PERFORMANCE TIPS VOL 5
TLDR: Do harder events and big training blocks—while having the patience to know that THE PAYOFF MAY BE DOWN THE ROAD.
This post is for bike racers and focuses on an exchange with an athlete who is starting to race at the Pro/1 National level; even if this isn't YOUR level, these lessons are applicable as you move from Cat 4 to Cat 3, or even from Total Brand New Newbie to more experienced Novice Racer.
Always be leveling up in fitness, mental strength, and RACE CRAFT.
Lessons from Bigger Events
Racing at the national level can be a humbling experience. Local domination and consistent regional podiums can quickly turn into 50th place when everyone is so close in fitness, skill, tactics, and bigger teams!
One of my athletes came upon this roadblock (read: stepping stone) and I want to share the reflections because he dropped some gems that are worth sharing with our entire community.
Positioning Matters
While not racing poorly in terms of position, let's call him Fabrizio since Italy is on my mind, recognized that being further up in the field – consistently in the top 15-20 wheels – would have made a significant difference. When you're further back, those surges in the washing machine hit you harder. Fabrizio estimated that while they were hitting 800-1000 watts out of corners and on this little popper, riders at the front might only be pushing 500-600 watts. That differential compounds lap after lap.
If you aren’t moving up, you are moving backwards.
Watch the best riders and you'll notice they almost never leave the top 15 wheels. This isn't a coincidence – it's a strategy. That tiny bit of extra draft you get from being further back usually costs you more in watts needed out of corners and bigger gaps to close. Remember: POSITIONING OVER POWER.
Mental Toughness at New Depths
Having dominated local and regional races, Fabrizio is now experiencing a new level of racing. "Unlike all of last year and the early season races, I'm being taken to my limit," he wrote. "I've got to be mentally stronger and focus during the sufferfest. If I had been better at this, I could have finished this race."
My response: The mental strength piece you identified is huge. There will be moments when you're on the rivet, and that's precisely when you need to tell yourself, "NOW IS WHEN WE HAVE TO FOCUS." When the brain gets tired, average athletes become content with surviving. That's exactly when the killers make their move. Remember this fundamental truth: when you start feeling tired, someone WILL MAKE A MOVE.
The Relentless Pursuit of Fitness
There's a beautiful honesty in the statement: "I just need more fitness. Tbh I don't know what that is: Higher threshold, higher VO2?.. if I can bump the fitness up, even just a few %, I wouldn't be on the limit so hard or so often."
Fabrizio's recognition that small improvements can make massive differences shows athletic maturity, even though he is really only in his third year of serious training, eighth year of riding.
I wrote back: Your assessment of needing more fitness is exactly right, and as you said – it will come. You're racing against riders who have been competing in Europe or ripping the domestic scene for 5-10 years, while you've been training seriously for about 2.5 full years. Yes, your riding from 2018-2022 built a foundation, but there's a quantum difference in what you're doing now. Greater aerobic capacity is needed – a bigger FTP. In my view, VO2max and threshold are intimately connected; they represent your AEROBIC FITNESS, and that will continue to be a growth focus for our training.
Training Through Racing
Fabrizio questioned whether their "Monday banger" ride and Tuesday night racing might have left them too fatigued for the weekend's competition. Yet there was no regret: "That was fun af and I'll remember that ride. Maybe that ride will pay off more in the long run?"
What struck me most was their perspective: "I'm not too disappointed with the weekend. My expectations for these national races are a little more realistic now. I'm not writing this year off, but it's clear that it's going to take another 1-3 years before I'm animating these races. I'm looking forward to the journey and my motivation is solid."
This is the mindset of an athlete who will succeed.
My reply: Monday and Tuesday were indeed demanding, especially coming before weekend racing. Perhaps I should have emphasized this more clearly – the fitness gains and lessons from those sessions were just as valuable as getting a top 20 at the crits. Those were B-priority events that we're training through. The knowledge gained from the races is still immensely valuable even if there's nothing on Road Results to cheer about.
The Path Forward
This was a GREAT WEEKEND. The key now is to keep focusing on the PROCESS. The results WILL COME. This is where many athletes stumble – they upgrade and upgrade, and when they aren't immediately winning national-level races, they become discouraged and lose their way.
Stay in LOVE with riding, with training, with getting better. WE ARE JUST GETTING STARTED.
And remember, to animate those races – not just get a great result, but be one of the riders shaping the race – might take 2-3 years. Animating means being among the best out there, and while we're not there YET, we're on the path.
Keep banging!