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I felt lazy and unmotivated this weekend- not a good way to be going into a crit. I thought maybe I’d feel better once the race started but as each lap passed I just kept counting down to when it’d be over. It wasn’t as though I was struggling- I lead the group during several laps- but I just couldn’t shake the ‘care less’ attitude from my mind. Frustrated, I resigned myself to doing what I could to help Matt b/c he was looking his usual powerful self. I tried to pull for him and tried to give him some relief on the front and finally tried to spring him on the last lap, but the timing was so odd that I’m not sure I wasn’t just getting in his way. Brad didn’t seem to be enjoying his day too much either and we rolled across the line together near the back. Crits are something I haven’t decided if I love or hate yet and it’s looking like it might take awhile to figure out.
Looking ahead, I’ve got the Tour of Hermann this weekend and I’m VERY motivated for it. Like many of the races so far this spring it’ll be an unknown and a learning experience. It’ll be my first time trial as well as my first stage race and I haven’t any idea how I’ll fair in that situation. This year, there have been a couple of races where I felt I finished lower than I should have b/c I was too reserved. In Hermann, I plan to be more aggressive. It looks like the final 600m is pretty technical with 3 90-degree corners before the final sprint to the line. I’ll be doing everything I can to get to the front before that mess.
Just think of crits as good training for cross...I have the same problem with them, love them and hate them all the time!
ReplyDeleteDan, motivation is a huge factor in racing. Like Britton said, crits are for some and not others; and sometimes it's just not your day. Because they are such a microcosm of racing they do become good sources of training. As a team we need to meet before the race and decide on our overall tactics; based on who has the best chances, how everyone feels, who's there, etc. But before we can do that we need to work on those tactics. The Tuesday night training crit is an especially good place to do this. I highly recommend that if you can make this week's crit or one in the future that'd be advantageous to the whole team in crits and road races alike. We're going to work on leadouts, maneuvering through the pack, pulling for a teammate, and safeguarding someone else's chances. Bicycle racing is a team sport. We've all been working hard as individuals, but now it's time to put together our strengths!
ReplyDeleteHow did Hermann go?
ReplyDelete