Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle into 2012

Well... training for 2012 has been underway for sometime now and it is getting close to the season kickoff.  The theme for this season:  This year will be different.  In the face of adversity I will be focused, structured, consistent, and, most of all, have no fear of success.

The beginning of my season began back in October during a stressful and tumultuous move around Decatur.  My "off-season" began with a bit of running, very little cycling, and generally being active and soaking up the nice weather --when I was not searching for a new place to live or organizing my new home, working, searching for team sponsorship, selling old cycling gear, and generally being stressed about my immediate/current financial situation.   Different from last season when I was going through a not-so-difficult move, but a move nonetheless, lots of unnecessary distractions in my personal life, and almost no physical activity.  This year I have striven to keep major changes to a minimum, focusing on the loves in my life, having training partners, and keeping positive people around me.  I am already seeing the benefits.

The "off-season" in October does not seem so far away but when put in perspective to my current training and outlook, I realize that it is a lifetime away.  The off-season has well come to an end and I am currently into structured training and have just finished up a solid four week block.  There is so much progress to be made but I have never been happier to put in the work.  As I still focus on steady progress, I will hone my skills and fitness with early season training races peppered into February and then into the thick of it starting in March.

There are two very important differences when comparing this time last year to today; most importantly, I am already doing workouts that took me half of last year to be able to complete, if I could at all!! Second, this time last year I was close to 10 lbs heavier than I am now and I was about 5 lbs heavier during the racing season than my current weight.  That means I am leaner and stronger than last year.  Already!  As I continue to improve my power output I will also continue to target my planned race weight and losing a final 4-5lbs (Note: Only if my power continues to improve and losing the weight does not interfere with my training!).  Third, last season as a whole was disappointing and difficult.  My early season prep was weak and I struggled with workouts all year, a distracted coach, getting sick any number of times, and two detrimental accidents suffered in races (also why I struggled to stay fit and lean). Accident #1 at the end of April, I broke a rib, and #2 in June, I hit an killed a full grown deer/doe (yes, seriously!), shattered my helmet, and suffered a major concussion which took the rest of the season to recover.  By the time I recovered the road racing season was basically over but I was only ready to take a short break and high dive into 2012.

...This year will be different.