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Bit of a thought experiment this morning - What are the things I've learned throughout my *short cycling career - I do realise that this might only be read by very few people (my mom). But if it does show up on the right timeline, it might help someone. Albeit a only a little bit
#2 Don't fall into the weight loss trap, and don't get caught up in fad diets. As a young rider, your focus should be on growth! Eat a lot of everything. Trust me, you won't get fat. It will only enhance your perfromance later on.
#3 Learn how to be tactically astute. Learn how to get into a break, get into position for a climb or a sprint while using as little energy as possible, and learn how to ride in crosswinds, no matter hoe small you might be.
#4 Carrying on from my previous point. WATTS IS NOT EVERYTHING (Although it does help). Every second Fred and his mate at continental level can do 6w/kg for 20min these days. Without being tactically astute, you won't win races.
#5 Stop always riding "kind of hard" in training. Save the torture for the actual hard days and keep the easy days easy. I can almost gaurentee you will see significant improvement in perfromance.
#6 Build muscle. No, I don't mean doing planks once a week. Lift weights (*with good posture), build muscle, bone density and an overall strong body. Most cyclists these days are far too fragile. Sitting on a bike the whole day is only enforcing that fragility.
#7 Enjoy it while your at it. As I said before, most careers end very abruptly, and sooner than expected. Appreciate every opportunity to travel, take pictures wherever you go and make lots of friends. Don't make it strictly business all the time!
#8 Finally, get the right people in your corner. I've been incredibly fortunate with the people I've had around me throughout the years (you know who you are). Having the right people around you is like having a tailwind that helps you along throughout your career.
Just to be clear, before I get called a hypocrite. I have made practically every mistake I mentioned in abundance. Perhaps I would still be racing today had I learnt from them sooner. Do I have regrets? Not even the faintest!
#1 Either get an education, or start preparing for life after cycling asap. Your career as a cyclist might end very abruptly, and a lot sooner than you might expect. With labour market conditions as they are, your life as an athlete will do very little to prepare you.
