So it is that time. Time to iron out my new season goals for the 2008 – 2009 cyclo-cross season. As most of you know, my goal for this season was to represent Canada at the 2009 World Cyclo-Cross Championships on Feb. 1, 2009.
I set myself a big goal. Perhaps the biggest I could set (apart from wanting to win the World Champs). This is the thing about goals – sometimes they aren’t attainable. I think this is the sign of a worthy goal – one that is hard to reach, one that takes a lot of focus, one that does not come easy.
So now what? What are my goals for the rest of the season? Good questions. It is tempting to take the easy way out and say something like: three top ten finishes in elite women’s races (but I’ve already done this). Lets just say, I don’t know yet. I’ve got some ideas ruminating in my brain. These goals have to be strong. When I’ve had such a massive goal, the subsequent ones have to be just as worthy.
Challenging. Attainable only with continued hard work and dedication. You see, I’m a goal-oriented person. I need to shoot for the moon. I also need a lot on my plate. So this means I need to have goals that force me to stay busy and focused.
I’m still going to Europe! Yay! Leaving Dec. 9. But now instead of doing four World Cups, I’ll most likely only do one World Cup. I’ll have more room in my schedule to pick and choose races (heck, I can even take a weekend off if I want).
I’ll admit, this has been a tough week. I was tired from the racing on the weekend combined with the travel. Then my knee became infected. I’ve just been feeling tired. But today, I’m feeling better. Stoked to get out and spin the legs again. I think I’m missing my goal a bit – it was something I could hang onto – when I didn’t feel like getting out in the cold and pounding out intervals – I had the goal to get me out there. It really helped me.
Now what? Tough to know what to do. I’ll get it sorted though. It just might take me a while to get myself sorted out.
As for upcoming racing, well decided not to go to Delaware and Pennsylvania for the races this weekend. I’m no longer on a UCI points chase (lets face it – 125 UCI points is pretty much impossible for me to get by December – I think I have 7 points right now…). So I’ll be racing in Kingston this weekend – haven’t raced there in a while. Should be fun. I’ll still be hitting up the New England Verge series and the New Jersey USGP races. Then it is on the plane for approximately 18 races in Belgium and Holland (I still haven’t updated the race calendar…).
So this is where I’m at.
Ottawa Cross 
Gotta have a balance.
A little bit of racing.
A little bit of work.
A little bit of promoting things that you love.
A little bit of community work.
The little bits of everything add up to the sum of the whole.
I know plenty of people that have lost everything because they put their eggs all in one basket.
The best approach in life is to spread your time out in a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
Most notably has to be:
http://www.jamiewhitmore.com/
She won countless xterra races. But, got totally sidelined with cancer. To the point of not being able to race. I think they lost everything.
Then Marg Fedyna
http://velonews.com/article/8828
who for a whole year was sidelined with adrenal problems (probably due to over doing it on races – last year I think she did some place around 6 staged races!)
It’s so so easy to loose it all in a flash.
Hence, I try to spread my doings out with a little bit of this and that.
Weight the costs and benefits of each.
If one items gets too costly without the benefits I cut back on it.
Reload.
Refocus.
Put my energy into another basket of goods.
That way the waves are minimal.
Also, keeping in mind goals. No harm in setting high goals.
Just make sure if you don’t attain them that it’s not the end of the world.
Keep on going. Push on.
Life is short make the best of it while here.
In my view, that means a little bit of this and that.
Also to mention,
Anything is attainable.
It depends on will power, determination, and the mindset to do it.
Just making sure that if failure does come, that it doesn’t crush you completely.
Failure is really a learning point.
To success is hopefully attained by learning and doing.
That way, when success is reached (what ever that means to you), it is appreciated. Realizing the struggles, the pain, and sacrifices it took to get there.
Gotta admire someone like Ray Zahab for that.
And, thank goodness he brings some light to some of the problem areas that we should focus on otherwise we’d all be all self consumed in our own little worlds. Shines some light on the places where light doesn’t shine all that often.
Thought I’d just add this, I was just at Jamie Whitemore’s site and found this quote:
“It isn’t easy to realize I won’t ever race as a pro and that I need to reinvent myself. ”
“I am passionate about this sport and want to continue to do what I can to stay a part of it! ”
“I needed a few days to recover from the weekend but I am doing fine! I am now walking a mile in the morning and a mile in the evening. It still isn’t very fast but at least I am doing it!”
its pretty sad what she went though. From a world class athlete to trying to get by day by day.
If you don’t win one. Look at the bright side of it all.
Be sure what you take you give back.
Passion counts as well. Gotta have passion.