End-of-Season Reflection
At the end of every year I like to take a couple of days to review the last year of training and reflect on how everything went. I think that everyone can benefit from this process, whether you consider yourself a competitive or casual athlete. If you feel like you have stagnated or are frustrated with your training or race performance over the last couple of years, then this is the place to start. There is really no wrong way to do this. I like to start with some questions as prompts and journal about them, many of which are taken from Carrie Jackson’s excellent book On Top of Your Game, which has a chapter all about post race and mid/end of season reflections. Here are a few to help you get started:
What are some of my accomplishments from this season? What went well?
What were my biggest challenges?
What workouts or races did I enjoy the most this year? The least?
What are my strengths that I should double down on? What are my weaknesses or areas that I should improve?
In what ways did I hold myself back or hinder my progress?
What would I have done differently?
What is the most important thing for me to work on right now?
What am I looking forward to next season?
Am I better than I was this time last year?
Here is my 2025 reflection. Remember, it doesn’t have to be as long or as involved as mine. Any sort of deliberate reflection on the past will serve you well in 2026.
2025 Race/Event Calendar:
Natchaug Epic (Explorer catagory) - March 23 https://www.strava.com/activities/13967407348
Pavement ends gravel race - April 12 https://www.strava.com/activities/14157984119
Battenkill - May 10 https://www.strava.com/activities/14436544544
Mine Hill gravel challenge - May 25 https://www.strava.com/activities/14591127364
Guilford gravel grinder - July 6 https://www.strava.com/activities/15027376450
Greylock Hill Climb TT - September 6 https://www.strava.com/activities/15717262970
Peacham fall fondo (not a race) - September 27 https://www.strava.com/activities/15956994111
Lime Rock Epic - October 12 https://www.strava.com/activities/16120108339
Top Results:
1st Natchaug Explorer - Timed segment gravel fondo, 4 segments in the 3-8 minute range.
2nd Battenkill Mid Fondo - Winner went solo early. Made my attack from the front group on a steep dirt climb at mile 12. Broke away with one other person and worked together the rest of the race, then sprinted for second place.
2nd Mine Hill Gravel Challenge 26 miler - Worked my way up to lead group on lap two and attacked on a climb with 2 miles to go. Caught and passed in sharp turns in the final meters at the finish.
7th Lime Rock Park Explorer - Timed segment gravel fondo, 4 segments in the 5-15 minute range.
Strengths:
Top end power, long sprints, anaerobic efforts
Rolling hills and steep/punchy climbs in the 30s-3m range
Repeatability and durability (ability to repeat similar power after 2-4 hours of riding)
Strength (which influences all of the above)
Timed segment style races, with hard, all out efforts spread throughout a longer ride
Course with mix of paved/dirt roads that aren’t super technical (Battenkill)
Weaknesses:
Races with a lot of steep/long (8+ minute) climbs with extended time riding at or above threshold (Guilford Gravel Grinder)
Bike handling (fast downhills/cornering, technical off road/mud/snow)
Aerodynamics
Riding in high heat/humidity
Races that best suited my strengths and abilities this year:
Natchaug Epic, Battenkill, Mine Hill Gravel
Races where I struggled the most:
Pavement Ends (snow/bike handling) and Gravel, Guildford Gravel (hills, heat)
Total Miles - 5,663 (in progress, up 1,000+)
Total Hours - 366 hours (in progress, up 70+)
Total Elevation - 252,170ft (up 107,528ft)
*The biggest reason for these increases are from breaking my wrist in 2024 (~3 weeks no riding), along with consistently getting in a long endurance ride on the weekends and greater tolerance for riding the trainer indoors.
Things that went well/I improved from last year:
Staying healthy all year (no sickness or injuries) which led to consistent training week after week. Fewer peaks and valleys in my training. Aside from the spring when I was busiest opening my gym I usually got in 7-10 hours/3-5 rides a week on the bike, plus 1-2 hours a week in the gym. I think I have just gotten better at listening to my body and establishing a good rhythm with my training. Sure the strength work has helped too. Plus I didn’t crash or break my wrist like last year, and not breaking bones is good for consistency.
Fatigue resistance/durability, the ability to produce high power efforts after several hours of riding/racing, not just when fresh. This was most apparent in segment races. Probably just the result of riding more/longer, as well as the gym work (which along with anaerobic capacity is actually probably where I see the benefits of the gym the most).
Less aches/soreness during longer rides. In previous years I occasionally experienced low back or knee pain, especially during long rides or in the second half of longer/harder races. I don’t really recall ever experiencing either of these issues during any rides or races this year.
Better fueling. I have done a MUCH better job with my furling pre and intra long rides, workouts, and races, which has led to better performances during key sessions and quicker recovery after hard workouts and races.
Anaerobic capacity (efforts 90s and less). I thought I was going hard on these, but I found a way to dig deeper this year.. These are violent and require maximum aggression. There were times I legitimately thought I was going to break my bike and rip the crank or handlebars off. This is definitely my biggest strength as a cyclist. It’s something that I think comes naturally to me but is aided by the gym work. I’m not the most explosive person (don’t ask me to jump) but after a few seconds I can really wind it up and grind out a hard 30-60s on a moderate to steep grade. Took several Strava KOMs and got on many leaderboards for segments that even a year ago seemed way out of reach.
More long rides. Especially during the late summer and fall, consistently getting in a longer ride once a week (for me is 3+ hours) most weeks. Sometimes followed by a second long or moderately long ride the following day. By the end of the fall a 3 hour ride seemed “normal,” and I managed to get in some 4+ hour rides as well. I have slowly been increasing the duration of my long rides on the trainer as well. 2.5+ hours is still kind of a drag by the end but manageable. I am hoping this will help my transition to some longer distance races this year.
Things to change/improve for next year:
Taking a mid season break. I should have taken a bit of time off after Mine Hill Gravel (end of May) before building up for Guildford Gravel Grinder. I did a lot of intensity on the bike to make up for the reduction in riding volume while I was working on the gym in the spring. I think this worked well for the time, but combining that with all the racing in the spring resulted in me coming into G3 overcooked. Like last year, most of my priority races in 2026 are in the first third of the year, which means I will be doing some of my hardest training in the late winter and early spring. This year I will take at least a week or two off/easy at the end of May to reset from all the racing and intensity so I can come into the summer and fall races in a better place mentally and physically.
Focused training blocks to address weaknesses (threshold/sustained VO2) and less anaerobic smashing/KOM hunting. I am an anaerobic rider, so I naturally gravitate to that stuff because I am good at it. In reality I probably only need a small dose of it to benefit. I definitely went overboard and did it too often throughout the year and at the wrong times. I will try to devote more time to TTE and threshold work and longer sustained VO2s (4-6m), which needs more work than my sprint and top end power. I am planning to start working on this in the winter, alternating between 3-4 week blocks of threshold and VO2 work (2 key workouts a week) with easier endurance weeks in between.
Somewhat related, I think I could benefit from some long rides that include 1-2 hours of constant pressure on the pedals at tempo to threshold. I am usually very structured with my rides and intervals, which is fine. But the races I do tend to have a lot of time spent in this middle zone between tempo and threshold, and it’s pretty hard to handle 2+ hours of that if you haven’t had some exposures to it in training. I guess some group rides could fit the bill for this too, but the ones in the area don’t usually work with my schedule.
Descending. Bike handling in general, but there were countless times in a race where I would pass someone going up a hill, only to be left in their dust on the way down. This is of course incredibly frustrating. Getting better at this would pay huge dividends in races where a lot of time and energy can be lost due to lack of skill or confidence during long descents. I don’t think I need to do anything too crazy with my training, but I will make a point to be more intentional with the downhills on my training rides. Not being reckless or unsafe, but trying different lines and positions to explore the limits of what my bike/tires can handle.
Improve weight/body composition. For most of 2025 I was a few pounds heavier compared to previous years. Some of this is from prioritizing strength in the gym and building some muscle as a result, which is fine. Some of it was water weight from creatine (which I used for about 6 months of the year). But some of it was just fat from eating too much of the wrong things at the wrong time, and that didn’t do me any favors on the bike, especially during events like Guildford Gravel Grinder and the Greylock TT. However, there is a delicate balance between power and weight when riding, and weighing less is not always better. I have made some tweaks to my diet the last couple of months, and I have actually noticed a difference in my appearance and on the scale, but I want to be careful I don’t swing too far in the other direction. Ideally I think I would be between 165 and 170lbs, which is about where I am now, but at a better body composition.
More/better quality sleep. I actually think I did ok with this compared to years past, but it is always an area where there is room for improvement, both in terms of the quality and duration. There is nothing fancy here, just trying to get to bed at a reasonable hour, no food/screens close to bed, and sleeping in a little when I can. I track how much time I set aside for sleep each night, and then at the end of the week I add up the hours. This year was mostly in the upper 40s, but next year I want to see some 50+ hour weeks and average 7+ hours a night.
Tentative calendar for 2026 (* = confirmed):
*Natchaug Epic (Endeavor category, 68 miles) - March 29
Pavement Ends Gravel (32 or 40 mile) - April 18
*Battenkill (full fondo/62 miles) - May 9
Mine Hill Gravel (39 miles) - May 24
Guilford Gravel Grinder (40 miles) - July?
Mainely Gravel (58 miles) - August 8
Mount Greylock Hill Climb - September?
Peacham Fall Fondo (45 miles, not a race) - September?
Lime Rock Epic (70 miles) - October?
Summary:
Overall, I am very happy with how this year went, and can safely say I am a better athlete than I was last year. I learned a lot about the type of rider I am and where my strengths are, and for the first time was able to be competitive in some shorter races. It felt great to be at the front with the leaders and take some chances by making moves and attacks at different points of the race. This year I am planning to participate in a lot of the same races, but move up to the longer race distances. I realize this means my results will probably take a step backwards this year, but I think it is the right thing to do for my development and long term racing goals. I am not planning to try to “peak” for any particular race this year, but I will attempt to come into each fairly fresh and ready to leave it all out there. I hope to come into Battenkill with some of my best fitness for the year, and hope the stars align on that day (though realistically I know I am still a ways from being competitive in a race like this). Improving my body composition, bike handling, and power/TTE at threshold, are my “big rocks” for 2026, along with consistently getting in a weekly/bi weekly long endurance ride. But the number one goal is to have another consistent year of training like 2025, stringing together weeks and months of uninterrupted training.