"Racing" Frame of Mind

felgesior
Oct 1, 2016
2 min read

With September coming to a close, I can’t help but look back and wonder where the month went. It was a large training month for CXC which made the time fly.

Bounding intervals up Marquette Mountain.

We started off with a medium week which included some intensity. Next, we entered into the first of two hard weeks. During this training block, we logged in times for time trials that we will repeat as we continue into the fall. These time trials included an uphill running time trial, double pole time trial, and seven kilometer skate time trial.

Putting in a hard race effort helped move me into the “racing” frame of mind. While it is important to do time trials to train our bodies it is equally important to work on our mental race. There is so much to be said for the fight that goes on between the 6 inches between our ears. Learning to focus on the moment without thinking further than what is right ahead of you is a skill that takes lots of practice. You must be able to tunnel your thoughts without letting distractions take over.

Another reason why it is great to do time trials during the fall is to ingrain good technique at fast speeds. When the winter comes, we want to rely on our body to do the work. Time trials, are a perfect time to experiment and practice using good technique when giving a hard effort.

During August and September, we typically do a lot of Level 3 or threshold workouts. As we move towards the end of September and into October we increase the amount of intervals at Level 4. Each of these workouts drives my body to stretch its limits as well as inviting my mind to enter into the game.

After two weeks with increased intensity, we took an easy week to give our bodies vital time to recover. Looking forward, we are headed back into another cycle beginning with a medium week and then into two more hard blocks. As you go into your training these next few weeks, I challenge you to focus on your “racing” frame of mind. And enjoy the cool breeze that reminds us that winter is right around the corner!