More CTL
Two different paths to arrive at the same place; compare my PMCs from 2007 and 2008.
2007:
2008:
What you should see here is that in 2008 I did a much better build up. However, I did a lesser job maintaining what I had build through my California trip than I did in 2007, so the drop-off is steeper. In both years I was able to build back up some for Philly week, take a rest after Philly, and then move right into “crit season.” I’ve had much better results this year, even though I’ve been slowly backsliding on CTL, because I’ve been backsliding still from a higher level. If the period in later March and early April had gone better this year, or if I had more room to build up before Philly, I believe I would have had even better form than I have so far this year.
The other important issue is where to go from here. Last year, I started coasting from this point forward, and my CLT slid down until I took my big break in early September, and then ramped back up for ‘cross. This year, I’m doing that whole process an entire month earlier. I’m taking my rest week right now, and will be ramping up the last 3 weeks of August. I will train straight through crit nationals and Binghamton, and expect to have really good form by the time I dial it back in mid-September. That should leave me ready to start coasting off good form going into the last rounds of the USA Crit Series in San Francisco and Las Vegas, as well as the start of the ‘cross season. We’ll see how it pans out.
