Notes from the Coach's Corner on Superweek's Eve

        Summer is in full swing and Luke over at ChicagoBikeRacing.com has put it best: racing is "hot and heavy" from now through August. (It even started heating up at ToAD a few weeks ago.) I strongly recommend Luke's write-up previewing some of the Superweek courses and want to provide a few suggestions about how to physically and mentally approach the next two months of racing. All of the upcoming races are challenging events that many riders have prioritized as "A races". The racing will be aggressive and require your complete attention.
        When racing every weekend—or every day—from now through August, recovery is one of the most important training components. If you aren't physically AND mentally ready for every race you can dig yourself into a hole that each subsequent race will only dig deeper and deeper. It's imperative to listen to your body and do whatever you need to in order to be 100% ready each time you line up to race. Sleep and diet are the two most important factors in achieving the goal of being 100% physically prepared—followed by a proper warm-up and cool-down. 
        Your body will tell you when it's time for bed and you should listen to it. Don't wait until one more show is over, until after you catch up on your internet headlines, do not pass go and wait to collect $200. Just hit the sack. Make use of that couch in the employee break room too. Don't be afraid to treat yourself to a 10- or 20-minute power nap in the afternoon.  
        It's also important to eat when your body says it's time. Stick to your regular meal schedule, but be sure to stay hydrated and have light snacks on hand: whole grains, fruits, a handful of almonds, etc. It's surprising how satisfying the small snacks can be. Your mind might think you need more, but wait 10 or 15 minutes after a snack to see if you're still hungry. Your pre-race diet should also be as consistent as possible, especially if you're racing every day. If you know what works for you then stick to it even if it does get a bit boring. 
        Routine is also important when it comes to your warm-up and cool-down. When racing every day you don't need a long, extended warm-up, but you should still spin the legs out and do a couple of jumps to get your heart rate up. After your race a light spin is important to help reduce the build-up of lactic acid in your legs, and it’s a good time to review the race in your head and think about what you did right and what you can build on.
        Staying "mentally" recovered when constantly racing begins with being prepared before the events. Decide what your goals are for each specific event based on the the race and your training up to it. Set realistic, attainable goals. If you're races are on wide, flat courses and only 35 minutes long you could be setting yourself up for disappointment if you plan to get into a monster breakaway like we see on the Tour every morning— and especially if you've done nothing but sprints every day for the past two months. Set realistic goals, but be sure to challenge yourself too. The ABD Elite team riders pick goals like sprint points, winning a prime, getting the highest possible finish, or making a breakaway. Even the smallest goals can be used to build into something bigger: an overall series result, building fitness for the National Criterium Championship or just making enough money to take your teammates out to dinner!
        Preparing mentally for a race also includes knowing as many concrete details about each event as possible and anticipating the variable ones:

Example of Concrete Details:
- Directions to the race course
- Start Time
- Course description (Google Earth or Google Maps can be a huge help)
- Is your equipment ready?
- Did you pack everything you need? 

Example of Variable Details:
- Weather & Wind direction
- Who will be your competition?
- What are the hard sections of the course?
- How do these different variables affect your race strategy?

If you're comfortable answering those questions ahead of the race then you will be that much more relaxed on the start line.
        Speaking of the start line, I'll close with one other piece of advice— stay in the front. Be prepared to line up a few minutes early if that's what it takes to get up there and stay up there. The next couple of months feature some extremely tight courses and plenty of aggressive racing. If you want to be "in" the race then staying around the the top 20 is crucial. Not only are you able to anticipate what's happening in the race ahead and react to the other riders, but it's physically easier to be up near the front then at the back. If you're in the back half of the field all you can do is react to what is happening 5 to 10 seconds in front of you. You're literally "chasing" the whole time. Up in the front guys are drilling it but also getting a chance to recover before their next big effort. A good goal for your first couple of races out could be to just stay between 10th and 20th all day to watch what's happening in the race in front of you. This way you can learn the courses and learn your competitors so that you'll be that much more prepared for the next round.

Good luck, everybody!
Ebert