doesn't allow enough critical thinking about where I fell short. 2011 was all about improving consistency and "leaving no stone un-turned". 2010 left me scratching my head on a couple of occasions when I didn't ride to the level my power data suggested I could.
In that vein I made fairly drastic equipment changes; focused on sustained power output in training and very high quality volume sessions across swim, bike, run. So, while I didn't blow my old power bests out I did get very, very consistent meaning I was able to reproduce pretty good power when I needed it. Where swim and run are concerned, looking at total volume this season compared to where I've been at historically I was actually a bit lower but I wasn't forcing myself through sessions completely spent whereas before I just made myself do the work. In those other higher volume years I wonder how much my body absorbed when I marched through workouts in zombie mode?
In that vein I made fairly drastic equipment changes; focused on sustained power output in training and very high quality volume sessions across swim, bike, run. So, while I didn't blow my old power bests out I did get very, very consistent meaning I was able to reproduce pretty good power when I needed it. Where swim and run are concerned, looking at total volume this season compared to where I've been at historically I was actually a bit lower but I wasn't forcing myself through sessions completely spent whereas before I just made myself do the work. In those other higher volume years I wonder how much my body absorbed when I marched through workouts in zombie mode?
What's 2011 about? More of the same: Consistency and closing the performance gaps. Consistency is always a tough one because we're not robots and the longer an event goes the more nutrition and pacing plays a role. Where performance is concerned, well, I hit the point of diminishing returns a while ago, so in particular where the swim is concerned I've come back to looking at mechanics as a place where I might find some low hanging fruit.
Building out a season: I learned that the further I get away from pure distance events the happier a racer I am. Chalk it up to temperament, when I grew up running I came up doing middle distance; it was painful and short but I always swore I'd never do a marathon unless I could do one really fast; (that ship might have sailed though!) fast forward to Triathlon; long course racing requires lots of patience; you have to pace your body like a Toyota Prius or risk a poor performance.
This summer as I raced the bike leg of improperly measured (long) Half Iron I found myself wanting, almost needing to go faster but knowing I had to run after frustrated those plans.
Lesson learned: you have to race what you like. That said I'll probably find a suitable Half somewhere late in 2011. I'm eyeing the same sort of events, multisport stuff that favors good cycling/run fitness; cycling events that favor strong climbers over the long haul, etc.
Training: It's cliched to say there are no secrets and that you just have to do the work, however it's true. The one thing I can add is that there is no off-season. If you need time off to get healed you have to take it to rehab but to see improvement year over year an athlete just can't be taking huge chunks of time off and expect to PB those training markers or race efforts.
So, no off season for me. I do go as I feel meaning most days there is no specific goal to the work; I just like to workout because I love it. Do I push myself in the off-season? A little bit. Some amount of harder efforts makes life easier in January/Feb when those early season tune-up events are nearly bearing down.
Bring on the 2012 !
