Evaluate Your Cycling Season with 5 Simple Questions

What Were Your Greatest Strengths During the Season?

Think in terms of the six key physiological abilities: aerobic endurance, muscular endurance, lactate threshold, aerobic capacity, anaerobic capacity and neuromuscular power. What was your strongest ability during the season? Which abilities allowed you to accomplish your goals?

For example, if your goal was to finish on the podium at the state criterium championships and you were successful, anaerobic capacity and neuromuscular power were strengths. If your goal was to finish your first century ride and you made it, aerobic endurance was a definite strength. If you set a personal best in a 40K time trial, lactate threshold and functional threshold power were strengths.

More: The Basics of Lactate Threshold Interval Training

What Were Your Most Significant Weaknesses During the Season?

Conversely, of the key physiological abilities, where were you weakest?

For example, if you failed in an attempt to set a personal best in a century, you probably need to improve your aerobic endurance and boost your lactate threshold. If you wanted to perform well in time trials and fell short of your expectations, you may need to improve your functional threshold power. If you were expecting greater results in criteriums, you may need to improve your anaerobic capacity and neuromuscular power. If you were disappointed with your results in stage races, you may need to improve your ability to recover after hard efforts.

The most important aspect of this question is to be honest about your performance and what you need to do to improve.

More: 5 Ways to Increase Power on the Bike

How Do You Feel About Your Performance?

Simply stated, are you excited about how the season went? Do you feel good about your performance or are you feeling some disappointment?

This is a very important consideration because many athletes get discouraged about their performance if they fail to achieve their goals. This can have a negative impact on your preparation for the upcoming season.

No matter what your results are, always try to keep things in perspective. Use these questions as a learning tool to identify the steps you must take to achieve your goals next season.

More: 4 Ways to Refresh Your Cycling Season

Active logoReady to ride? Search for a cycling event.
PREV
  • 2
  • of
  • 2

About the Author

Tyrone Holmes

Tyrone A. Holmes, Ed.D, CPT, is a certified personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise and a Level 2 cycling coach through USA Cycling. He provides Cycle-Max Coaching for cyclists and multisport athletes who want to improve their performance on the bike and Healthy Life Coaching for individuals who want to lose weight and develop healthier lifestyles. His latest book is Developing Training Plans for Cyclists and Triathletes. Visit his website at www.holmesfitness.com and his Fitness Corner blog at www.doctorholmes.wordpress.com.

Discuss This Article