Knowing When to Say When

[trymorecowbell]

I'm in quandry cycling wise. :crap:

Been racing category based races for years but my drive to compete is slipping. It just doesn't seem as fun as it used to be. Kind of a been-there-done-that feeling and I'm just not taking the same risks as in the past. Just kinda along for the ride/race but still doing well. So I'm looking for something to get me enthusiastic. I'm 45 so masters racing is an option but it feels like a let-down to race people based on age rather than ability(fun racing younger "kids"). Thinking about switching to mountain biking, ultra-distance, duathlons, triathlons, a 'bent or ???. Or is it tiime to say "When" and hang up the 'ol competitive shoes, put on some weight, ride centuries for fun and enjoy the non-competitive lifejust not sure this is me). Probably not the first to experience this competitive drag and wondering what the wise forumites think or did themselves.

[54ny77]

not sure where you live but the 45+ masters cat in many states is often faster than most cat's other than 1/2's because, well...there's some rather fast old guys out there.... :beer:

so...don't knock it till you try 'it!

[Richard]

Main question -- what category? If you are a 3 or 4, I would try age based. In my experience, you wind up with a rather large contingent of 1s and 2s in the larger races and the racing is harder and more tactical than in the category classes. Unless you are a sandbagger 3 or 4, you will probably get housed by the age racers. If you are already a 1 or 2, try mixing in MTB or the like.

[Hai H. Ho]

It just doesn't seem as fun as it used to be.

This is my answer to most things in life, so it's not just related to cycling. I've had a few of these episodes before. All I do is hang up my bike. You'll just know it when the time is right to pull it down again. Just as easy as the fun factor disappeared, it can come back quickly as well.

Best of luck.

[toaster]

Back in the early 90's mountain bike racing was all the rage. Lot's of great people in it and at the top of the american scene were guys like John Tomac and Ned Overend. Racing was fun and the numbers were there for race promoters.

Right now, I'd have to say that the cyclocross scene currently has at least some of that enthusiasm and the events are a lot more casual than the industrial park style criterium.

The category approach to road racing and crits is not the best, I always preferred Masters racing and the 45+ was about the closest thing to Cat 1-2's anyway.

In a 'cross race you have to just go all out and you won't feel out of place in most races unless you're way over or under-matched in the field.

[Ken Robb]

try mtn. biking racing or just riding and see how you enjoy it. The learning curve for a cross racer has to be darn steep. Sometimes a change in style of activity is as good or better than taking a break to rediscover your interest in an activity.

FWIW, at 66 my desire for competition is greatly reduced as is my willingness to pack and travel for events/rides. When I was younger I really thought that I would be a keen age-group competitor when I got older but I was wrong. One reason might foer some of that might be because recording times that get slower every year might be depressing even if one were successful against other old-timers.

[trymorecowbell]

Thanks for the thoughts guys. Really appreciate it. Part of my quandry is being a cat2 rider and not wanting to accept the inevitable that my best racing days might be behind me.

[dekindy]

Maybe you just need to read the new cycling training books that outline the science of retaining a high level of fitness. Supposedly this can be accomplished in only a few hours per week of intense riding. This way you can ride leisurely the rest of the time or you won't have to ride as many hours, either of which may help you manage the mental aspect of competition. At least mental fatigue is what I am reading into your comments.

[Likes2ridefar]

Try the NUE 100 mile mtb series, or some of them. I did 3 of them this year and had a great time. The people are really nice and generally it's a weekend thing where everyone camps and hangs out.

[lemonlaug]

More Cowbell?

[William]

Reluctantly crouched at the starting line,
muscles pumping and thumping in time.
The gun goes off, the flags go up.
Churning and burning, they yearn for the cup.
They deftly maneuver and muscle for rank,
Fuel burning fast on an empty tank.
Reckless and wild, they pour through the turns.
Their prowess is potent and secretly stern.
As they speed through the finish, the flags go down.
The fans get up and they get out of town.
The arena is empty except for one man,
Still spinning and striving as fast as he can.
The sun has gone down and the moon has come up,
And long ago somebody left with the cup.
But he’s sprinting and striving and hugging the turns.
And thinking of someone for whom he still burns.

He’s going the distance.
He’s going for speed.
She’s all alone
In her time of need.
Because he’s racing and pacing and plotting the course,
He’s fighting and biting and riding on his Hors,
He’s going the distance.

No trophy, no flowers, no flashbulbs, no wine,
He’s haunted by something he cannot define.
Bowel-shaking earthquakes of doubt and remorse,
Assail him, impale him with Track-sprinting force.
In his mind, he’s still sprinting, still making the grade.
She’s hoping in time that her memories will fade.
Cause he’s racing and pacing and plotting the course,
He’s fighting and biting and riding on his Hors.
The sun has gone down and the moon has come up,
And long ago somebody left with the cup.
But he’s striving and thriving and hugging the turns.
And thinking of someone for whom he still burns.

Cause he’s going the distance.
He’s going for speed.
She’s all alone
In her time of need.
Because he’s racing and pacing and plotting the course,
He’s fighting and biting and riding on his Hors.
He’s racing and pacing and plotting the course,
He’s fighting and biting and riding on his Hors.
He’s going the distance.
He’s going for speed.
He’s going the distance.




Or something like that. :)

[WayneJ]

Reluctantly crouched at the starting line,
muscles pumping and thumping in time.
The gun goes off, the flags go up.
Churning and burning, they yearn for the cup.
They deftly maneuver and muscle for rank,
Fuel burning fast on an empty tank.
Reckless and wild, they pour through the turns.
Their prowess is potent and secretly stern.
As they speed through the finish, the flags go down.
The fans get up and they get out of town.
The arena is empty except for one man,
Still spinning and striving as fast as he can.
The sun has gone down and the moon has come up,
And long ago somebody left with the cup.
But he’s sprinting and striving and hugging the turns.
And thinking of someone for whom he still burns.

He’s going the distance.
He’s going for speed.
She’s all alone
In her time of need.
Because he’s racing and pacing and plotting the course,
He’s fighting and biting and riding on his Hors,
He’s going the distance.

No trophy, no flowers, no flashbulbs, no wine,
He’s haunted by something he cannot define.
Bowel-shaking earthquakes of doubt and remorse,
Assail him, impale him with Track-sprinting force.
In his mind, he’s still sprinting, still making the grade.
She’s hoping in time that her memories will fade.
Cause he’s racing and pacing and plotting the course,
He’s fighting and biting and riding on his Hors.
The sun has gone down and the moon has come up,
And long ago somebody left with the cup.
But he’s striving and thriving and hugging the turns.
And thinking of someone for whom he still burns.

Cause he’s going the distance.
He’s going for speed.
She’s all alone
In her time of need.
Because he’s racing and pacing and plotting the course,
He’s fighting and biting and riding on his Hors.
He’s racing and pacing and plotting the course,
He’s fighting and biting and riding on his Hors.
He’s going the distance.
He’s going for speed.
He’s going the distance.




Or something like that. :)

Awesome tune ! I'll try to get that one in my head the next time I'm sufferin'

[William]

Awesome tune ! I'll try to get that one in my head the next time I'm sufferin'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zStIm0gNnUw

:D



William

[veggieburger]

Definately give MTBing a shot! I tend to swing between road and MTB, 2 seasons here, two seasons there. The really nice thing about going from road to MTB is that you tend to be (not always, but often) fitter than the average MTBer...now you just need to get some technical skills.

Although you're still riding a bike, I find the sports to be very different. Borrow a MTB and try it for a few hours. Factors such as climbing traction, cornering and dirt/mud conditions play a big part in your overall ride, things you don't really have to deal with on paved roads.

...and I agree about cyclocross. Although I haven't tried it, it seems like a whole lot of fun, and great exercise. :banana:

[WayneJ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zStIm0gNnUw

:D



William

That Chariot scene at 1:30 in the video is AWESOME !

[wasfast]

I agree with others that the Masters races don't mean slow by any means. However, switching to a different road racing category won't really change much for you I suspect. There's only so many seasons of the same training routine, dedication, dieting, gym, etc and winning so much at races (as in ZERO). When the satisfaction is done, time to switch to something enjoyable.

Competitive people like challenges so it's time to find one. I switched to doing TT's (did I say fun, those hurt but in a good way?) so I could compete against myself and measure my progress against myself without having crash risks. That's evolved into thinking about doing some duathlon's next year.

The whole super intense vibe with road racing is mentally wearing after a while. Another poster mentioned 'cross which is a near-religion here in OBRA land. While intense racing, there's certainly more of a fun vibe overall.

Bottomline, try a different type of event or sport. Just doing event rides will get boring in no time if you're used to racing.

[palincss]

I'm in quandry cycling wise. :crap:

Been racing category based races for years but my drive to compete is slipping. It just doesn't seem as fun as it used to be. Kind of a been-there-done-that feeling and I'm just not taking the same risks as in the past. Just kinda along for the ride/race but still doing well. So I'm looking for something to get me enthusiastic. I'm 45 so masters racing is an option but it feels like a let-down to race people based on age rather than ability(fun racing younger "kids"). Thinking about switching to mountain biking, ultra-distance, duathlons, triathlons, a 'bent or ???.


Just for fun, try a brevet.

[Sheldon4209]

Do you have a spouse/SO that would try tandem riding with you? Tandem riding shares the riding experiences and presents new challenges. It can be very social with rallys and tandem events.

[pbjbike]

Try the track if there's one near you.

[djg]

There's nothing wrong with a change of pace. Try this, that, or the other thing to keep things fresh (I mean, as long as it's not a recumbent).

On the road . . . well, I don't know what level you race at, but around here some of the masters races have plenty of Cat 1 & 2 riders and are effin' fast -- I was blown out in one crit this past summer, around about the same time as a national track champ.

It's fall, which means cyclocross time. Try it. Get dirty. And try it again.

I think that the bottom line is that none of us in our mid-forties is obligated by contract to race every week -- whether you're a 2 or a 4, the next twenty local crits are not going to keep the kids fed and shod. So break the routine. Go skiing. Whatever. Just mix things up before you are well and truly soured on the current routine -- at that point, well, it's not good for you now and it makes it harder to get back into it in the future.

[merlinmurph]

Man, I never did any road racing, only an occasional mt bike race over 10 years ago. With all the pain and suffering in racing, I can't imagine doing it unless you were 100% into it.

As a 55-year-old guy myself whose better cycling days are behind him, I can relate to your dilemma. I'd try something else, like any of the other races you suggested. As a cat 2, you've got some great fitness, so just try to apply it somewhere else. Maybe you'll fins a new spark.

If you're not having fun, though, doesn't make any sense to me.

[EPOJoe]

There's nothing wrong with a change of pace. Try this, that, or the other thing to keep things fresh (I mean, as long as it's not a recumbent).

Funny you should say that. A few years back I was getting pretty bored with road cycling (after thirty hardcore years of it) so I started messing around with recumbents. The initial challenge of staying upright alone brought me right back to a point where I once again loved what I was doing and I couldn’t wait to sneak in a ride. The high racer/low racer designs are a blast, and a RAAM team riding a new bike, the Rans X-Stream, recently ripped it up.

http://www.ransbikes.com/ITR79.htm

I still ride an upright, but I shake it up about fifty percent of the time with a recumbent just to keep it interesting. Keeps me from getting bored.

[nm87710]

I hear cyclocross is pretty fun. :beer:

I feel for ya. Similar age and racing. I figured out a year or so ago that I'm just getting old(that's what my wife and kids keep saying)! and the road scene has become kinda like Groundhog Day(movie). So I'm tinkering with triathlons and picking new and different road races for 2010. As far as triathlons I have yet to step into a pool and hope it's not over my head :crap: but at least I'll get to compete with hot chicks in bathing suits :banana:

Oh yea, I considered a 'bent for, oh something like 0.023 seconds before I realized I could never assume the position :)

Good luck and have fun

[avalonracing]

Mentor younger teammates on the way up. The most fun that I had racing was working for my team by burying myself to take a rider off the front, bridge him up after a mishap or blocking and counter attacking when one was up the road.

Knowing that I helped teammates get upgraded to Cat 1 and place in important races felt great.

[stephenmarklay]

This is a really interesting topic for me as I decided to start racing next year for the first time. I will be 41 for my first races so I am not looking to turn pro :)

I think in your case you are just a little burned out and not racing will make you want to race or make the decision to stop easier. Without a goal racing is not racing. If you are not saying I am going to win this race or this race is preparing me to win another race why bother?

I say don't race next year and do your touring rides do some long rides (like a Seattle to Portland ride in one day or two day events) to keep some endurance throughout the year.

After that look at how you feel for the next season. Keep some fitness and watch your weight since the benefit is much greater than just your cycling prowess...

[DukeHorn]

Maybe go the triathlon route or Xterra? I expect that your bike time will be awesome and it's sort of fun to work on the other disciplines.

I've done a few adventure races with friends and I like the teamwork aspect (and the fact that I tend to dig a little deeper when I have other folks relying on me).

[Commander Adama]

I'm in quandry cycling wise. :crap:

Been racing category based races for years but my drive to compete is slipping. It just doesn't seem as fun as it used to be. Kind of a been-there-done-that feeling and I'm just not taking the same risks as in the past. Just kinda along for the ride/race but still doing well. So I'm looking for something to get me enthusiastic. I'm 45 so masters racing is an option but it feels like a let-down to race people based on age rather than ability(fun racing younger "kids"). Thinking about switching to mountain biking, ultra-distance, duathlons, triathlons, a 'bent or ???. Or is it tiime to say "When" and hang up the 'ol competitive shoes, put on some weight, ride centuries for fun and enjoy the non-competitive lifejust not sure this is me). Probably not the first to experience this competitive drag and wondering what the wise forumites think or did themselves.

You say you've btdt, racing category for years...but were you winning? No offense intended, at all, but there's racing and then there's winning. Try to find a category which takes your handicap and allows you to play golf with other plus-handicaps, while maintaining that severe and fun challenge of victory.

Or find a retired female racer, much your junior and enjoy other elements in life. :beer:

[HenryA]

I also suggest you go and try to --win-- the 45+ Masters races.

My experience in the southeast 10-15 years ago was that you had to be a real monster to --win-- consistently in any Master's categories. I'd be consistently in the hunt in the Masters races. But the guys who dominated in Masters were also very much in the hunt in the Pro 1, 2 events. They were old but they were fast.

The other thing I liked in Masters racing was that there were no 20 year olds out there who thought they were bullet proof. There was plenty of skill and not so much blind aggressiveness and stupidity. Although I did get a week in the hospital once.

All this assumes that you'd want to respond to a challenge. If you have lost the urge to respond then maybe go race MTB. You can have fun even if you don't meet the threshold of competitiveness.

[207 cm]

If it's not fun why do it?

Since I left my "serious" cycling days I've been pretty heavily involved in:

Fencing.

Sky diving.

Horses.

Sporting Clays.

Motocross.

There is more to life then pushing on pedals if the love is gone. That said I'm now really enjoying riding now for the first time since I quit "racing" [least I was paying an entry fee and had a USCF card] 20+ years ago. Who knows, I may even start to at least run the local time trials next summer.......? :crap:

[ThomasRZ]

Cyclocross: the discipline that rescues awful seasons and reaffirms one's love for the bike.

No really, CX is pretty much the best thing ever. It's the only discipline of racing I care about any more.