It has been a long time since my last diary. Apologies. So, what has gone on in the last couple of months? Quite a bit! We closed out the season in the Tour of Missouri. After a couple of lackluster performances earlier in the year I really wanted to do well in Missouri. I figured a change of attitude, a different perspective, and a change in training was required.
So off came the heart rate monitor, the power meter, and the speedometer. Yep, I was going old school! Like the good old days, I was running on feeling instead of watts, heart rate and distance. I did what I thought was necessary. I think it worked.
As much as I love technology and use it for training and racing, it’s a breath of fresh air to get rid of it all and go to back to basics. I did a ton of motor pacing sessions. Then came the time trial work. I spent hours and hours in that god awful, neck-straining position. Like most things you work for, it was worth it in the end.
I didn’t light the world on fire in Missouri, but I am content with the final outcome and the areas in which I improved.
My season was done after Missouri. It was time to forget about the bike and allow myself time to mentally and physically recover from the year. Unfortunately, this lasted all of a week and a half.
I moved from California to Colorado and a few days later I was back on the plane. Destination: Las Vegas! Now, let me make something clear. I love all of our sponsors and I enjoy meeting up with them. I also love all the people that stop by our booths for an autograph or to say hi. I enjoy catching up with old friends. However, I am not a huge fan of Las Vegas.
It could be the desert air, but more likely it is the fact that we are at the show for the entire day and then go out at night. I am so exhausted after only two days of Interbike! I know the people in the industry do a whole week and I am amazed by their stamina. I am exhausted by the mere mention of bikes after a couple of days in Vegas. Bike talk, bike parts, bikes in general and the bike show. Bike overload! Hence the hiatus from riding and all things bike related.
The off-season is coming to an end and I am excited to get back at it. New diary, new drive, new plans, etc. I have been evaluating the past year before starting fresh for 2010.
I think about what went wrong during the year, what went right, how I can improve and how I can achieve my goals and the goals of my team. The key to this is having great sponsors, a great team, and great resources around you.
One of these resources is new to me. It’s a full bike set up and check of the positions I have been riding in and tweaking for the last ten years or so. I scanned the systems out there and stumbled across www.retul.com. I’m not a big endorser of companies or products, but I think I have to do that here. These guys are awesome and they provide amazing data.
They made some little changes, tried to straighten me up, and tried to help get a few more seconds, or watts out here and there. I highly recommend this system to anyone! Mention my name and this story and your bike fit will be free! Well, probably not to be honest.... And I’m sure they will kill me for saying that. Any advertising is good advertising, right?? Hmmm.
I’m going to do my best to do another diary in the coming weeks. Things learnt during the 2009 season:
Hard work does pay off.
A change of scenery might just re-energize you.
Motor pacing can hurt… A LOT!
Start from a clean slate.
Get yourself set up and fix the injuries.
Lastly, go take a long,hard look at yourself and be critical. It can only be a good thing!
Follow the adventures of our Australian as he hits out from his Southern California base to the biggest races in the US.
Rory Sutherland is back on the North American circuit and better than ever with UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis . Riding alongside teammates like Chris Baldwin, Karl Menzies and Tim Johnson, Sutherland will work to bring the team to the top of the heap in the Americas.
