by Chris Maher | Sep 26, 2015
All images ©www.chrismaher.co.uk / CyclingShorts.cc
25 September 2015
2015 BRITISH CYCLING NATIONAL TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY ONE RESULTS ROUND-UP
Results from day one of competition at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester where Laura Trott and Andy Tennant took the individual pursuit titles, Katy Marchant won gold in the women’s sprint, Matt Crampton took gold in the men’s keirin, Sophie Thornhill and Helen Scott (pilot) took the para-cycling time trial BVI title and an inspirational Kadeena Cox won her first national para-cycling time trial title (C1-5).
Day 1 Afternoon Session
Women’s Sprint 200m Flying Lap
Defending Champion Jessica Varnish starts her Sprint Jersey with the second fastest 200m Flying Lap whilst Katy Marchant leads the way with a 11.030. Up-coming Victoria Williamson sets a 11.270 behind former Double World Champion Becky James at 11.294.
The top twelve riders qualify to the next heat.
Katy Marchant Unattached 11.030
Jessica Varnish Team V-Sprint Racing 11.149
Victoria Williamson VC Norwich 11.270
Rebecca James Abergavenny RC 11.294
Rachel James Abergavenny RC 11.585
Sophie Capewell Lichfield City CC 11.616
Anna Newton Unattached 11.877
Eleanor Richardson Edinburgh RC 11.961
Ellie Coster Team USN 12.036
Robyn Stewart Glasgow Sprint TCT 12.143
Lauren Quenby Swinnerton Cycles 12.186
Neah Evans Glasgow Sprint TCT 12.215
Neah Evans takes an impressive first heat against Katy Marchant.
Jessica Varnish takes heat two against Lauren Quenby
Victoria Williamson takes heat three against Robyn Stewart
Ellie Coster takes heat four against Becky James
Rachel James takes heat five against Eleanor Richardson
Anna Newton takes heat six against Sophie Capewell
Katy Marchant re-joins the event the harder way, through the repechage.
Eleanor Richardson also re-joins the event through the repechage heat two.
The biggest upset of the afternoon was defending Sprint Champion Jessica Varnish losing out to Katy Marchant in the quarter finals.
Men’s 4000m Pursuit Qualifying
Andrew Tennant (Team WIGGINS) qualifies quickest in the final heat of the 4000m IP setting a time of 4.23.908, beating Germain Burton 100% ME by almost a second. Team mate Jon Dibben qualifies third with Mathew Gibson fourth.
Andrew Tennant Team WIGGINS 4.23.908
Germain Burton 100% ME 4.24.751
Jon Dibben Team WIGGINS 4.25.754
Matthew Gibbson 100% ME 4.27.728
Oil Wood 100% ME 4.28.241
Mark Stewart 100% ME 4.29.022
Daniel Bigham Beeline Bicycles RT 4.33.382
Chris Latham 100% ME 4.33.819
Jake Kelly 100% ME 4.34.469
Angus Claxton Glasgow Cycle Team 4.35.042
Women’s 300m Pursuit Qualifying
Defending Women’s 3000m IP Champion Katie Archibald (Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Int’l) qualifies quickest in the final heat for Gold play-off in a time of 3.31.327. Laura Trott set the bench mark in the previous heat taking three seconds off Archibald’s Team Mate Ciara Horne, whom had led at that point. Joanna Rowsell Shand will join them for the bronze medal playoff later this evening.
Katie Archibald Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Int’l 3.31.327
Laura Trott Matrix Fitness 3.32.505
Ciara Horne Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Int’l 3.35.579
Jo Rowsell Shand Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Int’l 3.35.941
Elinor Barker Matrix Fitness 3.37.892
Emily Kay Team USN 3.40.736
Dame Sarah Storey Pear Izumi Sports Tours Int’l 3.41.370
Manon Lloyd Team USN 3.43.227
Para Cycling Time Trials
The first podiums of the event were the Mixed Para Cycling C1-5 Standing Start Time Trial Category.
Collecting the Gold Medal and the new National Champion was Kadeena Cox, FC2, Unattached setting a factored time of 1.00.534. It wasn’t what she expected, telling the audience afterwards.
Silver went to Lauren Booth, YBFC4, Carnac-Planet X with a factored time of 1.07.602.
Bronze went to Rik Waddon, MC3, Para-T with a factored time of 1.10.193
C1-5 Finals Result
Gold: Kadeena Cox (Unattached) 40.591 (factored time 1.00.534)
Silver: Lauren Booth (Carnac-Planet X) 41.152 (factored time 1.07.602)
Bronze: Rik Waddon (Para T) 1.15.185 (factored time 1.10.193)
The second podium of the event before breaking for the evening session was the Mixed Para Cycling BVI Standing Start 1000m Time Trial Category.
World Champions Sophie Thornhill and her pilot Helen Scott, both Performance Cycle Coaching collected the Gold Medal to become the new National Champions. Setting a factored time of 1.00.265. Both girls had given it all they had to clinch the title, afterwards they lay on the floor giggling with joy!
Silver Medal went to World Champions Neil Fachie and his pilot Peter Mitchell, both Black Line, setting a factored time of 1.02.631.
Bronze Medal went to Laura Cluxton, Road And Road Cycles and her pilot Lyndsay Carson, Team Thompson Cycles with a factored time of 1.07.710
BVI Mixed 1000m Finals Result
Gold: Sophie Thornhill and Helen Scott (pilot) (Performance Cycle Coaching) 1.08.709 (factored time 1.00.265)
Silver: Neil Fachie and Peter Mitchell (pilot) (Black Line) 1.02.631 (factored time 1.02.631)
Bronze: Laura Cluxton (Road and Road Cycles) and Lyndsey Carson (pilot, Team Thomson Cycles) 1.17.198 (factored time 1.07.710)
Day 1 Evening Session
3000m Women’s IP Finals
In a thrilling Gold play-off, Laura Trott, Matrix accelerated in the dying laps to reclaim the Women’s 3000m Pursuit Title from last years title holder Katie Archibald.
Ciara Horne, Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Int’l rode into the Bronze Medal position against team-mate Joanna Rowsell Shand.
Gold: Laura Trott (Matrix Fitness) 3.32.759
Silver: Katie Archibald (Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International) 3.33.065
Bronze: Ciara Horne (Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International) 3.37.262
Joanna Rowsell Shand
Elinor Barker
Dame Sarah Story
Emily Kay
Manon Lloyd
4000m Men’s IP Finals
Timing his effort to perfection, Andrew Tennant, Team WIGGINS took the Men’s National 4000m Pursuit Title. Leading the race for Gold through most of the session, Germain Burton, 100% ME looked like he was going to pull the title out of the bag, but Tennant showed his experience, kept his nerve, and turned the gas up the closing laps to become the new National Champion.
Gold: Andrew Tennant (Team Wiggins) 4.23.583
Silver: Germain Burton (100% ME) 4.27.209
Bronze: Jonathan Dibben (Team Wiggins) 4.24.906
Matt Gibson
Oli Wood
Mark Stewart
Daniel Bigham
Chris Latham
Men’s Keirin Finals
Matt Crampton, Unattached, takes the 2015 Keirin title.
Matt had sat in the middle of the pack on the approach to the final lap and went around the outside to clinch the title from Oliva and Thomas Rotherham. Jason Kenny took fourth, Matt Rotherham fifth and Jon Mitchell sixth.
The Keirin had got off to a good start for Matt Crampton winning the first heat of the day. He then went on to win the semis too.
A huge crash in the second heat of the first round, saw four riders flying through the air bringing their Championship dreams to an end. Luckily they all got up from the track.
Gold: Matt Crampton (Unattached)
Silver: Lewis Oliva (Team USN)
Bronze: Thomas Rotherham (Sportcity Velo)
Women’s Sprint Finals
Katy Marchant claims her first National Sprint Title. Winning the European Title earlier on this year has build on that success, beating former double World Champion Becky James, Abergavenny RC in both rounds.
Victoria Williamson, VC Norwich beat Eleanor Richardson for the Bronze Medal in two straight sets.
Former National Sprint Champion Jess Varnish, Team V-Sprint Racing won the minor finals for fifth followed by Rachel James, sixth, Sophie Capewell, seventh and Neah Evans, eighth.
Gold: Katy Marchant (Unattached)
Silver: Becky James (Abergavenny RC)
Bronze: Victoria Williamson (VC Norwich)
by Chris Maher | Sep 27, 2014
Image ©www.chrismaher.co.uk
Qualifying
Jessica Lee from Glasgow Rapide TCT set the day three afternoon session underway in the Women’s Sprint Qualifying event with a 12.796 ride. Defending Champion Jessica Varnish, last to set about qualifying, could only manage a third place with a 11.370.
It was Danielle Khan that qualified in first position posting a respectable 11.349 with Victoria Williamson second at 11.358 & Katy Marchant fourth 11.400.
1 Danielle Khan 11.349
2 Victoria Williamson 11.358
3 Jessica Varnish 11.370
4 Katy Marchant 11.400
5 Helen Scott 11.724
6 Lauren Quenby 12.308
7 Hannah Blount 12.439
8 Crystal Lane 12.508
9 Laura Clode 12.655
10 Neah Evans 12.701
11 Jessica Lee 12.796
12 Sophie Black 13.507
Danielle Khan, Victoria Williamson, Jessica Varnish, Katy Marchant, Helen Scott & Lauran Quenby ride through round one of the Women’s Sprint Event.
The Velodrome is lifted with the chorus of children enjoying an afternoon out cheering the riders as they past the home straight.
Khan, Williamson, Varnish & Marchant go through to the semi finals.
The Women’s Individual Pursuit saw World Champion Joanna Rowsell drop into third place for tonight’s finals. Both Katie Archibald & defending champion Laura Trott will go head-to-head for the Gold Medal. Rowsell will ride for Bronze Medal against Elinor Barker.
1 Katie Archibald 3:34.471
2 Laura Trott 3:34.814
3 Joanna Rowsell 3:36.593
4 Elinor Barker 3:37.876
5 Ciara Horne 3:38.196
6 Dani King 3:40.064
7 Dame Sarah Story 3:41.556
8 Anna Turvey 3:44.811
9 Amy Roberts 3:45.919
10 Emily Kay 3:49.306
11 Hayley Simmonds 3:52.269
12 Madeline Moore 3:56.341
13 Niki Kovacs 3:59.243
14 Brit Tate 4:00.363
15 Sophie Lankford 4:04.759
16 Ruth Taylor 4:05.817
17 Jennifer McAndrew 4:07.639
18 Kiera McVitty 4:10.882
19 Jessica Hill 4:12.579
Open 4000m Qualifying (NR: Chris Boardman 4.11.114)
Andrew Tennant secures his Gold Medal ride off against Steven Burke in tonight’s 4000m individual pursuit. Jon Dibben & Mark Christian will ride for the final podium place.
Andy Tennant – ©www.chrismaher.co.uk
1 Andrew Tennant 4:21.468
2 Steven Burke 4:26.503
3 Jonathan Dibben 4:27.102
4 Mark Christian 4:27.421
5 Oliver Wood 4:29.242
6 Mark Stewart 4:29.528
7 Chris Latham 4:30.311
8 Germain Burtain 4:30.689
9 Silas Goldsworthy 4:38.524
10 Alex Minting 4:38.977
11 Harry Tanfield 4:39.851
12 Tom Ward 4:40.589
13 Andrew Stuart 4:41.397
14 Jon Mould 4:41.533
15 Alex Paton 4:42.261
16 Adam Duggleby 4:43.113
17 Scott Burns 4:43.573
18 Alistair Rutherford 4:44.471
19 Kyle Gordon 4:45.310
20 Chris Lawless 4:45.886
21 Nicholas English 4:46.661
22 Edmund Bradbury 4:47295
23 Peter Anderson 4:47.856
24 Gavin Murty 4:50.625
25 Jacob Tipper 4:50.861
26 Jonathan Gildea 4:51.536
27 Jack Green 4:52.106
28 Ashley Martin 4:52.625
29 Alan Thomson 4:53.360
30 Joe Andrews 4:58.398
31 Deacon Cutterham 4:59.361
32 Jaco Van Gass 5:04.102
33 Brendan Drewett 5:11.756
34 Howard Heighton 5:23.162
35 Robert Bishop 5:26.042
Evening Finals
Para-cycling Flying Start 200m Time Trial Medals
2010 Holder: Jon-Allan Butterworth WR 11.105
2011 Holder: Jon-Allan Butterworth WR 10.897 MC5
2012 Holder: Mark Colbourne WR 11.105 MC1
2013 Holder: Crystal Lane
2014 Results:
- Gold – Jaco Van GassMC412.314
- Silver – Lauren Booth FC4 12.485
- Bronze – Matthew Hamilton MC5 12.666
Para-cycling Mixed BVI Flying Start 200m Time Trial Medals
- Gold – Sophie Thornhill & Rachael James
- Silver – Neil Fachie & Peter Mitchell
- Bronze – Laura Cluxton & Louise Haston
Women’s 3000m Pursuit Medals (Non Olympic Event)
2009 Holder: Sarah Storey 3:40.147
2010 Holder: Wendy Hovenaghel 3:31.555
2011 Holder: Joanna Rowsell
2012 Holder: Lucy Garner
2013 Holder: Laura Trott OBE
2014 Results:
- Gold – Katie Archibald
- Silver – Laura Trott
- Bronze – Joanna Rowsell
Steven Burke trailed Andrew Tennant in this mornings qualifying by almost five seconds. Setting off at a blistering place in his ride for Gold against Tennant, at one point had him in his sights for that elusive early catch. Tennant kept his machine-like pace, and by the midway point had turned the table, with Burke now in his sights. Burke’s legs were buckling by this point, so it didn’t take much longer for Andrew Tennant, to catch, and take the Championship Jersey.
Open 4000m Pursuit Medal (Non Olympic Event)
2008 Holder: Steven Burke
2009 Holder: Geraint Thomas 4:18.241
2010 Holder: Peter Kennaugh 4:25.215
2011 Holder: Steven Burke
2012 Holder: Owain Doull
2013 Holder: Ed Clancy MBE
2014 Results:
- Gold – Andrew Tennant
- Silver – Steven Burke
- Bronze – Jonathan Dibben
Women’s Sprint Medals (Olympic Event)
2008 Holder: Victoria Pendleton
2009 Holder: Victoria Pendleton 10.984
2010 Holder: Victoria Pendleton 11.067
2011 Holder: Rebecca James
2012 Holder: Rebecca James
2013 Holder: Jessica Varnish
2014 Results:
- Gold – Jessica Varnish
- Silver – Katy Marchant
- Bronze – Victoria Williamson
Open Keirin Medals (Olympic Event)
2008 Holder: Matt Crampton
2009 Holder: Sir Chris Hoy MBE
2010 Holder: Ross Edgar
2011 Holder: Sir Chris Hoy MBE
2012 Holder: Matt Crampton
2013 Holder: Jason Kenny OBE
2014 Results:
- Gold – Callum Skinner
- Silver – Matt Crampton
- Bronze – Lewis Oliva
Official National Track Championship Website & Live Updates
Results by British Cycling
My photos are regularly updated on https://www.flickr.com/photos/23913935@N07/
by Anna Magrath | Sep 26, 2014
©Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com – The Rigmar Racers’ Callum Skinner wins Gold in the Men’s 1000m Time Trial final.
Results from day two of competition at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester where Jess Varnish successfully defended her 500m time trial title and Callum Skinner became national kilometre time trial champion. There were also gold medals for Jonathan Gildea in the para-cycling pursuit (C1-5 mixed) and Lora Turnham and Corrine Hall (pilot) (Matrix Fitness – Vulpine) in the para-cycling pursuit (BVI mixed).
Women’s 500m Time Trial
Gold: Jessica Varnish (Team V-Sprint Racing) 34.419
Silver: Victoria Williamson (VC Norwich) 34.897
Bronze: Katy Marchant (Unattached) 35.012
Men Kilometre Time Trial
Gold: Callum Skinner (The Rigmar Racers) 1.01.843
Silver: Matthew Crampton (Srint-Team) 1.02.636
Bronze: Matthew Rotherham (Sportcity Velo) 1.03.497
Para-cycling Pursuit
C1-5 Mixed
Gold: Jonathan Gildea (Seamons CC) 4.49.589 (factored time 4.49.589)
Silver: Jaco van Gass (Team Battle Back) 5.05.162 (factored time 5.00.798)
Bronze: Louis Rolfe (Cambridge CC) 4.13.464 (factored time 5.02.433)
BVI Mixed
Gold: Lora Turnham and Corrine Hall (pilot) (Matrix Fitness – Vulpine) 3.39.860 (factored time 4.17.119)
Silver: Rhiannon Henry (Abergavenny RC) and Lauryn Therin (pilot) (Bonito Squadra Corse) 3.49.629 (factored time 4.28.122)
Bronze: Steve Bate and Adam Duggleby (pilot) (Wheelbase MGD) 4.30.313 (factored time 4.30.313)
The championships continue tomorrow and over the weekend. Tickets are still available for a selection of sessions across Friday 26 – Sunday 28 September at www.ticketmaster.co.uk/britishcycling
by Anna Magrath | Sep 25, 2014
©Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com – 24/09/2014 – Wiggle Honda in action (Laura Trott, Dani King, Elinor Barker, Joanna Rowsell) Women’s Team Pursuit qualification.
Results from day one of competition at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester where the Wiggle Honda quartet of Laura Trott, Dani King, Joanna Rowsell and Elinor Barker successfully defended their team pursuit title, the 100% ME team of Germain Burton, Chris Latham, Chris Lawless and Oliver Wood took gold in the men’s team pursuit and there were victories for double para-cycling world champions Sophie Thornhill and Rachel James (pilot) in the para-cycling time trial (BVI mixed) and 13-year-old Lauren Booth in the para-cycling time trial (C1-5 mixed).
Women’s Team Pursuit
Gold: Wiggle Honda (Elinor Barker, Danielle King, Joanna Rowsell and Laura Trott 4.27.324
Silver: Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International (Katie Archibald, Ciara Horne, Dame Sarah Storey and Anna Turvey 4.33.657
Men’s Team Pursuit
Gold: 100% ME (Germain Burton, Christopher Latham, Christopher Lawless, Oliver Wood) 4.09.120
Silver: NFTO (Jonathan Mould, Russell Downing, Samuel Harrison, Adam Blythe) caught in 2.57.483
Bronze: The Rigmar Racers (Alistair Rutherford, Philip Trodden, Finlay Young and Ryan Fenwick 4.38.457
Para-cycling Time Trial
C1-5 Mixed 500m/1000m
Gold: Lauren Booth (Newport Youth Velo CC 40.654 (factored time 1.06.784)
Silver: Jonathan Gildea (Seamons CC) 1.09.835 (factored time 1.09.835)
Bronze: Jaco van Gass (Team Battle Back) 1.13.131 (factored time 1.12.085)
BVI Mixed 1000m
Gold: Sophie Thornhill (Performance Cycle Coaching) and Rachel James (pilot) (Aberygavenny RC) 1.09.804 (factored time 1.01.225)
Silver: Neil Fachie (Performance Cycle Coaching) and Peter Mitchell (pliot) (Performance Cycle Coaching) 1.01.953 (factored time 1.01.953)
Bronze: Laura Cluxton (Rock And Road Cycles) and Louise Haston (pilot) (City of Edinburgh RC) 1.14.032 (factored time 1.04.933)
The championships continue. Tickets are still available for a selection of sessions across Friday 26 – Sunday 28 September at www.ticketmaster.co.uk/britishcycling
Full results:
by Carley Brierley | Feb 26, 2014
Finding Time To Train Image ©Huw Williams
Moving from recreational cyclist to racing cyclist.
Planning time to train.
So, you love riding your bike. You’re definitely getting better at it. You’ve joined a club, you’re enjoying club rides and your fitness is improving. You’ve been chatting to a few Time Triallers and Road racers and think you might like to give it a go. But where do you start?
If you have been looking round on the internet you will have come across reams and reams of conflicting advice and if you have dared to venture onto a cycling forum well you probably ended up with your head spinning from all the differing opinions. People can be very persuasive when they actually believe what they are saying, and, you in turn, believe what they are saying as they are so persuasive. It’s a no win situation, and it will probably have ended up putting you off rather than spurring you on.
The thing is, with training, is what works for one person, won’t necessarily work for another. Some people can happily train for 20 hours a week, work full time, fit in numerous family activities, cook, clean, keep house and still look as fresh as a daisy at the end of it. However, most of us work in some capacity, whether it be at home or at a work place, juggle bike rides, kids, pets and husbands. And spend most of our time looking like death warmed up! (I hope that’s not just me!)
What you need to do is work out exactly how much time you actually have available for training.
It’s no good looking at your schedule and thinking hmm maybe I can get up at 6.30am on a Sunday morning to fit in 2 hours training before the household wakes up. Chances are, if you love your Sunday lie in till 7.30am you just won’t use that time, so you’re automatically down on your training time by 2 hours.
I’m very lucky in that I generally have one day in the week where I can go and do a long ride, while the kids are at school, all other training takes place either when the kids are in bed or on the turbo. So it is doable. Sit down look at your life. Plan the time you realistically have available. If a family member suddenly breaks down in their car and you can’t fit training in, don’t be hard on yourself. Family comes first, it can be disheartening missing training but maybe you can squeeze that training in somewhere else in the week?
You have sat down with pen and paper and worked out that you have 6 hours a week available to train. What you then need to do is factor in an active recovery week. So allow yourself every four weeks a low intensity week, the recovery week can be the most important part of your training and will help keep you motivated.
We then start to formulate a four week plan with week four as recovery. This means that week three will be your 6 hour week. Week two may be slightly less than 6 hours, say 5- 5 ½ hours and then week one will be 4 ½ – 5 hours. So you can see, steadily over the four week period, we are building your training load with your available hours being your maximum available of 6 hours. Active recovery on week four could be anything from 3-4 hours.
When you look at it like this doesn’t training seem a lot easier to fit in your life? When you start to plan like this, your idea of doing a TT, or road racing, seems so much more achievable doesn’t it!
by Heather Bamforth | Nov 18, 2013
No matter what type of sporting discipline you participate in, it is always important to review your season once you have stopped racing.
For those of you who read my beginners’ guide to racing earlier this year, you may remember that I talked about the importance of having goals to aim for during the season (and also beyond), in order to achieve what you want to achieve – it is incredibly difficult to feel satisfied and contented if you don’t know what you want out of the season.
So for those of you who set goals this season, whether those were distance related, time related, or just getting on your bike more, it is important to revisit the aims that you set yourself at the beginning of the season and to compare them to what you did actually achieve.
Original Goals – Realistic or Unattainable?
At the start of the season, you would have had an idea, whether you wrote it down or not, as to what you wanted to achieve. Nobody can tell what the future holds and nobody can tell you that you can’t achieve what you want to achieve, as everybody has to have a dream, but it is important to be true to yourself. This means that you have to be honest with yourself too. For example, there is nothing wrong with wanting to win a Premier Calendar or a National Series event this season, but if you only started racing this season and were a fourth category rider at the start of the season, the likelihood is that you will struggle to get a ride in a National Series event, and if you are a male fourth category rider, then you can’t even enter a Premier Calendar. Don’t get me wrong, being honest with yourself is not easy – everybody wants to feel that they are better than they are, it’s only natural, but you have to have a reality check at some point, if only for your own sanity. Otherwise you will spend your spare time dwelling on the fact that you have failed in your mission, wondering where you went wrong and basically mentally beating yourself up.
Achieving Targets
If you achieved your targets, congratulations! And, if so, the next port of call for you is to ask yourself how you can build on what you have achieved this season, and whether you feel that you pushed yourself in achieving those goals, so that you set some more SMART goals for next season.
Missing Targets Is Not The End of the World
Sometimes life gets in the way. Sometimes you get ill. For the majority of people (and that will include most readers of this article), cycling (or any sport in actual fact) is a hobby that you do in your spare time. It is important that you remember that fact. Cycling is fun, a way of keeping healthy and fit and making friends. Even if you are competing, you still should always remember that you are doing it because you enjoy it, not because your life depends on it. And if you feel that it is the latter, and your whole sense of being in life is dependent on the results you get, then you need to have a word with yourself, my friend, because getting depressed about what you haven’t achieved is not healthy. And if your “team mates” are not supportive enough, you do not have to stay with that team or club. Your mental well-being is paramount – without that basis you cannot prepare yourself mentally for the challenges that life throws at you.
Evaluating the Season
If you haven’t achieved what you thought were reasonable goals, ask yourself why that might be. Maybe you have had a stressful time at work, or a member of your family has been ill, or you just haven’t had the spare time to dedicate to training. Some things are out of our control and as an adult you just have to accept that fact and move on. Instead, look at what you have achieved this season in spite of all the other issues you have had to deal with and take those achievements as a positive. Don’t beat yourself up about not getting the results that you thought you were capable of, but use them as a stepping stone for what you want to achieve next season. Don’t underestimate the British weather either – if you wanted to go under the hour on a 25 mile time trial but every single time you rode an event it was horrendously windy, that is something out of your control, so just deal with it and move on.
In Conclusion
If you have missed some of your targets this season, do yourself a favour and list the goals that you wanted to achieve at the beginning of the season in one column, then in a second column list how you did in reality – you will probably find that you were not too far wide of the target, and if there were things that appear to be out of reach, think about why that might be and how you might be able to change things to achieve those goals next season. If you use a training diary, or an on-line tool such as Garmin Connect or Strava, have a look back at all of that data you will have created and try and evaluate it to see whether you might have done too much leading up to the event where you didn’t hit the target, or you might have not done enough.
In the grand scheme of things, life is incredibly short. This isn’t a dress rehearsal and you have to take the best out of the challenges that life throws at you. Be honest with yourself, think about what you could have done to make things better and then you can start thinking about what you might want to achieve next season!
So until next time, enjoy riding and keep safe!
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