‘IT'S TIME TO LOOK BACK AND LEARN SOME LESSONS'

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ALEX BALLINGER, 28

So I’ve just finished my final 10-mile time trial of the year with a decent ride, but a slightly disappointing result. Following an abortive start to the season in March and more canceled events than I can count, I’m ready for an off-season to reflect on my six races, one podium, one highspeed crash, and an unlikely ride in the National Championships – now seems a good time to look back on the lessons I learned the hard way this season, from the importance of listening to your body to the best way to prepare for racing.

Rest is best

This year marked a turning point in my riding, as I joined up with a coach for the first time (other huge thanks to George Fox Cycling Solutions for training me up) and I stepped up to race TTs at a much higher level than I’d experienced before. But, of course, that also coincided with riding through a pandemic, trying to stay motivated through lockdown, and the uncertainty of training for events that might never happen.

Next year, I need to make sure I add in some heavy-duty resting to break up the training, give the legs and the mind a chance to recover. Hopefully, things will be slightly less unpredictable in 2021, which will make quality rest much easier to plan. For now, I’ve opted to take a few weeks off training, before I start looking to some winter racing goals in the mud. The best prep for racing... is racing.