2023 Year in (Cycling) Review | Lessons Learned

I started this blog almost exactly a year ago with just a few simple goals in mind: to share my love of two
wheels, and, with any luck, inspire at least one or two friends to try cycling as a sport (or, if you already ride, trying a new challenge). Writing my experiences down was rather strange at first, but I was quickly humbled by positive feedback. And for those that were kind enough to share their cycling stories with me throughout the year - thank you! I enjoyed every minute of them. 

And with that, another year on the bike has come and gone. This year was a big one for me, with the most miles I've ever ridden (4,579 and counting), my first taste of real competition since I raced as a teenager, as well as my first time following an actual training plan for an extended period of time (despite having ridden for many years and many, many miles). It's hard to call 2023 anything but a success. 

Having already detailed each of my events in separate blog posts, I'm not going to rehash all of the same minutia you've already heard. However, there are a few macro lessons I've learned over the last 12 months that I didn't truly appreciate until I stepped back and reflected on the year as a whole. 

First and foremost: choosing the right training plan. 

Previously I discussed using TrainerRoad for my training needs, and overall I'm very pleased with the service. They have a wide variety of training plans and volumes to choose from, and I absolutely love the AI that's built-in to the service. However, that variety of training plans was the first mistake I made. In retrospect, despite competing in the Gran Fondo National Series, the Gran Fondo training plan was not the right one for me. As counter-intuitive as this may seem, I would have been much better off choosing a plan with more climbing-specific workouts in it. This is not to criticize the Fondo training plan at all - it did a great job of building my overall fitness. However, the routes in the National Series were incredibly hilly, with each route containing long mountain climbs - something my training plan didn't account for. I regret not examining the race routes more closely and matching my training plan to it. I definitely underestimated the difficulty of the climbs, and in retrospect realized a different training plan (such as the "Climbing Road Race") probably would have been a much better fit for me. 

Second: too much volume, too quickly

Generally speaking, I felt great coming out of my first race of the season. (Ill)logically, I rationalized more time on the saddle to improve my results, and mov
ed from 3-4 days/week of structured training to 5-6 days/week. If you didn't already know, structured training (i.e., intervals) puts a lot of more stress on the body than a typical, unstructured ride. This amplified my fatigue (see the third lesson learned) and slowly dug me into a deep hole. I don't think my mistake was necessarily the extra volume...but rather adding the volume in too quickly. I should have been much slower to add the extra time on the saddle and given my body the opportunity to adapt. 

Third: not allowing for adequate recovery.

This one is rather self-explanatory, and something I should have known better than to fall into its trap. Following my first race of the season, in addition to increasing my training volume, I made the mistake of hopping right back on my bike, taking only one day of rest. I didn't realize it at the time, but the combination of more miles and inadequate recovery led me to what I can only describe as being over-trained. This undoubtedly impacted my performance at my second race, which was only weeks ahead of Nationals. One chip fell after another, and although I'm still happy with my overall performance, it could have been much better had I not been so greedy for quick fitness gains. Instead I was tired all the time and feel like I lost more fitness in my last weeks of training than I gained. 

Fourth: properly fueling my rides. 

I mark this one as a "win" -- it took a lot of experimentation to find a fueling strategy that worked well for me, but by the time Nationals came around I had finally figured it out. Every cyclist is different, but now that I've discovered Skratch Lab's Super High Carb powder, I'm never going back. Food tends to sit in my gut, and most aid stations aren't stocked with gut-friendly foods. But this powder is nearly tasteless, easy to digest, and includes electrolytes. I think I need to pair it with an electrolyte supplement to fully meet my needs, as well as keep training my stomach to take a higher hourly carb count. BUT, this is the way to go for me (in combination with gels, of course).

Fifth: more soul rides. 

When I threw myself into training last December ('22), I did so with a singular goal in mind: qualify for, and perform as best possible during the Gran Fondo National Championships. I created a 9 month training plan and left myself little room for much else. 

If you know me, you know that I'm the kind of guy that not only likes a plan, but likes sticking to plans. If I have a list of chores to do and add something extra, it goes on the list just so it can be crossed off.  Seriously. I'm that kind of person. 

That worked great for the first few months, and I saw gains quickly. However, I got so sucked into my training plan that I forgot to have fun. I backed off on Zwift races, and even outdoor riding in general. When a long endurance ride was due on my plan, I found an excuse to shorten it. I didn't realize it at the time, but all of the training (and over-training) was making me myopic, fatigued and low on enthusiasm. After Nationals, I took nearly a month off the bike before I wanted to ride again. It wasn't until I took the time away that the fog in my head began to clear. I've got to remember to keep my training diversified and have a little fun...otherwise, things will get stale quickly. 

In summary...

Once again, 2023 was a success. Did I learn a few lessons? Of course. That's part of life. But I also stuck to my plan, qualified for Nationals, and finished the race. I didn't win, but I never expected to. I also never expected to compete in anything at a National level during my life, so what do I really have to complain about? It was a great year, and I'm looking forward to applying these lessons going into 2024.