After an amazingly refreshing vacation, Meg and I are officially back on the bike and aiming towards collegiate road season.  One of the hardest things about a long cycling season is preventing the inevitable burnout.  Week after week of cold coffee, dodgy hotels, and endless driving takes its toll.

Of course, it’s not all bad.  There are adrenaline and emotion packed moments, friendly conversations, and the chance to see old friends scattered around the Atlantic coast to look forward to as well.  However, for both Meg and me, the challenge is figuring out how to be fresh and on top form for collegiate road nationals in Utah.  After 10 weeks of racing.

I’ve given this a lot of thought over the past few months.  One of my favorite aspects of endurance sports is the ever-present opportunity to do better.  No matter how good or bad last year was, each season is an opportunity to reinvent one’s self.  This season, for me, I’ve pigeon-holed three issues I hope will deliver me the perfect season.

1) Stop Skipping the Long Rides

The weeks become shockingly brief during race season.  After a weekend of racing, you have Monday devoted to rest and recovery and Friday devoted to easy preparation and openers.  That leaves 3 days to cram in some meaningful training, not to mention having work and a life on the side.

It's a Long Road to Glory

For me, the first thing on the chopping block is my endurance workout.  After a weekend of long, hard races it seems so daunting.  The result is a gradual chipping away at my muscular endurance.  By the end of the season, a long road race feels like an eternity and a good finish a distant and untenable desire.

My first goal for this season is to make sure I make time for my long workouts.  This semester I, mercifully, have Wednesdays free.  I’m hoping this contributes to an uptick in motivation.

To increase my accountability, I’ll be tracking some of my in-season rides on Strava.  You can follow me there @EricFischer and heckle me for being slow.  If you see me skimping on the long ride, you have my permission to slap me across the face.

2) Control My Diet In-Season

Everyone knows the feeling… For a week or so after a long, hard race, you feel entitled to eat whatever you want.  ”I did a 90-mile road race last Sunday.  Dessert would be lovely.”

Dear Ice Cream - I Wish I Could Quit You

Well, not this season.

Food is fuel and a solid off-season diet cannot be sacrificed, especially since this season begins a full 10 weeks before my goal races.

To help accomplish this, I told Megan.  We live together now and she’s not afraid to judge me.  Girls are scary.

3) Being Disciplined at Work

Race recovery inevitably means exhaustion, which inevitably means procrastination, which inevitably means late nights – you can see where I’m going with this.

Trying to Add Another One of These to the Refrigerator

I like to take things as they come, “roll with the punches,” as they say, but this cycle can become self-destructive.  This spring, my goal is to be cognizant of my work load and to budget my time accordingly.  While fitting training, racing, working, and spending time at home with my lovely ladyfriend seems like a lot, it can be managed effectively.

So this is it – Eric’s Plan For Greatness.  Check back in May and I’ll let you know how it turned out.

What are your fitness goals for the coming year?

How are you planning on balancing those goals with a happy and healthy home and work life?

• Have energy to run and play
• Grow strong muscles
• Build strong bones
• Feed their brains to stay sharp

“Who likes to eat vegetables?”  Most of the room raises their hand.

“Who can can help me name some foods that are fruits? vegetables? grains? protein? dairy?”  The kids don’t miss a beat.  They throw out answers as if we’ve been practicing all day.  I even get corrected by a student who reminds me that tomatoes are technically a fruit since they have seeds.

We walk through all the components of MyPlate 

• 1/4 Fruits – bananas, berries, oranges, apples, pineapple, grapes
• 1/4 Vegetables – peppers, spinach, carrots, onions, squash
• 1/4 Protein – beans, shrimp, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, tofu
• 1/4 Grains – preferably whole grains, bread, cereal, rice, pasta, couscous, quinoa
• 1 serving of low-fat dairy – milk, cheese, yogurt

They pass with flying MyPlate colors.  It’s time to step up my game.  I mention that MyPlate doesn’t always have to look so nice and neat.  What if we took each MyPlate group and mixed them all together? In one bowl we mix together:

• 2 cups canned drained diced tomatoes (Fruit/Vegetable)
• 1/2 cup diced red onion (Vegetable)
• 1 cup coarsely chopped mandarin orange segments (Fruit)
• 1.5 cup cooked whole-wheat couscous (Grain)
• 1 can black beans (Protein)
• 1/2 cup low-fat cheddar cheese (Dairy)

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

We all know to drink lots of fluid all day long, everyday. But when your core temperature is just as hot as it is outside, then we want to first cool ourselves down before embarking on our runs.

The trick? Popsicles! Popsicles are a great way to cool down your body temp and help prevent over heating when the sun is beaming down. Make your own by freezing some fruit with a little Gatorade mix in some ice cubes trays. Pop one in your mouth while you’re getting ready for your run and during your stretch.