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Staying on top of things
by Roger
We are well into season now and we have done our
training camp , the early spring races are behind
us and now we are getting into more serious events . Longer races and
higher speeds, but are we getting the results we are looking for ? Are we heading in the right direction? Do we
feel stronger ( physically & mentally)
compared to last year this time? These are all questions we need to
ask ourselves!
By now we want to be getting close to our race weight. Our power
numbers need to be close to what they were last summer, so we will
have some room for improvements in the next 3-4 months. The sport we
are in, constantly requires changes and
adjustments to be able to cope with the stress with put our bodies and
minds through, so being in tune with yourself and communicating with your
coach is very important right now!
A training plan is just like a race; " if the race is going
well, we stick to our plan and we try to hit the nail on the head
and win the race ", if someone throws a “stick pump” in your
spokes and things are not going according to the pre-race plan , we have to make adjustments on the fly in the
race and still try to win the race ". The training (program) is the
same. Is it working in sync with the rest of our lives and
do we have the right balance to be our best when it counts?
I analyze your files and your races to find that perfect balance
for you and help you get the most out of your training/racing, but I am
not IN your" race " , so take a moment and think about
what is actually happening in your " race " to see if you
think we are going to win this thing . Being on your toes at all times
(on race day and every day) is what is going to separate you from the
rest of the pack!
FEATURED ATHLETE OF THE MONTH
GREG DONOVAN
Greg Donovan is one of our FinKraft clients who loves bike racing and does not
just put the physical effort into the racing .You could say
that Greg is the straight A student in our FinKraft
family . What I mean by this is that Greg really wants to learn the
mental aspect of the sport and by "doing his home work" achieves
goals even though he may not always be the strongest guy in the pack. We
all have heard the saying; “the strongest guy does not always win”, a lot
of time it is the smartest guy that takes the trophy!
What I like about Greg is that he listens and asks a lot of questions.
He also analyzes the races afterwards and uses the information to his
advantage in the next race. He uses his team as his strength, but he also
does this for fun and does not really put any pressure on himself. The
races are tests or exams for him, if he does not do well he studies
harder! Do not get me wrong, Greg works very hard training
as well and puts a lot of effort and money into the sport
to have the best possible fitness and the right equipment to be
able to compete at his best.
Greg just won the Tour of Battenkill in his Cat 4
field.
I always say if you win a big one your whole season is a success!
Congratulation and keep up the good work.
REMINDER - COMING UP SOON
ITALY GIRO CAMP 2010
MAY 22 TO MAY 31
Well , the Tucson Camp is done and it is time to think "Italy".
If you read the blog or you attended the AZ camp
you know what it is all about!
I am happy to announce that a long time dream of mine will come true this
2010 spring. FinKraft, in partnership with our
friend Paolo Zenoni who lives in Bergamo,
Italy will provide a
fully supported cycling experience in Italy. Often called “the mother
country of cycling” in many people’s eyes, we will be riding on legendary
roads and routes that the Giro d’ Italia and
other classic road races like Giro di Lombardy have passed through over the years. There
is no other country with such a strong history in cycling and such amazing
scenery.
Cycling there is a culture and if
you love cycling, this trip is a dream come true.We
will leave in the evening from the US
on May 22nd and arrive in Milan
the following morning (May 23rd). If traveling from a different destination
all arrivals have to be on Saturday morning to enable a convenient airport
pick-up for all clients at the same time.
We will have a support van (Team
bus) which will be our transportation during our stay. Each client is
responsible for his or her own airline ticket and bike transport to Milan, but group
discount for airline tickets might be available. Upon arrival at our base
camp Hotel Cascina Belvedi
(http://www.cascinabelvedi.it/)
we will get settled and after a short nap we will assemble our bikes and go
for a light spin before dinner.
The
personnel is English speaking and our
accommodations include a big breakfast and a nice real authentic Italian
dinner every day. The ride program will be flexible with weather conditions
and logistics such as travel to and from different locations.
Here is a preliminary route schedule:
Saturday:
arrive at the airport on the 22nd (leaving the US the 21st); bus transfer to
the hotel; bikes assembly and short easy facultative ride.
Sunday:
scenic loop, relatively flat and visit to the old city of Bergamo (Citta`Alta).
Spouses take public transportation (easy) and meet up in Citta` Alta. Riding time: 4 hours
Monday:
hilly ride, Passo San Marco. Spa day/hiking for
the spouses (stores are closed Monday morning but open in the afternoon
around 3:30pm so shopping not possible in the am). Riding time: 5 hours.
Tuesday: bus transfer to the beautiful town of Stresa
and flat ride around Lago Maggiore. Spouses can
enjoy strolling through the town and taking a ferry ride on the lake,
visiting the isles and the enchanting gardens. Riding time: 6 hours.
Wednesday:
hilly ride to Madonna del Ghisallo and visit to
the museum of the cyclists and to the sanctuary of the Madonna del Ghisallo. Spouses take bus to Bergamo and train to Milano
to shopping/sightseeing - full day for them and rest afternoon for us.
Riding time: 4 hours.
Thursday:
travel by bus to Bormio. Climb the Mortirolo and the Gavia
passes. Spouses have the opportunity to see this alpine town, where the
World Ski Cup is held every year and ride by bus to the ski town of Livigno enjoying breathtaking mountain views (1,5 hour
by bus from Bormio) and tax free shopping. Riding
time: 6 very tough hours.
Friday:
easy ride around the Bergamo
area. Relaxing in countryside for the spouses. (Idea: take local bus to
either 1) horseback riding in Valle Imagna for a
few hours, 2) visit to winery locally, 3) indoor swimming pool for fun with
the kids, etc) Riding time: 3 hours
Saturday: Giro d'Italia
day! Bikes will be left at hotel and everyone can have a fun day watching
the hill finishing 20th stage of the Giro (Bormio - Ponte di Legno - Tonale) - bus trip to
location to watch stage and back later to hotel.
Sunday:
Nice ride through the rolling vineyards of Franciacorta;
bikes packing. Wives bus to Bergamo, train
to Lake Como for the day) Riding time: 4
hours. Monday: Bus transfer to the airport. Program may change due to
weather reasons.
Monday: Bus transfer to Airport Total riding time: at least 32
hours with some extremely challenging climbs.
Deadline for sign up is May 10, 2010. There are a lot of logistics for this
trip, so the sooner the better.
Thanks
Roger
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