“Meteorological fall” began yesterday and will continue until November 30. And it’s “meteorological fall” in quotation marks because it’s not actual fall, which will begin on September 22 and continue until December 21. I’m trying to convince myself that summer isn’t over yet, but I’m failing. Yesterday and today were noticeably cooler than average for this time of year. A warmup on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday will get us back to where we should be … briefly. By Saturday we could see overnight lows in the 30s and an afternoon high of only 50-something. If you have a morning start time at Englewood, site of the first event of Wisconsin’s 2024 cyclocross season, then you might be racing with 40° wind chill. Yes, really: on September 7, a summer day. And it’s summer not in quotation marks because it’s actual summer, and I’m not sure there’s anything Wisconsin hates more.
I will not be at Englewood next Saturday or Sunday, though I enjoyed racing there last year. This year’s races are not part of the Wisconsin Cycling Association series; Englewood is its own independent event. As an independent event, Englewood’s registration fees are much higher than those of a WCA race. That’s a big turnoff for me. Other people must think so too: the pre-registration numbers don’t look good. A lot could happen between now and late Thursday night when the pre-reg window closes, but I think many amateurs are balking at $50 per race.
My Saturday is probably going to include a long hike on the Ice Age Trail. I don’t want to break out the thermal cycling clothes this early! I’m not chasing every last mile anymore. I have abandoned the goal of 100,000 lifetime miles before the end of 2025. To get there I would need about 6,000 miles next season. I have hit 6,000 only once in 20 seasons and I won’t get close to it this year. There’s no good reason to expect a return to that kind of volume, and my objectives are changing.
Two weeks from today I will be back in Pennsylvania. I expect to stay there until October 11. I also expect that the weather will be consistently warmer there. So, I’m hoping for more cycling miles than I would get here, plus a couple of cyclocross races, plus a significant amount of walking/hiking. Pennsylvania trips never have truly worked out as training camps for me, but I will keep trying. I want to return to Wisconsin with improved fitness and a desire to challenge for WCA cyclocross podiums in my age group.
I get a lot of fitness from riding a lot of miles, but I always seem to hit my head on the same ceiling. That’s not genetics; I am coming nowhere near my potential. Greater attention to detail in my cycling workouts would yield greater results, but I have struggled for years to commit. It’s not fun. There’s a reason so many people burn out after turning to that kind of training. I recognize that I need something new and I want it to be a more well-rounded approach to fitness, not a cycling-only plan. Currently, I am making a conscious effort to increase my walking mileage. When my Pennsylvania trip is over I will begin a new strength training program in the home gym. Cyclocross is the focus at the moment but cyclocross will last only as long as I can tolerate the cold. When that season ends—and especially if that season ends early—I will need some new objectives that have nothing to do with the bike.
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