Why I'll Never Be a Success

Let’s get the messy stuff out of the way first. Almost 6 weeks since the 2010 24HitOP. 317 days until the 2011 edition. Since the race, I’ve dropped a total of 2 pounds (I got as low as 179, but I have not been trying either to lose or gain weight), and I’ve logged a total of 180 miles and about 13,000 feet of climbing. Definitely not training numbers—and stats I would expect to be higher giving that this is prime riding season in Arizona—but compared to last year, I’ll take them (note: last year, I did not get on my bike until June).

There is always a lull following the Old Pueblo. It’s the one event and weekend I really look forward to each year. The worst day of the year is the Monday after the race, when you get a chance to reflect on the weekend in general and the race specifically. This year, I told myself that I would treat that Monday as the first day of the 2011 preparation. While it’s practically impossible to “train” for an event 363 days out, I at least wanted to stay motivated. One way I planned to keep motivated was participating in the Mountain Bike Association of Arizona (MBAA) stage races. There are a total of seven races throughout the state, beginning in January, and ending in May. I’m racing the SS Novice category, which is pretty small (about 15 total racers on average), but fairly competitive. Race lengths are around 15 miles, and winning times are usually around and 1:20. Compared to an endurance race, these are much more fast paced and 1,000% more competitive. That said, I think this will be my only year racing (at least if I’m going to treat them as “preparation” events).

My biggest issue with the races is that I’ve discovered that I’m not a competitive person. That is, to be successful in these races, you need to be extremely aggressive on the trail, and look out only for yourself. Also, the idea is to leave nothing in the tank, and push yourself to the max. Quite the contrast to endurance races, where many who chose to do them as a solo or duo typically set personal goals of X number of laps, or finish within a certain time. To compare it to endurance races, these are sprints versus a marathon. (Obviously there are many—specifically those in the top tier of the solo and duo category or those on teams—whose goal is to finish in the top X of their category.)

Rarely, in my opinion, do you find somebody who can excel in both endurance races and single day races. I’ve notice that I treat these MBAA races as an endurance race. If I approach a slower rider in the MBAA, instead of attacking (resulting in not only overtaking a slower rider, but also mentally demoralizing that rider), I’ll casually wait for a place to pass. Also, it seems that the most difficult part of me is the very beginning, as I’ll typically be one of the last in the pack when the races starts, making it difficult to make up time. Finally, while the object is to leave it all on the course, I’ve found that I typically have plenty of energy after the race. A strong indication that I didn’t give it my all.

Once the MBAA series is over, I plan to dedicate myself to doing longer riders. Most of my rides are in the 10-20 mile range; I’d like to do 50+ mile rides. I also plan to do more endurance events, not only here in AZ, but through the southwest, including Utah, NM and Colorado. But until then, my goal now is to finish the series respectfully (I’m currently in 5th place points wise, mostly because I earned my trail maintenance points), so I don’t embarrass my sponsor.

The next event on the horizon for me is the Flagstaff Barn Burner 104 (http://redrockco.com/flagstaff-barn-burner) where I plan to earn myself a Big Un belt buckle for finishing in 9 hours. Wish me luck.