Competitive mindset.

So last I tallied about dreams and targets in sport. But another things is how to achieve them. This post is not about the training plan or specific training about it. I'm talking about the philosophy behind my thoughts about how to attain the form. My thoughts are from my head, movies, books etc.

I believe that in cycling, and more specificly in my disciplines, one always gets the results that one deserves. Right? You race as you train; if you back up in training when it hurts, you are likely to do that in racing as well. So if you give your 100% in training and prep, you will end up the result that you deserve. Same thing is that, if you give your 50% in training and prep, you'll end up with what you deserve, although the results may not be satisfactory.

I, personally, try to do things before race 'perfectly' so that on a race day I can just enjoy, ride the hell out of me and bag the result. I can only do that if I've got the feeling that everything is done for the performance. By this I mean that I'm in control of myself – I control the controllables and forget about the uncontrollables. The things that I can't control don't matter so why bother thinking about them. I'm still working on it, but I think that it is starting to work.

A track cycling legend, Chris Boardman, has said: 'Develop a fascination with the journey rather than the destination – or focus on being better rather than being the best. It means you never fail, only have opportunities to improve.' And I can only agree. It is the journey that brings me the happiness more often in many ways. Improving, taking steps, going towards the dreams keeps the motivation up. I think this has been a vital thing for me on my training.

On the last bit, we are in centre field of a velodrome on the way to the starting block. By that time the only thing that matters is that moment. Living in the moment and loving the hard battle - once I always attain that, it will be great. Some people call that flow. Then, only then, I can ride my perfect rides:

-Where are you?
-Here.
-What time is it?
-Now.
-What are you?
-This moment.

My favourite quote from Peaceful Warrior, I strongly recommend that movie to everyone.

P.S. This was just an overview. I could go more into setting mind correctly. Just drop a comment or question... :)

Chasing my sporting dreams

I've had some very enlighting discussions with my friends and family about life as an athlete and I thank you for that. I've also faced confrontations by some people about my choice, but that's just opinions from people that don't know the real me. Everyone though, have their own opinion and are right to stand behind them. It isn't always easy to tell people that what I'm doing and why, because to large majority this may not make any sense or sounds like loads of bull.

As it is apparent in this blog; in my life the thing is sport, and then sport and probably sport. It might sound obsessive or selfish, but it really is not. It has been the love of my life since I was like two feet tall kid and it is the real me. These things I'm about to write – I've learned slowly during the years and the main difference is from for example the skiing years, is that when I was younger I thought that I understand what sport means and is to me – but now I know that I understand.

Yes, I dream of becoming a hero in my sport, which through years has changed from basketball to alpineskiing and from floorball to now cycling. But becoming an absolute hero though, is not the absolute. Nor is winning medals or beating opponents. Still, don't get me wrong. I would lie saying that I don't want to win medals or be the best, because I want. I dream of winning medals and dreams keep one awake and alive. But ultimately I'm after my very own pure and perfect performance, the moment when I give my all and reach my best performance ever. The thing is that it may be so that the day I reach my optimum, my perfect ride in a world championship race or whatever it may be – I may not win or even medal, because there may always be someone faster. Whether, it brings me the rainbow stripes or medals – it just isn't all up to me. But by making my best performance ever is all up to me and it can bring the glory. I train, I prepare, I just try to let all the trash in my head go and concentrate on the moment, on the performance, there and then.

Still, the lifestyle I've opted for ain't an easy one. I've had to let go on certain things and it is not easy to tell friends time after time that I ain't coming out, because I'm training. Some people understand it and some don't, which not in my control. It has distraced friendships and personal relations, it bothers me but I can't say that I regret it. At the end of the day, there is only one cycling career for me and it is now, only now.

I train and compete to live my dreams. My childhood dreams are there to be achieved. The dream is to be an exceptional athlete and happy, maybe even to ultimately win medals. I don't want to feel after my career, that I left something undone or I didn't go all the way – that would be bothering and I wouldn't be happy.

That is why I do, what I do. And most importantly, what I do – makes me happy and is what I love the most.

'A warrior does not give up what he loves, he finds the love in what he does'

And how I'm gonna achieve what I'm after? That is another story, more about that later on.

Sun shines in Wales...

...which, to be honest, I wouldn't have bet on. Anyways, I arrived back here yesterday night after driving through Iberian Peninsula from Villamartin to Bilbao to catch a ferry. For our luck the ferry was run as scheduled this time and we werent forced to drive through the whole France.

That being said we still had to drive from Portsmouth to here. We knew that it would take roughly 2,5hrs and had a plan to pick up some Chinese take-away on the way home. It was the plan, but we missed the Chinese by two minutes, as the ferry was a tad late and our position was somewhere underwater. Still, I gotta admit that it was a minor setback in comparison to what we faced on the way down to Spain. Hot dogs weren't too bad option afterall.

Back to sunny Wales then. My recovery from Spain seems to be spot on and our OTA-file (Over Training Avoidance) is almost as green as the lawn at Stamford Bridge. We had planned for a 2,5hrs ride to get back on the bike as soon as possible, and the ride was mega cool, also literally. Changing from +20s to +5 at the end wasn't that big deal as I expected or my new winter kit is a proper one. I had good time on the road, despite that I got ridiculously muddy just before I was home. Farming season has apparently began?

After this, so called, recovery week, it is time to pick up the intensity for the first time this season. I'm not sure if I'm very curious to start the phase, as it bloody hurts at the beginning. But once you get goin', they're alright. Saying that, it is about time to start building the power as the first test is in sort of five weeks time.

And yet, today I'm not gonna miss the opening restaurant and take-away times. Whether it will be Chinese or Indian, that I'm not quite sure about yet...

Almost over and out in Spain.

Just another cruise interval.

Tired, empty, exhausted – there are many words to describe my feelings at the moment. My trainin camp here has been almost perfect if not perfect. So far no single rain drop, almost no cloudy skies and tough going. Now that we are leaving for Newport on Wednesday after 25ish days I can admit that the time here has been productive, no doubt about it.

Now though, it is time to reflect a bit backwards. Since the first ride on 18^th December I have now gone through 31 structured training sessions and two more to go from steady paced rides to gym and from mountains to time trial. Some days have naturally been better than others, but ain't that just normal? Surprinsingly I've had only one or two bad days, and luckily one of them was on rest day. Happy days.

It all seems to come pretty well together and after a recovery week I expect supercompensation to occur to boost my training in Newport. At least I think that even during the training camp my form took steps forward – whilst I squatted my bests at gym, I still managed to climb somehow. Not to say that I've become more of a climber, not at all – I just happened to get up the hills by riding rather than walkin' with my bike. ;) I just know my limits better now, and on Monte Alto it was all too apparent. Luckily for me, there are no significant uphill struggles on velodrome and I'm quite confident that I can reach the upper banking easier than before...

Everyone isn't born with ability to climb.

The post analysis also tell their own story, and they're encouraging I reckon. Altho, I've only based my training here on heart rate zones and the wattages have only been checked afterwards. Still they've been fairly ok, which can be seen from this pic, que?

Srm file.

Anyway I'd like to quote Tanja Poutiainen this time to sum up the training camp:

'Tästä on hyvä lähteä.'

'It is good to continue from here.'

And yeah, I had opportunity for a bit different riding aswell, sorry to all for not having helmet on...