A Clean Slate

Heeey. How you doin'?

This time of year is always an interesting one for me. It's the end of transition and the first official week of off-season training. I have a clean slate. The fall and winter are full of opportunity. Some years I'm coming in to the off-season with good momentum from the recently-finished season, other years not so much. This is one of the good years. For all intents and purposes, I took this past year off to clear my mind and remember why I was racing. My cat 3 upgrade seemed to be somewhat anticlimactic and I lost the will to train hard last fall. So I didn't even start back until about May of this year. I decided to view that positively and consider it an advanced beginning to the '10 season. Problem was that my power at LT was in the gutter and my weight was comparable to the average bison. But I climbed back on the bike and started back at it. Knowing that I was really only targeting the next calendar year removed a lot of stress from the situation. My coach recommended that I race to train so I entered a few without expectation. The good news is that I'm roughly back to where I was at the end of last season except I have loads more enthusiasm.

So what's the plan? Well, did you ever wonder how well you could perform if you didn't compromise on anything? Pulled out all the stops? That's essentially what I'm going to try to do...um, while still maintaining a job, not getting a divorce, having my kids recognize me, and not liquidating all my assets. I would very much like to make it to cat 2. Problem is that I don't have a lick of natural talent (with the possible exception of an above-average sprint) so I'm going to have to rely on work ethic and, when the season comes around, good tactical decision making. So "pulling out all the stops" for me means a dedicated and well-rounded program. I'm thus taking a four-pronged approach: riding, core/gym, diet, supplements. I know, right about know you're saying "Numbas, you gold-wearin', pasta-bendin', big-hair-chick datin', Iroc-Z drivin' wise guy, everyone knows that!" Fair enough Pisan but I've never gone all in like that before.

So I got me some e-motion rollers because I couldn't stand the thought of another winter on the fluid trainer. Whaddya kiddin' me? I'm doing a structured core/strength program, which I've never done before. I'm being more dedicated about the basic vitamins and minerals. And I'm being a lot more strict on what I eat. Tough to take the fat off at 41 years of age but I'm patient and, as much as I'd like to get down to 5% body fat, I know I'd just be sick all the time and probably weak too. So I figure 9% or 10% will have to do.

Sum it all up and whaddya get? Who knows. For all I know I could get H1N1 followed by a sinus infection followed by erectile dysfunction (highly unlikely since real Italians don't get that but you get the point), etc. But if I can stick to the plan (doin' things by da numbas as it were), perhaps Da Numbas can be better than he ever was. Time will tell.

To you I say: Have a good off-season and we'll see you Goombahs at the start line.