Opportunities missed

I wrote the post below on October 16th in response to another blogger's post about his departure from competitive cycling, and have been back and forth about publishing it. I published it that day, but quickly pulled it down. I'm still bothered by it. It churns through my head at every race that I've been to since reading this other person's words. And sometimes, that's good. It has helped me to re-evaluate why I'm there. Why I'm stealing time away from my family to ride bikes around in circles. Why I'm suffering through heat and humidity, cold and rain, frostbite and uncontrollable shivering. I'm still figuring it out, but I think it comes down to the people. This cycling community -- and more specifically, this cyclocross community -- is my tribe. We share something that can't be explained. We might not always agree, or even always get along, but we understand each other and we share a love of the effort, the journey, and, yes, perhaps a bit too much, the bikes. And with that, here's the old post:

Someone I've raced bicycles against the past couple years just posted his treatise on why he's "retiring" from competitive cycling. After assuring his readers that he doesn't judge them for not making the same decision as he, he writes about how competitive cycling is self-serving and self-aggrandizing and that he longs for a more "sustainable" lifestyle. Actually, he choses to use the phrases "self-promotion", "embellishment of the ego" and "selfish". This, after I've just read D.Lowe's thoughtful and touching piece and the resulting facebook comments about the cyclocross community and how it's really more like a family than anything else:

my goals in cross, some are not about the racing,
I got to the course early, and had a bit of nice extra time.
Pedaling around the parking lots, I got a chance to stop and chat
and listen, shake hands,
talk racing,
with,
whomever I came across.

And while these people cherish the effort and the time spent together "on and off the bike", this retiring athlete has the gall to project his motivations on the community. You can never know exactly how another feels, but from his address, and I quote, "racing and trying to win races is nothing more than self-promotion and embellishment of the ego", it seems that for 38 years he may have been doing it for the wrong reasons. Others race for lots of other reasons that have very little to do with ego and winning. Many people line up every weekend with no thought of winning, but with every intention of putting forth their best self "on and off the bike". Some people race to have a measuring stick for their own personal improvement.  Some people race to have the motivation to stay fit. I, myself, fall into this category. I know when I am not racing, it is easier to let my diet slip, easier to have a few more beers or glasses of wine than I should, easier to shrug off a day of exercise if the weather sucks or if I just simply don't feel like it. Some people race to meet others who also love bikes and/or bicyclists and/or mud and/or beer and/or heckling and/or hand-ups and/or community and/or whatever. There are a whole host of reasons that people race, and I would argue that most of them are NOT "embellishment of the ego".

The whole thing rubs me the wrong way.

Please, tell me in the comments below, why do you race bicycles?

Charm City

I raced Charm City CX this weekend. Last year was my first time racing this staple of Mid-Atlantic cyclocross racing. I did the double last year and again this year. They changed the age ranges this year for the masters categories. Not sure why. Seems to be a trend up and down the East Coast.

Lots of people are gaga over Charm City CX. I think it's fine. This year, the flyover was a impressive; three-legged affair where one of the legs was made up of (apparently -- I never bothered to count) 22 very steep steps, while the other two legs were ramps to ride back down. Saturday we went straight upon reaching the top of the steps. Sunday we made a right turn and went down the other ramp.

Saturday was crazy hot for October -- and a totally sufferfest. In the 40+ race, Roger threw down a furious pace and led start to finish. On Sunday, the temps were cooler, but the humidity was oppressive. Roger let others lead first lap, but soon grew tired of this and took off. Both days I finished 12th and almost exactly 3 minutes behind him. At least, I'm consistent(ly slow).

A couple of interesting things happened this weekend:

1. On Saturday, during one of the sand sections, I was trying to pass someone. I hear this women, who I am not sure is part of his posse or not, start yelling, "Elbows out! Put him into the tape!" And sure enough, this a-hole starts coming my way and trying to push me into the tape. Now, I love me so good heckling, but how about we not encourage dirty racing? Can we all agree on that?
2. Also Saturday, during one of the descents on this fun steep up and down section, one of the hecklers calls out, "Nice arms, Popeye!" I've never thought my forearms were very big, i.e. like Popeye, but as my biceps get smaller and smaller as I spend more and more time on the bike. I could see how it might look like they are. Anyway, it was funny and just kinda stuck with me, even while I was struggling with race, I was kinda laughing on the inside.
3. Sunday (today), I was in the top 5 or 6 on the prologue climb. As we neared the mansion and forced pinch point that the organizers put into the course, I went pass a guy. He starts yelling, "Don't do it! Don't do it!" Then, he elbows me and steers into me, forcing me into the tape. I almost took out one of the stupid wooden stakes that they seem so hell bent on using at Charm. I didn't go down, I didn't hit the stake, but I did lose places. I'm not saying that was the whole explanation for my not-so-strong finish, but it sure didn't help. But more than anything, it angers me that people are so willing to crash people out of a race to maintain a spot. 

I didn't have ideal preparation for these races. Hell, a week before I didn't even know I was going. Then I did sign up, and a few days later, I learned that the father of a good friend had passed away, my friend would be flying in to town, and that the memorial service was Friday night. He's also a racer and told me that I probably spent too much time on my feet that night and that the late night didn't help either. 

Also, from the not ideal prep department, I was awakened at 3:30 am this morning (Sunday) to a chirping smoke detector that refused to stop chirping even with two different brand new batteries installed. 

It was a good weekend. I raced the best I could given my weak spring and summer training schedules. I saw some good friends and learned some more about racing -- and people. I'll take it.

The Power of the Bike...

The power of the bike:
Didn't feel like riding.
Didn't feel like much of anything.
Did it anyway.
10 minutes in, I was a new man.