48 Days until Battenkill

Well, here it is, Sunday and seven weeks before the Tour of the Battenkill. The Tour of the Battenkill is a 64 mile road race that features dirt and gravel with plenty of climbing as well. It is a difficult ride and I recommend this race to anyone who wants to find out just how tough they are on a bike. This will be my first full season of competitive road racing but I am looking to do very well there in my first race of the season. I will be Cat 5 for this race and then will move to Cat 4 right away. I have been training hard for not just the Battenkill, but a few other events I have circled to race during the year. Most of the road races I have chosen have a significant amount of climbing involved. The weather has not cooperated much here in the Northeast for me to do much in the way of hill climbing outside on actual hills. The good news is that nobody else from the Northeast is outside on the hills either! If it comes down to who is training harder and/or smarter, I like my chances. I have been following a program that I wrote for myself after riding the non-competitive version of Battenkill last fall. There are some climbs approaching 20% gradient and a few of those are on dirt. That means no standing and powering up the hill. You have to stay in the saddle and just work at a steady pace. There are a few tricky corners as well, so I will have to get out on the road and practice being sharp on the corners when the weather improves. For now though, I am only concerned with strength and power. Looking forward to using the fitness I have gained over the last few months. It is very important to have goals while training over the winter and the Battenkill has been a great motivator for me. Pick a race that you would like to do well in and get training now. Focus on your weaknesses and your strengths will improve too. Train hard and you will be successful. Good luck.