Steve Miller learns about Racing

" I cannot believe how hard the start of those swim races are with so many bodies swimming and climbing over each other.  I did better this year, not getting so anxious and out of breath at the start of the battle.  It helped doing multiple races. " Steve Miller(Steve is life long athlete who cycles and played college football at the Div 1 level 'back in the day').  

Don't freaking tell me a crit is scary.  This guy jumps in the ocean with about 1000 people and swims out around two piers and back to shore….. I don't  know…maybe 2 miles?  Yea, through the surf in 'cold as heck' water.   Last race, a 7 foot long shark was sighted.

When we went to the start of the Barrouse Bales recently, our plan was to start at the front.   Chris, Hellen, Christina and I had our tires on the start line.   The road was about 20 ft wide and no more than 50m from the line was metal barrier protecting some utility construction.   There were about 5-6 guys crammed into the first line with us and rest of the 419 people were behind us.   Christina and I set there calmly knowing this thing would start like and explosion and collapse to 12 ft wide causing a huge traffic jam for the racers behind us.   People would be unclipping….a horrible sound.  Some would be yelling obscenities in French.

We were totally prepared as this was only one of many races this year.   In the recent weeks, C has said a couple of times that more frequent racing really reduces her stress running up to a race.  This is coming from someone that use to feel stressed out about doing the SCTAC 'B' ride/race on Tuesday nights………she loves SCTAC now.

It is almost amusing to me that so many people never learn this:  You cannot do anything well(and have fun) without the correct preparation and in athletics, this means doing races before 'the big race'.  It means racing often so one is 'race hard' physically, but mostly mentally.  Some people who have 'race reluctance' say, "I don't race, I just like to have fun."  Hum….to me, racing is fun.  They say, "I just like to ride, I am not competitive any more."  I used to ride with a couple that said this……every ride would become a race……every hill a competition.  "I am not competitive…"?  They wanted to beat my ass every time we threw our legs over our bikes.   I gave 'em up.  Most of time, I just want to ride(albeit hard sometimes), not competing but working with my ride mates!  Save competition for racing.  Before leaving this, I want say understand most folks that ride bikes do not want to race bikes(like most do not swim in open water ocean races)….I get that.  Some want to race but it is beyond their comfort zone.  However, all of us compete at something in our lives, so overcoming limits caused by comfort zone issues is terrific lesson to learn!

I've got a pal named Gary Rancourt, that does not cycle anymore.  After a year or so of paddle boarding, he recently finished a 25 mile race.  He endured boating traffic, head winds and waves, falling off the board several times.  Took over 5 hours.  You think this guy understands how to increase his comfort zone?  Don't use age as excuse either……Gary is about 70.  You can increase your comfort zone until as long as yoga re breathing.

Thirty five years ago I started a dinky business from scratch.   At that time, I could not speak publicly to 300-400 people(or 3-4 either), ask a bank for a $10m line of credit, or close the sale of a $2m contract……heck, I was cleaning the toilet and typing letters.   I increased my comfort zone…..day after day….year after year.   Now, I am back cleaning toilets and typing letters.  And, I like it….funny how life works.

Anyone can increase their comfort zone, or just set around Starbucks, drink coffee and talk.  I love Starbucks but I like a big comfort zone because it allows me to do a lot of stuff.  I've ridden in Europe and Africa but C has been talking about Asia and Hawaii……wow! gonna need to increase my comfort zone again.

See ya out there.

  

The 'Blue Train' Rolls through the Pyrenees

Sunday, we were proud to be representing Modry Evergreen Racing.   Racing in France is like playing baseball in the major leagues here in the USA.  Cycling is the second largest sport in the country and these guys take it very seriously.

Christina and I teamed with our good friends, Chris and Helen Balfour of Pyractif, for the Barrouse Bales in French Pyrenees.   This is a 74 mile race with 8100 feet of climbing and 2 major mountain climbs.   It encompasses the Peyersourde(Cat 1 - the hardest rating for a climb) and the Port de Bales(HC - so hard it is beyond rating).  The race drew 419 finishers(a record).  The weather was super.

Our goal was clear:   1st and 2nd Overall Women's

We met the goal!  Of course, this meant that we were 1st in Women's 20-39(Helen) and 1st in Women's 50+(Christina)!

Almost better than the podium results were the times:

Helen - 4:33 and change (last year's time was 4:56)
Christina - 4:37 and change (last year's time was 4:56)

Unbelievable.   These were the two fastest women in southern France today!

Christina and I were both thrilled with her race.   She used every tool in her bag.  The 33 miles out to the first climb were hard and darn hilly and we maintained 32.4km/hour……..then she PR'd on the Peyresourde and was 1 minute off her PR on the Port de B.   Helen is the very best female climber

in MY world and also raced a 'complete' race.  I was very proud of C's finish, only 4 minutes behind her.

As for me, I did everything I could, for those 33 miles, to get my team out to the climb as fast and fresh as possible.   We took 12 minutes out of last years effort.  It was not without it's pain for me.   I did a respectable climb up the Peyersourde as my team rode away from me(as planned…it was Chris who would marshall from there, and he did).  Ever optimistic, that I could catch them, I was going 65km/hour on the descent when my back tire blew out.  I rode to a stop in 300-400m in the weeds.   I climbed off shaking.   Two flat repairs later, a begged for tube(hard to beg when don't speak the language), a 2km walk uphill and a 45km ride on a tire with 40 psi in it, I limped in.   My first question was, "Did I make the time cut?"

All in a day of racing.

You know me.  I always look for the lessons learned or relearned, that I can apply to my life in general:

Dream Big - We set very clear bold goals……..goals that seemed almost unattainable!

Prepare - We did 4 weeks of heavy prep and C came into this in 'all time' peak fitness and peak form.  There is no substitute for being prepared no matter what your challenge.

Trust - Trust that people around you can sometimes see more in you than you can see in yourself.  Trust your preparation.   Trust your team mates.   Trust your coaches.   Trust yourself.

We are gonna kick back and do some cruisin' now………we earned it!  Well, we might do the Superbagneres Race (19km straight up a big mountain) next Saturday…….a birthday challenge for me(a real mountain climber…ha ha!).  Stay tuned.

See ya out there.