“What do you have in mind for goals for next year?”

That is a really good question. One that I had to think about for a while. The only goal I had set for myself for 2022 is to continue on getting faster on the bike and continue this weight loss and fitness journey I was on. When asked about events, I really didn’t have anything in mind until cyclocross season come September. I suppose I could go do Barry Roubaix. I suppose I could do the Cheesehead Roubaix if there is one. Beyond that, I really didn’t have anything in mind.

For much of 2020 and 2021, I trained without a purpose or reason. Last winter I did a Sufferfest Fitness Kickstarter plan that had me on the bike 4 days per week on the trainer. I did the Tour of Sufferlandria, a 7 day event doing 1-2 Sufferfest workouts on each of the days. It was quite a good time and I have all of the blog posts from that saved, but yet to reupload after the crash of the server. After that, I had no real goals. Nothing in mind until CX season. Last spring and summer I did 2 hard workouts during the work week and then a long ride on Saturday. Beyond that, really wasn’t training for anything. I just enjoyed riding and riding longer distances and going faster uphill and on the flats.

That all changes today. This week I will be doing the 4DP prep for the test on Sunday which will set my Neuromuscular Power, Anerobic Capacity, Maximum Aerobic Power and Functional Threshold Power. (More here.) From there all of my workouts will be tailored to those metrics. I am also starting strength training with Simple Endurance Coaching beginning next Monday. This will build my fitness for the first event of 2022. The Tour of Sufferlandria.

While the dates haven’t been announced, it should begin February 12, 2022 based on the announcement at the end of the 2021 tour. My training plan ends on the first day of the start of the tour. If it is later, then I will retest and load up the rest of the prep plan for the tour.

Barry Roubaix 2017
My face says it all. The 2017 Barry Roubaix was an adventure.

Once I recover from that, the next event on the calendar is Barry Roubaix on March 26, 2022. I signed up for the 36-mile race. I last rode this in 2018 and I did the 22 mile race. But I remember and appreciate the epic 2017 race more. It was my first introduction to gravel racing. It was upper 30s and raining all day. It was a mental struggle to keep turning the pedals. It also didn’t help that we were out drinking late Friday night too. (Not going to be a problem this year as I don’t partake in alcohol anymore.) My bike was destroyed, I was completely drained, but I finished. It gave me this crazy idea that I can actually do something on the bike.

The next thing on the calendar will be the Cheesehead Roubaix which is typically in April. This is a 62-mile ride that starts in Newburg and goes around Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. Outside of the length, there is only one tough section, Lovers Lane. I did this either in 2016 or 2017. I don’t recall the exact year. I do remember not having the fitness to actually ride 62 miles. I also remember that it was cold and there were a lot of people getting picked up at one of the parks about two-thirds of the way on the route.

Finally, the last event of the spring will be the Bear 100’s 73-mile ride on May 7, 2022. I didn’t know it existed until Saturday. After looking at the website and the GPS data, it will be a push way outside of my comfort zone. I will need to carry water and food for six hours as it goes through middle-of-nowhere Northern Wisconsin. It starts in Laona and goes through the Nicolet National Forest on back roads, forest roads and God knows what else. What’s the worst thing that can happen, right?

I think that is enough goal setting for the first half of 2022. What say you? What goals do you have for 2022?