Most athletes have realized the impact of COVID-19 at this point. In response to the situation we’re in, I have seen endless ideas of altering training to maximize productivity. In generating new plans and staying busy it’s interesting to consider what is the healthy balance. The balance meaning, what is the mental, physical, and emotional cost of training to athletes? How does what an athlete is doing now influence what they’re able to do when lockdowns start to lift?

Howdy! If there is a term I have been using a lot in talking with our athletes over the past four weeks it is “redirect”. Given the rapid spread of COVID-19 and the compensatory reactions, the landscape of the typical cycling season has changed quite a bit compared to what most of us thought it would look like when we sat down in November to craft our plan for the year. For a few weeks I was changing training on the level of a week at a time, correcting to what the next target was. Well, at the current juncture, it is pretty clear we have moved past that model. A lot of events have been cancelled, and to me as a coach it is clear that the purpose in training right now should not be driven by what specific event an athlete is training for. I have to say, it is a bit of a relief. First and foremost, because the current health situation goes far beyond sport, and certainly beyond the nuts and bolts of how we’re training for a specific event. So it is a relief to see the global reaction to the situation, and the sporting community reaction to the situation.

Racing season is quickly approaching, if not already arrived for many. One of the biggest challenges to get right, in my opinion as a coach, is to find the balance of how much, and what kind of training to do between races. Generally the longer the period of racing, such as 4 weeks with a race every weekend compared to 2 weeks with a race every weekend, the more challenging it becomes.