getting past ego

[Fixed]

bro coming back after a long time off I know it's best to take my time ride small gears etc....but it's hard not to jump right in and start going hard ..
it's hard not to go when you are being passed by some cats that look like they just got their bike yesterday ..imho
oh well at least i'm riding again , having some fun and saving gas .
cheers

[Tom]

45 years of living, 20 years of running and 6 years of biking and I still am not past that... I've been hiding from group rides all summer because of it... and when I'm out doing the right thing I keep having to repeat to myself "They don't know why I'm going so slow. It's on purpose. It's part of the plan. They don't know that."

I wonder if I'll ever get past it.

[dbrk]

fixed,
I'm routinely passed by guys who look like they got on their bikes yesterday! Well, I would be if I rode anywhere near other riders! So it sort of pays to ride by yourself in the countryside.

But not to worry, you will come back. What's interesting is how pure talent just comes rushing in and, to be honest, the lack of it as in my case, isn't really compensated _all_ that much by hard work. Sure, I am happier and gain some fitness over the season but you can't put in what karma left out. Karma left out most of cycling's gifts in my case. But I'd bet you have plenty of that talent. Not to worry! It will surely come rushing back, like a torrent.

dbrk
who hopes his talents lay elsewhere...

p.s. A digressive story with a certain relevance. Skip this unless you are in the mood for a story.

Long ago I would go to Sanskrit class with the great Daniel H.H. Ingalls, who was the Wales Professor of Sanskrit at Harvard University. Professor Ingalls had been in the Chair for more than thirty years when I met him. I was among his last students. We sat in a musty room in Widener Library (Room A, second floor, just to the right as you come up the staircase), surrounded by the volumes of the scholars who invented the field, many with their own notes in the margins. We'd sit around a long oak table and count heads, then look down on the page and calculate our "turn" so that we'd be ready when called upon. You didn't know in which direction the Professor would begin, so you counted twice. Ingalls chain smoked Luckys and kept strictly to the subject: it was like sitting with an immortal. He would close his eyes and quote the Greeks, Latins, and texts in languages none of us had ever even heard of. After some years the room revealed the usual suspects since a few of us went through this ordeal year after year. One fellow named Weasley (well, best to conceal his name) loved the subject, loved it more than all of us combined, but, well, he had no talent for it. He worked hard but couldn't read fluently even after five years. So one afternoon as Weasley was stumbling through a hard passage Ingalls put the Lucky in the ashtray and said, "There are many interesting things to do in the world, Mr Weasley. Perhaps you should choose a different subject." The silence was painful. Weasley's eyes welled up. I thought I was surely next. Weasley finished the term but never got his degree. Nice fella, but you can't put in what karma left out. Like me and bicycle riding...

[Fixed]

bro i'm pretty much like that with everything ..I do a lot of stuff just none of it very well .. thank you it is always nice to hear your stories ..
when I was young I saw baba ram dass speak and I joind the divine light mission that opened my eyes to some things I couldn't see before .thanks you for your story I enjoyed it
cheers

[TimB]

“Only one can catch the brass ring. For most of us the joy is in being on the carousel and reaching.” - Norman Lear

I'm debating whether this is an appropriate response, and I can't decide. But I love this quote, and every time I get to feeling that I'm just not good enough at Whatever, I take stock in how much I'm enjoying Whatever it is I'm doing, and whether it Really Matters if I'm the Best, or even if I'm Good Enough.

[BURCH]

I do a lot of stuff just none of it very well ..

It is nice to run into a person who excels at one thing, but in all honesty how interesting is it to have a person who only wants to ride fast and talk only about bikes. (Interject any hobby or subject were "bikes" and "riding fast" appear)

One of my tests to see if I would mesh well with another person when first making their acquintance is to ask, "What are your interests". Usually the most interesting people that I meet can bounce from one interest to the next. They are jack of all trades. Maybe they never mastered anything but enjoy them all. They are exciting and refreshing to talk to. While it is impressive to meet someone who has mastered one thing (thru hard work or Karma), they eventually get boring after a while, right?

Long live the Jack of all trades...master of none. And pray for those that can't even answer the question, "What are your interests?". Believe me...it is an akward situation when the person responds, "I don't know, I guess I like music"

[Ray]

bro i'm pretty much like that with everything ..I do a lot of stuff just none of it very well ..
There's a word for that. And it's not a bad word either.

Generalist

I'm one too. I can do LOTS of things reasonably well but lack the talent, discipline, focus, or some combination of those to do any ONE thing incredibly well. So I turned into a big picture guy and there are lots of good ways to apply that. Because there are a zillion people who do SOMEthing very well but get lost in the wider world - can't see the forest for the molecular structure of the bark on their own highly specific tree. Being able to get a pretty good handle on lots of things can make you pretty effective in the real world.

It's all about figuring out what you do well and what you don't and focusing on the stuff you do best. Old Weasley probably went on to be a great success at something else and needed the professor to give him the kick in the butt to go find it. There's also a lot to how you define things. If you define being a good or great cyclist only by speed, there are only a few great ones and none of us are them. Since I'm slow and pretty happy being slow, I don't define being a great cyclist by how fast one goes. More to do with how smooth, how in control, how safe in traffic, how much fun you're having, etc. By my own criteria, I'm a fricking INCREDIBLE cyclist. Can't do much better than that, eh?

Change your criteria Fixed, and you'll be back to your old self RIGHT NOW.

-Ray

[Ken Robb]

Of the hundreds of people I've taught to drive on race tracks there have been less than ten who turned out to be FANS. That is instructor-speak for Find A New Sport! :)

[Tom]

My approach, however, is to do nothing well.

[RPS]

It's all about figuring out what you do well and what you don't and focusing on the stuff you do best.I like that.

I use to think the opposite, but saw a report that it’s easier to be successful by working on one’s strengths than weaknesses – and it sold me. It may make one happier too because we won’t be trying to be someone we are not.

[tomwd3]

My approach, however, is to do nothing well.

Tom,
1 word for you.....Triathalon. :)

[Tom]

Tom,
1 word for you.....Triathalon. :)

Sink like a brick.

[Fixed]

bro that is funny I have done a few triathalons when I was young I could win the swim or be close and do well in the bike and run I never won a race but I could most times be top 5 .
in bike races my best was 11th in the state road race . and 8th in the t.t. .train everyday hard . swimming 5th in the state in the 500 free little training .imho sometimes you don't like what your good at .
the only sport i really like is bike racing even though I'm not that good at it and have to work hard at it ....right now I don't care about racing ...it's all about a short life and having fun..imho
cheers :beer:

[chakatrain]

...it cheered me up for some strange reason.

I, too, have more enthusiasm and love for all things bicycle than talent to ride it. I get passed routinely by faster guys. If I'm in a good headspace, I'll remember that I ride for the gift of sheer joy, that is defined by me, and not other people. if I'm not in a good headspace, I'll grumble and even get kinda grumpy about lack of talent and the merciless robbery of father time.

Today, however, was my first ride on the (new to me) '96 CSI that just arrived yesterday, so it was pretty hard not to be smiling like an idiot the whole way to work. Of course, riding with pair of young, single French woman who joined the commute group didn't hurt either :)

Great stories...

[SadieKate]

in bike races my best was 11th in the state road race . and 8th in the t.t. .train everyday hard . swimming 5th in the state in the 500 free little training .imho sometimes you don't like what your good at .
the only sport i really like is bike racing even though I'm not that good at it and have to work hard at it ....Most of us would define this as good. You may just need to change your perspective. :)

Sometimes, it's in the fishing not the catching.

When I mountainbike, I try to "be one with the bike" but perhaps I'm better at "being one with the rocks (stones, trees, whatever is leaping into my path at the time). Most importantly, I'm, as you said, "having fun."

At the end of my life, I won't care if I've gone fast as long as I've gone with friends and have stories to tell.

[BURCH]

I get passed routinely by faster guys. If I'm in a good headspace, I'll remember that I ride for the gift of sheer joy, that is defined by me, and not other people.

I personally also try to realize that every cyclists you come in contact with is on a different agenda. When I get passed, I figure hey I am on mile X, maybe they are just starting off or doing a specific pace...

On the opposite side of the coin, I once passed a guy twice. We weren't doing laps it just worked out that way with our routes intertwining somehow more than once. He sorta mumbled something the second time I passed. He seemed frustrated more than he should have been. Because the fact is...I was out for a really quick ride (~10 miles). I couldn't ride much that day so I chose to do 10 miles as fast as I possible could do them. That guy could have been on a 50 miler and should not have gotten down about it. Just different agendas.

[keno]

I know one world-class rider, and he holds the 55+ one hour record. He told me that the very best training he ever did was when he had agreed to shepherd a young foreign racer for a few months. He told me that 85% of their riding was done at 16 miles per hour. When they pushed, they pushed, but otherwise, 16 miles per hour. You can do the 15% later.

keno

[jimp1234]

About 10 years ago, I got together with a few of my cycling buds who raced with me in the seventies. The four of us had a fun time riding together despite gray or receding hair and lycra that bulged a bit, and after a while fell into a snappy paceline just like the good old days. As we crested a small roller, two young hardbodies came motoring past with the hammer dropped, probably chuckling as they flew by the old geezers. One of my pals quipped ala Butch Cassidy, "who are those guys".. and another came back with "there goes your youth"... :beer:

btw, dbrk, I liked your story but couldn't help but think of the song "nothing" from "A Chorus Line"..

-Jim

[imp25rs]

bro coming back after a long time off I know it's best to take my time ride small gears etc....but it's hard not to jump right in and start going hard ..
it's hard not to go when you are being passed by some cats that look like they just got their bike yesterday ..imho
oh well at least i'm riding again , having some fun and saving gas .
cheers

I know EXACTLY what you mean. Just getting back into this myself it is hard to keep going my pace when there are people passing me. Especially since I used to be one of those people that would be cruising along on my MTB bike and giving the road bikers a bad time. When I was actually on the road bike I rarely got passed. I just keep reminding myself that before I was still a teenager and all my friend and I did was ride our bikes. Now I am really enjoying getting out and getting some excercise. Plus, I know I will be passing everyone again soon enough. :banana:

The thing I have found to be a huge help is riding with a heart rate monitor. Then when I forget I am taking it easy and try to catch the other guy it beeps at me telling me to slow down.

[Karin Kirk]

What was worse for me when I wasn't active in riding was seeing people out riding their bikes while I was driving by. I would always take a good hard look and realize that if I was active in the cycling community I would probably know that person. It always tugged at me and made me sad.

Now I'm immersed in the scene again, I know lots of people and it's just great.

[1centaur]

Riding speed at any given moment is a product of:

Age
Genes
Mood
Planned Distance
Goals
Health
Fitness
Prior Discipline
(and of course aero wheels).

Those are way too many variables to analyze when somebody passes somebody else, especially because so few of them reflect on the character needed to train with discipline. I basically see those passing me as either younger or more experienced, and neither bothers me.

Now, comparing one day vs. another of my own, that's a whole 'nother story.

[Steelhead]

Wed. night is my favorite group ride - I look forward to it all week, but it is fast and can be discouraging if you come in with the stragglers every week. So yesterday I got on my bike about 1 hour before the ride and went out and did a quick 18 miles or so - taking the long way to the shop and purposely taking it easy. I kept a good pace up but I intentionally kept the intensity down since I knew I would be riding another fast, hot and hilly 20 with the shop ride. I carried that mellow attitude and the warm legs with me into the shop ride -- and I'll be danged if I didn't finish way up front of the main "B" group and feeling like they were having a tough time keeping up with me! It was awesome - I'm still stoked about it.

So I know from yrs of experience that if you go out and blow up early it's gonna put you way off the back and if you go out warmed up and feeling confident in your ability and looking for fun and fellowship, you'll do much better and finish much stronger. :) :banana:

[Ginger]

Karin,
Yeah, after my mortocycle accident a lawyer laughed when I that taking me away from riding took me away from my social circles...then I explained...and he stopped laughing.

Fixed;
Restarting is always frustrating especially mid season when everyone else has had all spring to get in shape and all those people you blew past before are flying by ya. Good luck keep'n it cool.

Ginger

[swoop]

it will come back to you. take it slow, have fun...

[m_moses]

I broke my wrist a couple of months ago and haven't been able to ride much. Now, I'm getting back on the bike and riding with groups but I need to go slow and be really careful as the wrist is not completely healed. The good thing about that is I'm riding with new folks and having great conversations.

Yes, riding my bike is my time on the carousel. Fast or slow it's what keeps me sane.

[Ti Designs]

Long live the Jack of all trades...master of none.


I hate the idea that because you do many things you can master none of them. I do many things, I'm annoyed at the fact that I've given up so many things in my life, but I can't hold back at all in what I'm focused on. I play piano, I watch other people play and I know I'm not that good. So I practice more, I learn. I'll never be the best (I'll probably never be good), but it's not for lack of trying. Anything I do is the same way, I go into things not knowing how good I could be and not willing to set limits on how far I'll go.


Fixed,

Getting back into it takes self control. Just slipping it back onto the big ring is going to have you sucking air in no time. Set limits based on where you are and expand them slowly. When I get off my fixed gear I tell myself for the first ride I'm allowed to use the big ring for 2 minutes total - gotta make 'em count! The rest of the time you need to focus on what you need, not what the riding of others dictates. My second rule in coaching is never let others dictate your training plan. My first rule, in case you're interested, is no skipping steps. A number of years ago I was off the bike for months with a broken foot. When I got back out there I was getting dropped by all kinds of riders - and it pissed me off. On my stem was written "you know how to do this", and I brought myself back into form just as I would a new rider. By that summer I was back up to speed. Have some faith, take it one step at a time and don't let yourself think that it's OK to suck...

[Fixed]

thanks bros for all the insight you guys are hip imho
cheers :beer:

[OldDog]

my ego is always way ahead of me...i can never catch up as it seems my feet are always stuck in my mouth. and my wifes boot stuck in my.....

soldier on fixed, it comes back with a bit of persistance.

[BigDaddySmooth]

I did my first triathlon 2 weeks ago. It was basically a sprint...300 meter swim, 9.8 mile bike, 3.5 mile run. I didn't do too bad considering I only swam 600m in prep...I took 3rd (of 22). Not bad for a middle 40 y.o grey head, but certainly there's room for improvement. However, Father Time waits for no one. I feel I am way more active and versatile now but I'm 45% slower swimming (compared to high school), 20% slower in the avg/mile running (compared to my mid 20 Navy days) and 25% slower in the bike compared to 5 years ago when it was all about cycling for me. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

Cheers,