For some reason the weather last week was spectacular. Very atypical for March. I opened my season with a race just south of Albany, NY. The temps were in the 60s and the sky was crystal clear. The beautiful weather no doubt caused many riders to dust off the carbon wheels a few weeks early.
My goal for this race was to “sit in” and get used to riding in a peloton again. I knew it would might be hard just to hang, but I was pleasantly surprised. The pace was fast but not insane. The accelerations out of the corners were the biggest challenge, especially due to the large field and the yo-yoing that happens at the back. I was glad that I added a lot of these short, hard accelerations into my training rides in February and March.
The race was a good confirmation that my training was on track at this point in the year. Racing can be a lot different then typical group rides, even if they are fast. Where you are positioned in the peloton can really affect how much effort is required. At this point, the best training for racing is…racing.
The weather this week is back to normal – rainy, windy, and cold. It is a good week to dial it back a little. The base period is over. Next week I will begin the build phase with a little trip down south. Hopefully the weather will be better.