The Season Ended
These are just my thoughts about the season’s end. I’m sure there are many other things to do and think about as well.
The first thing to decide is if the season was a positive thing in your life. Was it fun? Enjoyable? Did you make friends? Did it have a positive impact on your physical and mental health? On the other hand! Were there negatives? Did your relationships/social life suffer? Did it bring you bad feelings for any reason (maybe not the results you wanted)? Sometimes cycling can make you a little obsessive. Are you counting calories, are you unhealthy and thin, and does that make you feel miserable all the time? I’ve been there. Zoom out for a second. Was this past season something you want to continue next year? If so, heck yes. If not, can it be? How?
What were your goals and did you reach them? What went right and what went wrong? What obstacles or setbacks did you experience and how did you handle them? How well did you handle them? Maybe a work trip came up and you didn’t exercise at all because you didn’t have a bike. What types of cross training can you learn in this off-season to have in your toolbox to keep it moving on next year’s work trips? Having trouble with tactics? Watch a bunch of race videos while Zwifting this winter. Having trouble with quality sleep? Get a sleep tracker and start to change your habits one by one to see how it helps your sleep quality. Basically, you want to reflect to be able to continue what went right and improve upon what did not for next season.
After you decide if you want to continue next season, how you’ll make it an even more positive experience, and what you will keep the same/what you will change, it’s time to decide next year’s goal/s. Goals can be anything and are unlimited. Some people think about winning a certain race or getting a certain number on their power meter. Other common goals are to finish a certain race or go after a local Strava segment. What about making friends, volunteering your time, being a mentor, being a part of a team and working together, becoming more mentally resilient after a result you’re not happy with, or learning how to fix a flat? Goals can be anything!
At this point you know there will be a next season. It’s going to be even better than this past one. You have a goal. Now it’s time to work on the process. How are you going to best prepare yourself and how are you going to put yourself in a position to succeed?
Use this time of year to pause for a moment and think.
Let me know what you figure out.
