Taking time out to look back on the cycling season is an excellent way of evaluating your performance, goals and expectations.
Talk through how the season went with your coach or a cycling friend. What were your goals at the start of the season? Did you achieve your goals? Or did you fall short? What aspects of your performance or training regime went better than you had expected? But what bits could have gone better?
Analysing why things didn’t go as well as you’d thought or why you surpassed your own expectations is a brilliant way of focusing your mind on the following season. Zoning in on the positives can help you to carry them through to next season. And trying to rationalise any negatives can also help to tackle any shortfalls in your training and performance.
Flick through your training log book or diary. Examine how you prepared for a particular cycling race. Did you peak at the right time? Could you have over-trained or maybe you left your training short in some way?
You will probably find that the more you reflect on the previous season, the more you will start thinking positive thoughts about the season to come.
I had too many different goals for 2011. In 2012 I will focus on two or maybe three events.
It’s always good to reflect on what happened and why. I like to question team mates at this time of year over how they thought my training went as well as regarding my mental conditions as they can often be more objective
train less but harder and more specific