First Half Season Review

JUNE 1, 2012
SAN DIEGO, CA 

     I've been enjoying a few weeks off the bike and finally had time to reflect upon my season so far. These transition weeks really help your body recover both physically and mentally from all the hard training done in the past 5 months. They also give you time away from the bike to re-evaluate yourself... for better or for worse.

The bike is getting ready to be back in action!

     It's easy to say that the first half of my season didn't live up to expectations. My goals for the first half were to finish the KOM Challenge and place in the top 50 overall for the L'etape du California. If you just simply look at my results, I didn't come close to completing those goals. I only finished 2 out of the 3 stages in the KOM Challenge and I didn't even finish in the L'etape.

     However, that isn't the whole story. A business trip forced me to miss Breathless and not complete the KOM challenge and a minor heat stroke during the L'etape made me skip the final ascent to Mt. Baldy. So in actuality, I didn't fall short of my goals due to a lack of form or mental toughness. These were forces that I could not control and I just have to accept the results. I acknowledge that I didn't complete my goals. Nothing can change that. But how many times have we seen a favorite in a major race pull out due to an illness. One would not criticize that rider's form or conditioning based on that specific performance, and one would look to future performances to determine their opinion.

     This is why the second half of my season is so important. I need to make a statement in these upcoming races to prove that my previous performances weren't a reflection of my quality as a rider. I need to prove to myself and to others that I am capable of quality performances and that my previous failures were nothing more than bad luck. There are only two major races for me in the months to come: the Tour de Big Bear and the Mt. Diablo Challenge. And specifically, my goal for the second half is to finish the Mt. Diablo Challenge in under 1 hour. The pressure is on, but my eyes are locked onto the road in front of me.

Giddy-up!