As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’ve struggled with training programs that were too detailed and regimented. I seldom actually managed to do the prescribed workouts, so I was in a constant state of catch-up and readjustment.

Once I began targeting specific racing goals, I realized that my training program didn’t have to be so complicated. Last year, since my main goal was a time trial, I made sure to get out on the TT bike once a week for a hard, race-pace workout. If I could only ride once in a particular week, that was the ride I’d do. Beyond that, I took whatever threshold-level intensity I could get on solo and group rides. And beyond that, I rode as often as I could, just for the fun of it.

Since I plan on doing a number of crits and road races before this year’s national championships, I’ll do more short, high-intensity intervals than I did last year. The weekly TT ride will still be a priority, but I won’t adhere to it quite as rigidly as I did last year. When I do race, I’ll try to get in breakaways, which of course are a great way to build threshold power.

After Masters Nats, I’ll shift my focus to mountain bike races. My limiter there has always been endurance, and especially leg cramps. Consequently, I’ll do my best to get out for one long ride per week – either 2+ hours on the mountain bike or 3+ hours on the road bike.

Finally, if I still have the motivation, I’ll go back to short, high-intensity training to prepare for the fall cyclocross season. While a ‘cross race couldn’t be much less like a time trial, both require dedicated, race-specific workouts in order to become competitive.

So, the message here is this: once you’ve set your goals, figure out the workout that will most effectively prepare you for your target event. Do that workout at least once a week, and make it count. Having done that, look for ways to incorporate similar, goal-specific work into two or three other training rides that week. If you’re fortunate to be able to ride more still, make sure it’s the adult equivalent of recess, not extra homework.

In my last post, I summarized my training philosophy in three points: setting meaningful goals, focusing on key workouts, and having fun. In this post, I’ll develop the concept of setting meaningful goals.

I’ve been racing for about 15 years. I’ve done mountain bike races, cyclocross races, road races, criteriums, and time trials. I even did one duathlon just to remind myself how much better riding is than running. That variety is one of great aspects of our sport. It has allowed me to set and achieve a number of meaningful and challenging goals.

We all know that goal-setting is important. What I think gets overlooked, though, is the importance of setting meaningful goals. A meaningful goal is one that, if accomplished, is worth more than the sacrifice required to accomplish it. Too many people have pursued competitive success at the expense of more valuable things like relationships, careers, financial wellbeing, and their health. Don’t let cycling take any of those things away from you.

Here’s an example from my own experience. One of the most challenging goals I’ve ever set for myself was a top performance in the time trial at last year’s Masters National Championships. Before I decided to make it a goal, I calculated the cost of the equipment I would need, the travel expense, and the time investment. More importantly, I discussed the idea with my wife. I ended up taking third and was extremely satisfied with my result. It was well worth the sacrifice. Of course, if I had bought more expensive equipment, trained longer, and spent more time away from my wife, I might have done better. But the satisfaction would have been less. I would have given up more than I’d gotten in return.

Another key to setting meaningful goals is variety. Every time we achieve a goal, we expect to be able to do it again. For some people, the repeated accomplishment of a goal is satisfying every time. For me, though, the goal becomes more of a burden than a challenge, and the accomplishment becomes more of a relief than a reward. That’s why I try to start every season with a fresh set of goals. Some may be repeated from the previous season, but only if I still have the motivation to give them another run. This year, I’ll target Masters Nats again, but I’m adding the Midwest Cycling Series, a top-100 finish at Chequamegon, and possibly the state cyclocross championships. I’m looking forward to a more balanced mix of road and off-road events.

Well, that’s enough said about meaningful goals. My official training program begins next week, so I’ll tackle the subject of key workouts in an upcoming post.

It’s often said that if a person has $500 to spend on getting faster on the bike, that money is best spent not on equipment, but on coaching. A number of my teammates can attest to this.

I’ve worked with two local coaches, both of whom taught me a lot. The actual process of adhering to a predefined training program was a challenge for me, though. Despite my coaches’ flexibility and laid-back approaches, I felt like my training program was too much like a syllabus, with homework assignments, quizzes, and a final exam.

So, here’s what I’ve found works for me: I set meaningful goals, I focus on a two or three key workouts per week, and I just have fun riding my bike. Every once in a while I force myself out for one of those key workouts when I don’t feel like riding, but for the most part, I make sure not to overdraw on my motivation.

I’ll write more on those subjects – meaningful goals, key workouts, and having fun – in future posts. I’ll also expand on motivation and what in particular motivates me this season.

As I do every winter, I’m contemplating my equipment selections for the coming season. I sold almost all my race bikes last year and replaced them with new ones, so those are staying put. It’s wheels I’m thinking about this year.

Last year, I had two primary road wheelsets and one MTB wheelset. My road wheels were both equipped with PowerTap SL hubs. One set had Flashpoint FP60 rims – these were used exclusively on my TT bike. The other set had Sun Venus rims – these were my training and racing wheels. The TT wheels had Michelin Pro Lite tires, while the RR wheels had Continental Grand Prix 4000s. I switched to tubeless Hutchinson Fusion 2s at the end of the season, which proved comfortable and dependable.

My MTB wheels were a set of SUNringle’ Black Flags – a nice, light XC wheelset. I rode them primarily with a Kenda Small Block 8 tire up front and a Maxxis Crossmark out back.

Here’s my tentative plan for 2009:

Training/road races
PowerTap Pro+ rear hub, SUNringle’ City Flea front hub
Sun Venus rims (28 hole)
Wheelsmith AE15 ovalized spokes
Hutchinson Fusion 2 tubeless tires

Criteriums
PowerTap Pro+ rear hub, SUNringle’ City Flea front hub
Sun Vista Cruiser tubular rims (28 hole)
Wheelsmith AE15 ovalized spokes
Continental Competition tubular tires (700×22)

Time Trials (same as last season)
PowerTap SL rear hub (with ANT+ firmware upgrade), SUNringle’ City Flea front hub
Flashpoint FP60 rims (24 hole)
Wheelsmith XL15 spokes
Michelin Pro Lite clincher tires (700×23)

MTB training
SUNringle’ Disc O Flea wheelset
Kenda Small Block 8 front tire, Maxxis Crossmark rear tire (both 26×2.1″)

MTB racing
SUNringle’ Black Flag wheelset
NoTubes “The Crow” tubeless tires