Greetings!
Racing and epic riding times are here, and for many it's already been a long season. Are you ready to take a break? Check out the article on working a midseason break into your routine to keep your summer form fresher than ever. We also have mental health specialist Patrick Wilder weighing in on remotivating when an athlete finds that life's realities get in the way of their goals.
As always, we have the Resource and Quote of the month as well as Client Successes. Send your feedback to newsletter@wenzelcoaching.com. Happy Training!
~ Kendra Wenzel, Scott Saifer, and the Staff of Wenzel Coaching |
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Sports Psychology Q & A: Remotivating
by Wenzel Coaching Expert Patrick Wilder
Q. I was on a good pattern of training, eating and resting about a month ago, but work and personal pressures have knocked me off the wagon. It seems I'm on a downward spiral of frustration and depression as I have so much to do even get back to where I was, not to mention where I thought I'd be by now. How do I gain the motivation to get restarted and stick with it?
First I'd suggest reviewing the season goals list and looking at the time needed to accomplish those goals. When you set your season goals did you take into account other areas of your life that draw from your bank of time? I find that for many athletes setting season goals is the easy part. Taking an honest look at the amount of time available to accomplish those goals is the hard part.
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Training Tip of the Month: Use Your Sunscreen
Sunburn is uncomfortable and skin cancer
is nasty and sometimes deadly, but those are not the biggest reasons
for athletes to wear sunscreen. Athletes should use sunscreen because
it makes you faster and helps you win in two ways. 1) Sunburned skin does
not sweat as effectively as healthy skin so getting burned means less
efficient cooling on hot days. Inability to dissipate heat in turn
means reduced performance. 2) Sunburned skin requires cleaning up by
the same bodily systems that take care of wastes and damaged tissue
from exercise so sunburn slows recovery and impairs next-day training
or racing.
Use
a high-SPF (30 or more) sweat-resistant sunscreen every time you train
outdoors in the sunny season. Apply it to all skin that will be exposed
during training. Apply to your legs for instance even if you start out
with tights, if there's any chance you'll be taking the tights off.
Push your short and jersey cuffs up a bit, apply sunscreen and push
them back down. That way if your cuffs creep up during training, you
won't get burned. If your jersey doesn't reach your shorts in back, be
sure to apply sunscreen to that crescent of exposed skin, and get a
longer jersey soon. If you are bald, get some non-eye-burning kids'
sunscreen you can apply to your scalp so you won't get burned though
the slots in your helmet and also won't be blinded by run-off.
The best sunscreens
will last all day if you don't wash or rub them off. If you are not
sure, it won't hurt to reapply. Use your sunscreen daily. It will help
you go faster and might also save your life. |
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Quote of the Month
"You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself,
your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is
real joy."
~Arthur Ashe, Winner of Three Grand Slam Tennis Titles
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Resource of the Month: CyclingDirt
 If you love MTB riding and racing then Cycling Dirt is just for you. You can find coverage of U.S. and International races, interviews with riders and well as a full schedule of events. Also, check out "the wire" where you can find rider bios and blogs.
Read More>>>
The websites found in the "Resource of the Month" are in no way associated with Wenzel Coaching and we are not responsible for any information they contain.
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Client Successes
Wenzel Coaching clients took and amazing 20 first place finishes and 37 top three spots in the last month
John Wilson takes 1st at the Bear Springs Trap MTB XC Race Cat 2 Men 45-54 and takes 1st at the Ice Breaker Criterium and Silverton RR, Men 50+
Christine Slater takes 1st at the SRP Tuesday Night
Circuit Race and takes 1st in the series, Open Women
Coach Jenni Gaertner takes 1st overall at the Wenatchee
Omnium Stage Race, Cat 1/2 Women
Keaton Crook takes 1st at the Corsa Brutale Tuesday
Night Twilight Race, Men A
Colby Wait-Molyneux takes 1st at the Estacata TT #3, Junior Men 15-18 and takes 3rd in stage 2 and 2nd in stage 3 of the Deschutes River Valley TT Festival, Cat 4/5 Men
Sue Butler takes 1st at the OBRA State Championship MTB XC, at the Cascade Chain Breaker MTB and at the Bear Springs Trap Short Track and XC, Pro Women and takes 1st at Silverton RR, Cat 1/2 Women
Cara Bussell takes 1st at the Vance Creek RR, Cat 3 Women and 2nd at the Green Valley TT, Cat 1/2/3 Women
Tim Butler takes 1st at the OBRA State Championship MTB XC, and at Bear Springs Trap Short Track MTB and 2nd at the Cascade Chain Breaker MTB, Cat 1 Men
35-44 and takes 1st at the Silverton RR, Master Men 35+
Trevor O'Neal takes 1st at the PIR Tuesday Nighter April 28 race, Cat 4/5 Men and takes 2nd at the OBRA State Championship MTB XC, Cat 2 Men
David Thorton takes 1st at the Presque Isle Cycling Club Spring Training Series #3 and #4 and takes 1st overall, Men B
Doug Pielet takes 1st at the Donaldson TT, Men 40-49
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Featured Article: Am I Ready for a Mid-Season Break?
It can happen either gradually or suddenly: you start to lose motivation, the intervals are more of a chore than usual or you don't feel like going to the local race. These are all signs that the first peak in your season is winding down and a midseason break may be in order. Planning in advance for a midseason break can mean heading into the second half of your season feeling recharged and fresh and potentially avoiding these symptoms entirely.
The optimal timing your midseason break will depend on how long you have been racing this year, your current form and how long you have until your next important event. A break can be timed for you to be ready to go again for a particular race (start 10 weeks before new event for best results) or you can wait until you start to lose power or pep. If you take your break while still strong, the break can be shorter; if you wait to be really tired, you'll need more rest before starting training.
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More Client Successes
Kari Studley takes 2nd at the Longbranch Road Race, Cat 1/2 Women
John Zunino takes 2nd at the Wente Vinyards Road Race, Cat 4 Men 55+
Mac
Carey takes 2nd at the Sea Otter Road and Circuit race, Open Men 55+
and 3rd at the Wente Road Race and Criterium, Cat 1/2/3 Men 55+
Bill Shattuck takes 3rd at the Sterling Road Race, Men 35+
Gene Harding takes 3rd in stages 2 and 3 and 3rd overall at the
Georges Cycles BODE Time Trial Stage Race, Men 35-45
Bill Shattuck takes 3rd at the Sterling Road Race, Men 35+
Alissa Maglaty takes 3rd at the Wente Classic Criterium, Cat 4 Women and takes 1st in the Miss and Out and 3rd overall at
the Get Ready for Summer Omnium, Cat 3/4 Women
Coach Ron Castia
wins the KOM at the Wente Road Race, Cat 1/2/3 Men 35+
Lorie Holte achieves target weight after five months training
Michael Parker wins a prime at the Wente Criterium,
Cat 4 Master Men 35+
Missing your results?
We do our best to publish all the results we receive, but if we don't know what you did, we can't tell the world about it. Did you have recent results that we didn't publish already? If so, please send them to newsletter@WenzelCoaching.com. We publish top-3 in any event, completion of endurance events, top-5 in national events, any substantial goal reached (weight lost, training pace increased, personal best for a course...) |
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Join Wenzel Coaching at the Mt Hood Cycling Classic and Tour de Hood ride
 There are only 10 more days to register for the Tour de Hood recreational ride June 6-7, 2009 in the Mt Hood and Columbia River Gorge area. Wenzel Coaching sponsors the ride this year, and Wenzel coaches will guide the ride. You know you're tough enough for 'de Hood!
Wenzel Coaching also sponsors the Mt Hood Cycling Classic Stage Race run over the same spectacular courses as the Tour de Hood. | |
