I really don’t know where info about the whole NSC local race season ended up. I guess I just got busy and filled all my time with work, training, Ragbrai, Masters Track Champs in Indy and all the local TNL race nights and State Champs. I just don’t know why I couldn’t save some time for adding to my blog.
My goal to coach myself and become more of an endurance track racer was accomplished. I rode a lot of roller training miles preseason which set me up for some good results in the first couple of race nights. Encouraging but if I was ready preseason, everyone else seemed to catch up quite quickly as we got a few races into the season. I still felt good and kept adjusting and making progress sometimes keeping up with the pack and sometimes not. My self training was working to my advantage, I felt strong all season, no training injuries to set me back and as the season progressed to the Indianapolis Masters events. I felt good and confident and raced like I belonged there, which I did. My results there didn’t live up to my expectations but I accomplished some personal goals and came away with acceptable results, just barely missing the podium in my last race, a points race. 1st time in four attempts I haven’t returned with a medal. It was also fun to add another track to my list of race venues.
I kept getting stronger though and did get some state championship golds in my age group, yeah, I know not many in my age group around here but I did have some competition and again set some PR’s and collected a handful of medals in a variety of events that I have never attempted in the past. Even as the season was coming to an end I was still improving my form and fitness, which was fun to track. I need to analyze that improvement and build that into peak time for next year.
The knowledge I gained from this last year of training and racing set me up to help Bob set up the 2013/2014 Sprinters training program. At least it gave me the confidence to take on a project as big and involved as this. It is rewarding to be able to share the knowledge I gained over the last 4-5 years with others at the track including some of the great group of fast juniors we have. It’s also humbling to have a bunch of the racers buy into this program.
As I write this, I keep thinking I should be in Manchester right now, yes today for activation because the Worlds Masters Track champs start on Sunday. I am sadly missing this year after competing for the last 4 years all around the world. It’s not that I don’t want to be there but I have given up a time share on St Thomas VI for the last 4 years so I could race. This year, back to St Thomas and then back to Manchester next fall, 2014. Three of the NSC’s best, Casper, Tainter and Mulrooney will be there representing MN so I wish them all the best luck.
Along the way to next year, there are plans to race at NSC, welcome my Aussie buddy Bushy back next summer, spend a week in CO with him and race there during the 4th of July week, do Ragbrai in late July with Bushy and the other Psycho Biker team and then maybe hit Marymoore Velo in Redmond WA for Masters USA track champs with Manchester the culmination of 2014.
First cool, rained out Madison last night resulted in my first night in the weight room on the way to 2014, lets go.