What Have I Done?!
Pross
Posts: 43,463
Having been back riding (not regularly enough) for about 18 months after a 13 year break and doing a Go Race crit last season I decided to bite the bullet and get myself a racing licence this year. As usual I promised myself I was going to train hard and as a goal I entered the Climb On Bikes road race on June 5th (the flatest road race I know of in this area) nice and early with the intention that it would give me time to get some training in. For one reason and another - mainly laziness - I haven't trained as hard as I should have and I was secretly hoping that my entry would be returned as the race was about 50% over-subscribed last season. However, to my horror I have now had my entry accepted and I find myself even more nervous than I was when I entered my first ever race 21 years ago (I was at least fit then and even had dillusions of battling for the win :oops: ).
My aim was only ever going to be to stay in the bunch as long as possible but I now have a fear that I'm going to get shelled out in the neutralised zone. To make things worse, I had hoped that racing outside of Wales would mean no club mates to witness my embarassment but the race has been dedicated as our club's Women's Champs - hopefully they'll all be too close to the front to see me sliding out the back.
Oh well, no option other than to go through with it now - just under three weeks to train, looks like I'm going to be relying a lot on my "experience" to try to sit in as long as possible. Are there any other forumites going to be there to witness my humiliation?
My aim was only ever going to be to stay in the bunch as long as possible but I now have a fear that I'm going to get shelled out in the neutralised zone. To make things worse, I had hoped that racing outside of Wales would mean no club mates to witness my embarassment but the race has been dedicated as our club's Women's Champs - hopefully they'll all be too close to the front to see me sliding out the back.
Oh well, no option other than to go through with it now - just under three weeks to train, looks like I'm going to be relying a lot on my "experience" to try to sit in as long as possible. Are there any other forumites going to be there to witness my humiliation?
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Comments
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'What have i done?''
The right thing !- now get back to practicising chewing on your stem!
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Work hard. Pray hard. 0
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If it's a flat lower category race it probably won't be as tough as you imagine. Your experience will be a more useful weapon than being properly trained. Just find a few good wheels, don't let yourself fall too far back in the bunch, and don't do any work on the front. You will probably get to the finish a lot fresher than some of the stronger riders who will have spent ages on the front.
I really don't think it takes that much fitness to stay in the bunch in these flat races, you just have to make sure you start well and hold position in the front third of the bunch.Summer - Colnago C40
Race - Wilier Alpe D'Huez
Winter/Commuter - Specialized Tricross0 -
Women's champs eh? That race is in my neck of the woods, might have to come over and "watch"...
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