Off-Season is Time for Reflection

Taking time to look back on the cycling season is an excellent way to evaluate 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?

Analyzing why things didn’t go as well as you’d thought or why you surpassed your expectations is a brilliant way of focusing your mind on the following season. Zoning in on the positives can help you carry them through to the next season. And trying to rationalize any negatives can also help tackle any shortfalls in your training and performance.

Flick through your training logbook 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 somehow?

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.