I will admit I was nervous. I think my last sanctioned race might have been before my wife and I were married, and that was almost 30 years ago! Lots of water under the bridge, and I knew I was not in the shape I’d like to have been in. But, one of my teammates talked me into it, and I figured it was time.
Earlier in the week, I’d listened to a podcast that helped me a lot. One piece of advice was “If you make your goal to win every race, you’ll likely be very frustrated. Yes, you can and should set “outcome” goals, but you should also set “process” goals.” Assuming you’re not Super Dave and winning most, if not every race, (Super Dave is a fabulous racer and gentleman, who has won more than 500 races) “process goals” are what you want to gain from doing the race, or really, anything in your life. “Outcome goals” would be “podium”, “top 10”, etc.
So, I set three goals.
- "Have fun." I’m not going anywhere. Not going to the Olympics or Tour de France. Riding hard hurts, but it makes me feel alive. If I’m not having fun, I may as well sit on the couch, drink beer, and watch the NCAA tournament (not that there's anything wrong with that!)
- "Get into the process.” Like I said, it’s been a long time since I raced. I used to KNOW when to get there, how to register, when to warm up, etc. It’s all new again. Yeah… I sort of know the ropes, but not really. I did manage to get my bib number glued right (although I forgot to let it dry long enough), and I think I warmed up appropriately. That was not my problem.
- “Ride the entire race.” Definitely a stretch goal. I did the Category 4/5 race… I may have done better with doing the Category 5 race. I’ll never know. I thought I got pulled from the race with one lap to go; but I now think it might have been two. Having said that, I did one lap more than I thought the race would go (bad estimate).
I achieved 2 out of 3, and probably broke even on the third. I call that a “win”.
One thing I was happy about was the race went pretty much as I thought it would. I figured the first lap would be pretty neutral, and it was. I thought that the hill on the circuit before the “finish” hill would be the right place to attack, and that’s EXACTLY where I got dropped. I got boxed in and behind a bad wheel, then gapped, and that was all she wrote. I should have known better. But the reality is I might have lasted another lap or two… I don’t have the horse power to hang with that group over a hilly course. C’est la vie. Getting old is a bitch, but looking at the grass from the green side is better than the alternative, as far as I know.
I had fun, I managed to get to the start on time and in condition to race, and I got pulled after doing one more lap than I thought I’d have to. So...
Three things that I was very happy about, in reverse order:
- I had fun. I didn’t embarrass myself, do anything stupid, and remembered a lot of things I’d forgotten (like stay to the outside on downhills so you can go around people who want to put their brakes on! What a total waste of energy!)
- I had a blast watching the 4/5 ladies race and cheering for them while I warming up! Very strong, ladies!!! You guys… uh, girls… rock!!
- This was the best thing… Going up that friggin’ hill and having my teammates cheer and encourage me! You have NO idea of how many times I thought “I am so out of this race. I may as well go back to the car”, but heard people yelling my name, and thought “Okay. I can do another lap.” I would have kept going until I fell over with that encouragement! You people totally rock! Thanks!!
That was my race. Thanks to all who cheered for me, and thanks to all who came out.
Now for my next goal… to up my power by 50 watts, and lose 10 kg. (Not. Gonna. Happen. I’ll find a process goal. 😄)
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