Thank you to everyone who came out and enjoyed the laps at the 24 hour course on Saturday evening. I very much appreciate and want to thank all of the coaches who made it happen and all of the riders who stuck around for the 2 laps. I know it was cold out there, but that was the real training. The 24 Hour has always presented wonderful challenges to all of us and it makes us who we are, when we battle back.
TRAINING PLAN
As we move ahead with our season, please know that my training plan is very well thought through, and peer reviewed, and is predicated on your particiaption. What I mean to say is that the plan works if you show up with regularity. If your attendance is shotty then so is your training and thus you might not be able to reach the goals you have set out. I say this to encourage everyone to come as much as they can, and to commit to their teammates and the work ahead. Follow through, commitment, trust are all cornerstone values of Youth Development and believing in your ability and your teammates is how we all grow.
This is the second week of our block as we approach and prepare for Valley or the 24. So this week will be a bit harder than last week. We will try to do a bit more than last week so that our bodies are forced to adapt to a new training stress load and thus get stronger.
Tuesday— Road Bike Interval work. VO2 fun. Please come prepared for these by being hydrated and well fueled.
Last week we did our first round of intervals in some time. We talked about them being emotional and even spiritual as they force you to confront yourself.
We also talked about how to support and love each other through the work and how it helps us come together. I had these amazing young women stop at the end of their first set and put their hands on each others hearts. This was a for them to udnerstand and applaud the work their teammates had done, but also for them to understand that we are in this together. That shared understanding of each other is another mechanism for us to learn to trust each other.
Wednesday— Super chill recovery ride to help the legs recover from the beautiful work you did the day before.
Thursday— MTB Play day on the trails. This is a trail ride, focusing on flow and fun.
Friday— I will be at the race course in Phoenix. I will be leaving town at 1pm to get everything set up for the weekend.
Next Race Opportunity
MBAA Mountain Bike race in Phoenix at Estrella Park on January 22nd or 23rd
All information for that can be found here: https://mbaa.net/racing/estrella-hedgehog-hustle/
There is an appropriate skill level and distance for everyone on the team, so please consult with me if you are unsure.
If you ride one of the shoot outs then you will race on Saturday.
If you do not then you race on Sunday.
If you race on Saturday, then we need to leave Tucson at 1pm to have a chance to pre-ride.
If you race on Sunday, then you will need to leave town at 11am on Saturday.
Please email me if you want to go and I will sign you up.
If you had a meeting with me then you know if you were invited to this opporunity.
The email is a critical step in learning to clearly communicate. I would like for the youth to send the email by no later than Tuesday January 18th.
I do need a driver for the team van that departs on Saturday at 11am.
Saturday– MBAA Race #2 at Estrella Park, Phoenix.
Sunday– MBAA Race #3 at Estrella Park, Phoenix.
Beautiful faces of joy after the first race in Phoenix.
Two very important races where we need quite a bit of volunteer help are the:
24 Hour Mountain Bike Race.
This race is February 18th, 19th and 20th.
We will need support and help from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon.
This might be the most fun race of the year, and also the most exhausting.
It takes place just outside of Oracle, Arizona and is a dry camping event. Which means ther are no showers or water available on site. All information can be found here: https://epicrides.com/events/24-hours-in-the-old-pueblo/event-guide/
We will have a team meeting about this ( TBD ) where we will present all of the volunteer opportunities. We will absolutely need wonderful help, by the parents of the riders participating.
Parents please consult with your rider in regards to their potential particpation.
Tucson Bicycle Classic Road Bike Race
This is another three day race. March 4th, 5th and 6th.
Parents and riders please be aware that you must race all three days if you register. You may find all the rules in the link below.
On Friday March 4th riders will need to miss a full day of school to be able to participate. If they are unable to do so, then they cannot race on Saturday and Sunday. So please plan accordingly.
This is one of the races that I would like to have 100% participation at.
For over 10 years we have been a beneficiary of the race, and because of this wonderful relationship, we have done our best to provide as many volunteers as possible during the races.
As a volunteer you can choose from many different positions, such as corner marshal– you ensure that traffic is not entering the race course, follow vehicle– you follow the racers and help them if need be, registration help, and other such opportunities.
All information can be found here: https://tucsonbicycleclassic.com/
