Im getting on my trainer today for at least 3 hours if anyone wants to come by and keep me company I have rollers and a few awsume cycling movies to watch Im not loosing any fitness over this!!!

@ Nossen

You know I'm a huge fan of "The Nossneator" but I think it's unrealistic to expect to upgrade from 4 to 3 in one season unless you are a prodigy. We are incredibly lucky to have Mike, Joe & John on the team but it is important to put their accomplishments in perspective.

Remember Mike could have been a pro triathlete and Joe was a nationally ranked swimmer. John as we know hails from New Zealand where children who FTP under 4.5 watts/kg are sent to "the wheel" for remedial training.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVI9MULtv8g

Joking aside, it's important to set realistic goals; not just for the individual but for the team that is expected to support them.

i don't know about you Jules but I'm going for my cat2 upgrade after Fitchburg.
this is an introductory season for me, I'm honestly getting more and more thirsty for the sport as the season goes on.
Pedaling efficiency is something I constantly think about, and adjusting my position on the bike accordingly. I'm learning greatly about my body and how it reacts to what the mind directs it to do, in a race just as in training. Also, learning how to read a race isn't easy but i'm getting better at that too.
main goals: getting in a break in the park or out of town and making it stick for the longest possible time and getting paid out of town are my two main racing goals. I don't have precise target races just like I don't have a precise training plan. target weight for the season also: 140, don't judge me.

Serious: Top 5 in my "A" races: Pawling, Hilltowns, and Catskills;
Serious: Win Catskills TT;
Fun: Sub 7:20 lap in Prospect Park;
Fun: Sub 5:00 min Alpine;
Teammate Assistance: judge Alyosha fairly;
Teammate Assistance: cheer Jules to his 1-hr record (add hand-sling as needed);
General Racing: Stop dominating the middle of the pack in my races so that others can enjoy it;

I don't care if it sounds far fetch I could do it before I went down I was siting in the pack with no difcultys at all and in the thursday night race's I was able to brake away but know one would follow. when I come back Im going to be a lot stronger!!! this is my race and its going to happen for me this year I don't care what anyone says no disrespect But I want this more than anything in this world and I'm not letting anyone or any thing stand in my way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last year I competed in a few of the NJ Route 29 35 KM TT(T) in Frenchtown NJ.

It is a nice (mostly flat) out and back course and the drive there is easy and mostly fast highways.

Unfortunately the organizer reports that the road is in bad shape and they have cancelled each race so far this year. The race scheduled for later this month has already been cancelled (https://www.bikereg.com/Net/15687) but one listed for June is still listed.

Overall, it does not looking promising. Too bad too, as this would be a good way to get back into racing right now with only a small risk or re-injuring my shoulder before it is fully healed.

The race series website has not been updated recently, but here it is:

http://www.pabikeracing.com/

Amen Spielberg, amen.

No major goals for me this season, will probably stick with Floyd and try to hang with Vlad in the 123's once im good to go

cat 3 upgrades on both the track and road. not far off on the road, and not before winning a pile of medals at track states.
place top 3/leaders jersey at rockleigh
break 1400 watts
take part in an oh so PRO looking train for the win. whether I"m the caboose, the middle or the engine, as long as it disheartens all the other teams.

Lose 27lbs
Ride 10-12 hours per week
Ride to bear mountain and back

Originally, my main goal was to win a 123 race this year. Check.

I'd like to amass enough points for a cat 2 upgrade, but that isn't necessarily important to me, I'd just like to race consistently enough to be able to do it. 9/25 down.

Real goals:

Make sure Eric wins at least one race on memorial day weekend. be a good teammate. improve crit handling / pack navigation skills.

Do well at Giro del Cielo, especially in time trial. Work for whichever kissena can win it overall.

Pawling - make sure a kissena wins the cat 3 state championships. Get over the hills easy enough to be a factor in the race.

Continue to race aggressively and with improved smarts in Prospect Park and Central Park races.

August - on the road with the bike. race a few crits in Chicago etc. Have fun.

Cross Season - WIn at least 1 MAC b race. Race for the overall B series.

arghhh, I have such a bad taste in my mouth re goal setting (from a horrible corporate execution of it a few years ago) - but here we go:

Don't burnout myself - quantifiable by getting at least two weekend races a month + one non racing weekend a month (last year I was mia for 6 to 7 weeks of racing June into July, I was mental toast)
Race Battenkill and improve - got that one!
Maintain current weight in 148 to 153 range

Ride my bike to Old Saybrook CT (where I am getting married next year) - got that one!
Enter some races on the track

Finish some CAT 5 park races with the pack
Train 4 or more days a weeks towards the goal above
increase V02 max (possibly do some LT testing so I have good metrics to start with)
Be in a good enough place in my races to enter CAT 5 at Tour of Catskills (and not risk immediate time cut)
Ride in D2R2

Upgrade to a road 4 at the end of the season

Begin fall cross season strong & hungry
Race 10+ cross races, however be more "picky" don't jump into every Saturday + Sunday double if my schedule doesn't allow enough sleep Friday night (for comparison, in 2011 I hit 17 or 18 cross races )
Finish cross races mid pack (not lapped)
Finish cross races top 20% (big one)

My goals:
To get on the saddle after 6 miserable weeks!

Goals:

Drop my weight to 160 (I'm at 170 and have been that way for about a year now)....
Improve my finishing time at Battenkill by 45 minutes (almost - shortened it by 25 minutes...)
Help keep Lt. Dan in the L&C green jersey by being an active and helpful part of the lead outs (so far so good after week 1, but still room to improve there...and make it consistent)...and.....
Have enough left after the second prime to be active at the front of the pack later to help the end-of-race sprinters (Christian, etc..) get podiums (i was toast after the 2nd sprint last time)
show up in PP every morning for the team workouts. Improve my TT times. Hit 160 RPMs on my sprints.
Buy a cross bike, learn how to use it, and race cross for the first time this fall.
Get some good, long, hilly rides in on non-racing weekends this summer....and get up Alpine in 6:30 or less.
Do at least 1, 10,000-feet climbing day in the Blue Ridge when I'm in Asheville, NC this summer...
Have fun.

@Thierry - I like that goal! How are you feeling??

Thanks David for asking this question!

When you hit bottom, there is only one way you can go!! Good luck for the L&C race! I may show up for moral support.

1) Finally do some hilly road races/a stage race. I think I'm more cut out for this type of racing and really want to give it a shot. As far as placing goes, I've got no idea what to target, so I would really like to help out guys who have more specific goals, and then use this knowledge to plan for next year.
2) Cross. Just, you know, everything.
3) Actually move to NY so that group rides, park races, and all that are easier to take part in.
4) Climb, climb, climb during the summer.
5) Now that I see the link, D2R2!!

1. win pawling
2. put joe through beauty school

I used to have goals. Now I just try to minimize the rate of decay.

I guess I could try to win a 55+ 'cross race in the fall

Top 5s at Hunter Mtn and on the last stage of Killington

Upgrade to 3 (if I accomplish 1 of the 2 above I'll have the points)

Top 10 overall at Killington

If I upgrade, my goal for the remainder of the season will be to be a super strong domestique for William and Joe in the hill races, and to do what I'm told in the Pro 123 park races and at FBF.

If I don't upgrade after Killington I'll focus on Tour of the Catskills - and try to win that fucker.

While I have goals, the hardest thing is figuring out how to take my family with me to an out of town day or stage race where they can have fun while I'm chasing a finish line. If I can figure out some places and races, then I can have some out-of-town goals other than just getting to races.

The bummer is that the Tour of Somerville is just over six weeks post-injury. Somerville usually has a bouncy castle and games and stuff to do for kids. I don't know if I'll be ready for a four-corner left turn crit. I probably have a few weeks to decide.

Jersey used to have lots of good crits, many with entertainment. Looking over their calendar, one of the races that has been good for kids to go to has been Tour of High Bridge, which has been scheduled for Saturday, September 1 this year. Tour of Basking Ridge has been decent, as they often have super short races for kids starting at age five and going up to teenagers (citizens racing), some entertainment, like an incredible Trials rider, and occasionally some other stuff.

This season is about one true peak race: Survival of the Shawangunks (tri) and along the way increasing the number of cycling races I enter and more cross. In chronological order:

1. Help to put at least one Kissena guy on the podium each day of the Catskills
2. Top 10% personal finish in the Catskills with top 10 finish in the TT
3. 15+ race season
4. Return to age group podium at Survival of the Shawangunks tri in September
5. One hour FTP increase of 20% by cross season (irratic winter training sent me to rock bottom)
6. At least 4 Cross races and one podium finish.

Looking forward to plugging in and ramping it up!

Bysshe in the house!

My goals are pretty broad in my first full Cat 4 season.

1. finish in the pack at out of town hilly races (preferably top 20)
2. top 10 / 5 finishes in park races
3. provide value to the team in helping to win races
4. try crit racing
5. complete two stage races (maybe be difficult in terms of family scheduling)

http://pptcblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/2012-al-goldstein-summer-speed-series.html

just wanted to share this with you guys as I think it could help fitness for a lot of us and it's crazy fun.
There are 5k races in PP on wed at 7pm, bi-weekly, organized by the prospect park track club and jack rabbit. its $5 bucks and it's one loop of PP.
They post results online and medals and there are people of all levels. {eople drop off bags and lock bikes at the oriental gazebo across from the bathrooms at the lincoln rd entrance of the park (east, just south of where our bike races start). I'm gonna do it tomorrow, would be cool to see some of you there.

Alyosha, thanks for bringing this up. As a hard-working cyclist with average talent, it's a subject I think about a lot.

Here's my deal: I'm all about cross training, just not this time of year. From about Feb. 1-Aug. 1, my training consists solely of cycling, as bike racing is my competitive sport of choice. The other six months of the year, though, I do prefer to take a more balanced approach to fitness. For me, this includes running and CrossFit type stuff. While bike racing may be my favorite sport in which to participate, I just can't make it my only outlet through which to increase my overall physical capacity. Frankly, I don't have the talent to warrant that kind of specificity, and so the slivers of cycling gains I forgo by training non-specific aspects of physical fitness are insignificant in comparison to the general feeling of ability I get from incorporating other kinds of training. It also pleases me to no end to be the new CrossFit guy who sucks at everything, even compared to the 110 lb. girls, but out of nowhere lays waste to EVERYONE on the ergometer.

I can picture all you assholes shaking your heads, thinking, "I knew there was something off about Whitey. Dude just ain't committed. He's all crisp tan lines and white bar tape." I can hear you all saying it.

it's 1 lap of PP dude...

So if you can't be bothered to do a timed run, or even really care about distance: try hashing. A drinking club with a running problem.

http://www.hashnyc.com/

@alyosha, so you would recommend I race my first half-hour run in several months on my rest day 48 hours before Jersey Crits Weekend, in which I race three consecutive days? Sounds good. I'll run it by Coach.

im not saying this wkend, but whenever. this happens every week.
hashing is great too, didn't know they had this in NY!