I was recently asked by a few athletes I coach to share more about my training and approach to the Lifetime Grand Prix series coming up this year. As one of the many women in the Grand Prix who has a job outside of racing bikes, it's undoubtedly a mishmash of fitting rides in between calls or finding those quiet weekends to load up on some volume whenever possible.

Training for the Grand Prix isn’t always exciting or interesting. But, I'm going to do my best over the next 11 months (oh jeez, this is going to be a long season!) to try and show a little of what it's all about, at least for me. So, here we go...

I took most of this summer off training after Unbound. I put all my attention and energy into Unbound XL throughout the spring and was so pumped (and relieved!) to come away with the win there. But I'd put off some work and needed to refocus some energy on my career throughout a busy summer, so it was nice to dial things back for a while. And that was a good choice because as we hit September and October, I was finally ready to dive back in and commit to something big in 2024. And that's when the panic FOMO last-minute decision to apply for the Grand Prix came in.

Getting into the Grand Prix was great. And it was also a reality check of where I was with fitness. There were maaaaaybe a few too many spritzes and not enough bike riding this summer to feel super confident. Thankfully, starting the build-back process in October shoooould give me plenty of time to get back on top of things. But that's the tricky part: the Grand Prix is a stupidly long season that starts in April and ends in October, and trying to be focused and strong that whole time just isn’t possible, at least not for this old lady.

I paid the price of that long season back in 2022, where I stayed consistently strong throughout the Grand Prix but didn't peak at any one race. It was a good tactic for how I wanted to compete in the series, but it definitely broke my soul by the end of the year. So, starting to train even earlier this year was probably not the answer for success at Chequamegon or Big Sugar next year.

So, how to build some fitness without fully committing yet? That's where cyclocross came into the picture. Yes, that silly bike race that has barriers, stairs, and plenty of mud (we all know I have an affinity for mud). While these races only last 45 minutes a piece, a far cry from the 26-hour race I did this summer, they harness something a little different, a little special; they are totally and completely about FUN.

At least for me. At least this year. Cyclocross was all about FUN. Sure, several years ago when cross was the focus of my racing, these double weekends were stressful and oh-so difficult. Chasing UCI points around the country with multiple bikes and spare wheels and basically my entire garage's worth of gear- that was less fun. But this year, I just raced the local scene, trying to find some speed and fitness and committing to only “one bike cyclocross” – no pit crew, no spare wheels, no extra bike. Just cross your fingers and hope for a clean race. And, it was a blast!

It was fun to see the fitness come back week by week and race some old courses that I loved so much back in my cross era. So, that's been the fall training so far. Go ride mountain bikes during the weekdays. Take an easy day on Friday and then race on Saturday. I've been getting my butt kicked by the stellar local junior racers, but I guess that's just something I'm going to have to get used to, even in the Grand Prix, where some of these young riders could be my kids...OK, maybe we're not there quite yet, but we're getting awfully close.

Anyhow, long blog short....right now, this off-season is all about finding the fun, the joy, the type of riding that feels like play. It’s about keeping things interesting, working on skills, and just mixing it up with friends. There’s plenty of time for training coming up. I’ve promised myself I’ll actually do some workouts this year. The days of surviving the Grand Prix on a few Big Dumb Rides and chasing friends around have likely passed. But that doesn't mean things are going to get dull, they can't, or I won't make it to October. So, it's time to get creative and figure out the right balance of riding, training, and doing stupid things on the bike.

But for now, let’s just play some bikes and get a little muddy while we’re at it.
Until next time, enjoy the off-season.
- KP