The Winter Episode

"In the morning before a hard interval day I almost get nervous like a little race. Afterwards, I’m feeling the relief of accomplishment and getting all excited about the rewarding rest day."

Sune Nicolajsen

The first 7 weeks of my 2018 are a mix between road (mainly) base-training and CX Championships. With an ’s’, cause I’m planning to participate in both the Danish National Championship and the World Championship, just like last year. This year it’s held in The Netherlands on a previous World Cup track, so I’m sure it’s gonna be a blast! 
The last few weeks have kicked off my first real block of intervals with the eyes on the 2018 MTB season. Some longer rides in the weekend mixed up with intervals, gym and rest days during the weekdays. I tried to do the longer weekend rides on the mountain bike to keep the bike handling hot and not forget the feeling of pushing myself mentally and technically (which comes together). The southern French terrain is super rocky and challenging for me, coming from roots and mud, so pushing my limits and trying to improve is doable ;-) The intervals during the week on the road bike was really good for me, I feel. At home, I normally do my intervals on interval-loops filled with hills and single trails - much like a race course. When I’m down in the mountains 15-minute threshold intervals suddenly looks and feels quite differently standing in the bottom of ‘Col de Vence' where it’s just about you and your legs pushing. I think the combination is good tho.  

It’s also the first block of training where I could feel some of the big benefits of working with a nutritionist (mine: diaetpiloten.dk). It has been a super experience for me to work with her over the last months and beneficial in general, to say it at least. As I’m meeting with Anne Louise once a month we have time to talk some different topics through and solve problems. I have after years of training accepted that high training-loads are demanding for the body, not just for the muscles but all my systems. My mind, my mental energy, stomach,.. and so on. Even if it sounds super clear or cliché, it’s actually good to stop and listen to the body sometimes, and not just accept. I often had stomach pain all day after a hard workout. Which in my world wasn’t too big of a problem - it was hurting but I accepted that the training was demanding, and I thought that was how it should be. I know it might sound silly, but I’m actually not alone in just letting signs from your body pass.. :-) In December I met with Anne-Louise again and I explained her my issues. She had, of course, asked me months ago how my stomach, gut and so on was working - and I had said ‘just fine’, like always. But her question actually made me wonder if everything was all fine? And no, not really, apparently it’s not supposed to hurt in the belly. Who knew that.. duh ;-)

Sonn Media

"I have after years of training accepted that high training-loads are demanding for the body, not just for the muscles but all my systems. My mind, my mental energy, stomach,.. and so on. Even if it sounds super clear or cliché, it’s actually good to stop and listen to the body sometimes, and not just accept"

So at our meeting in December (where I btw had drop 3,7 kg of fat since my off-season vacation in Australia and gained 800 kg of muscles. Like what the heck. The body is so amazing, when you treat it right!) we started to work out a plan of how we could fix this. She had many ideas of what could cause the pain and gave me her first solution to take with me home. She added a specific recovery plan for me because she thought that this moment (the first 30 minutes after my workout) could be the crucial moment for my stomach feeling the rest of the day. I had to use a liquid recovery drink as a consistently post-workout routine. Why? Because the digestion ‘stops’ working when we train hard for a longer time, which makes it fragile for the first things you fuel it with just after end-ride. Beside that, I was more aware of my hydration on a daily basis and added some specific supplements. And to my surprise, I didn't have any stomach problems in my next training period. Honestly, it surprised me, that such a ‘little’ factor could chance it.

As I’m writing now I’m on a plane on my way to Gran Canaria for a 2-week training camp together with 4 girls I train with at home, Annika Langvad, Cecile Uttrup & Lisette Rosenbeck. This block is all about the base foundation, for another block of more intervals when I get closer to my goals.
And that, for me, means rides between 3-5 hours without too many intervals. These kind of blocks are tough for my mind in a different way than hard interval weeks. In the morning before a hard interval day I almost get nervous like a little race and afterwards, I’m feeling the relief of accomplishment and getting excited about the rewarding rest day. 
The big base weeks is just about pedalling and letting the hours role as my metabolism improves on the distance and the systems improvesin general. Just keep pedalling - just keep pedalling. It’s also many hours of thinking. I like to put my headphones in and just be ‘gone’ for hours, kinda. Trying not to get distracted by the mind and the flow of thoughts. My other good option is to have riding mates. Which is my favourite option and the case for this trip, whatsoever both include - negative and positive thoughts will run through anyway. And I guess that alright? As long as I learn how to be ease with them instead of spending energy kicking them out. 
BUT beside all the work on my bike the next weeks, I’m also there to have a good time with 3 girls I really like and admire. So I’m pretty damn excited to get started. I love what I do - and I guess that’s why I’m willing to put all the work in? I actually enjoy the tiredness too :-) ​

Sonn Media

I made most out of the little gap between the two blocks of training, with a 4 days trip back to Denmark to race the Danish National Championship as announced earlier in my write. It went really well and I took home the jersey for the second year in a row. I felt strong, relaxed and happy to stand on the start-line. And with the same feelings, I finished the race. I hope to take the same sensations with me the next weeks. Beside all the cyclo cross races talk - the mountain bike season actually sneaking closer and closer and I want to be the strongest version of Malene. So week 3 and 4 out of the 7 winter-weeks are about to start, and I better make the most out of it. 

​I will be back with a story from my World Champs weekend in The Netherlands. So long - take care and have fun out there :-D

/Malene