Normally I don't post about the Midweek Mayhem crit races because:
a) They are training races
b) They don't really count for anything
c) They are almost social get togethers
A friend sent me something, which I have attached at the bottom of the post, and it inspired me to post this up.
When I did my first crit race back in May, I remember starting in the B group as there wasn't a C group yet, and getting dropped after the first two laps. I was then lapped 3-4 times by the main pack while I made several attempts to rejoin and hang on. While it was a little discouraging...I knew this was going to happen my very first race.
The next 2 weeks I decided to race with the C group which is the novice category and generally ride a little slower as everyone in the group is still mostly new to crit racing. I was really learning how to pace myself and stay at the higher intensity for longer periods of time. It was also much less discouraging because I didn't have to ride alone and it's easier to learn when you have a group to learn with. I was able to test my sprint ability as well as do attacks and pulls.
After my race in Edmonton, Keith, had said to me that I should moving up into the B group. The following week I raced my last race with C (Keith called me out before the race but I was feeling pretty tired from mountain bike racing on the weekend).
The following week I started racing in B and got dropped after 3 laps. I went back to the start and joined up with the C group to finish off the race. The week after I started again with B and got dropped afer 5 laps. I managed to form a paceline with 2 other dropped riders and we kept ourselves from getting lapped by the main pack by alternating pulls.
After the race I got some really good advice from another B racer on how to stay with the pack and how to race smarter.
The following week I managed to stay with the B group the whole race and managed one attack into the last lap. I finished somewhere in the middle but I finished. The next week I had to skip as my racing bike was in the shop so I rode up on my cross bike and marshalled the B group.
This past Tuesday I finished in 5th place in the B and got my first points. Although these are training races...for me this showed some progress in my training. Don't get me wrong...crits are still hurt...and I still suffer...but I find I'm able to cope with the intensity a lot longer then when I started. Some people hate crits...but I love them....I love the intensity, the speed and the fact that you can always learn something new. I consider the crits a integral part of my training and so far this season I have only missed one. Now things to try and do would be contesting primes, attacking, counter-attacking, pulling off the front and staging a breakaway.
It seems I am learning the meaning of Greg Lemond's famous cycling quote:
“It doesn't get easier; you just get faster”
I checked my computer and I was with the group averaging 41km/h per lap...when I first started I never thought I'd be there 3 months later keeping up at that pace.
Anyways, I thought I throw this in here just to remind me of how important it is to not give up.
Quote:
"As my friend was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not.
My friend saw a trainer nearby and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away."Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free." My friend was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were.
Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? So make an attempt to grow further....
Why shouldn't we try it again?
Your attempt may fail, but never fail to make an attempt & CHOOSE not to accept the false boundaries and limitations created by the past..."
This seems like good words of advice for my upcoming crit.
a) They are training races
b) They don't really count for anything
c) They are almost social get togethers
A friend sent me something, which I have attached at the bottom of the post, and it inspired me to post this up.
When I did my first crit race back in May, I remember starting in the B group as there wasn't a C group yet, and getting dropped after the first two laps. I was then lapped 3-4 times by the main pack while I made several attempts to rejoin and hang on. While it was a little discouraging...I knew this was going to happen my very first race.
The next 2 weeks I decided to race with the C group which is the novice category and generally ride a little slower as everyone in the group is still mostly new to crit racing. I was really learning how to pace myself and stay at the higher intensity for longer periods of time. It was also much less discouraging because I didn't have to ride alone and it's easier to learn when you have a group to learn with. I was able to test my sprint ability as well as do attacks and pulls.
After my race in Edmonton, Keith, had said to me that I should moving up into the B group. The following week I raced my last race with C (Keith called me out before the race but I was feeling pretty tired from mountain bike racing on the weekend).
The following week I started racing in B and got dropped after 3 laps. I went back to the start and joined up with the C group to finish off the race. The week after I started again with B and got dropped afer 5 laps. I managed to form a paceline with 2 other dropped riders and we kept ourselves from getting lapped by the main pack by alternating pulls.
After the race I got some really good advice from another B racer on how to stay with the pack and how to race smarter.
The following week I managed to stay with the B group the whole race and managed one attack into the last lap. I finished somewhere in the middle but I finished. The next week I had to skip as my racing bike was in the shop so I rode up on my cross bike and marshalled the B group.
This past Tuesday I finished in 5th place in the B and got my first points. Although these are training races...for me this showed some progress in my training. Don't get me wrong...crits are still hurt...and I still suffer...but I find I'm able to cope with the intensity a lot longer then when I started. Some people hate crits...but I love them....I love the intensity, the speed and the fact that you can always learn something new. I consider the crits a integral part of my training and so far this season I have only missed one. Now things to try and do would be contesting primes, attacking, counter-attacking, pulling off the front and staging a breakaway.
It seems I am learning the meaning of Greg Lemond's famous cycling quote:
“It doesn't get easier; you just get faster”
I checked my computer and I was with the group averaging 41km/h per lap...when I first started I never thought I'd be there 3 months later keeping up at that pace.
Anyways, I thought I throw this in here just to remind me of how important it is to not give up.
Quote:
"As my friend was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not.
My friend saw a trainer nearby and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away."Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free." My friend was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were.
Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? So make an attempt to grow further....
Why shouldn't we try it again?
Your attempt may fail, but never fail to make an attempt & CHOOSE not to accept the false boundaries and limitations created by the past..."
This seems like good words of advice for my upcoming crit.
Posts
Most awesome post!
ReplyDeleteEspecially the quote. Midweek Mayhem races are awesome! For me, by far the hardest part of them is making out the front door. If I can do that, the rest is easy.