What runs through your head while racing?

Mare

Mare

Well-Known Member
So when you are out there for hours, what is running through your head while racing? I know for me there is plenty of time when no-one is around, so my thoughts really wander. When people are around, I am trying to joke about something, or catch my breath...it all just depends.

During Waway, I thought "I promise if I make it to the finish, I will try to relax more and sleep! I will never push myself like this again. I want to be on my couch! Oooh...that was fun. This is why I bike. I hate biking! I am selling them, making more room in my living room, and starting a new hobby. God, I hope no-one saw that. Hmm.. post ride meal... what will it be? :popcorn:??? My poisin ivy is driving me crazy!!!" etc, etc...
 
spin, load, jump, front brake,...

Believe it or not,....I talk tech to myself. It's as if I'm doing a womens clinic in my head. "How would I coach a beginner through this,..." I ask myself. Of course,..this is easy to do when you ride as slow as I do. I really only pick up the pace on the parts I like to "play" on while on the race course. I'm in trouble if I start thinking on what I need to do at home,..at work,..other stuff than riding.
 
Waway was my first and it was only cat 3... so i wasnt out there for hours.
but I was thinking I should have brought my garmin so i knew how much further i had to go.
I was alo thinking about catching my breath. When i came up on someone I would tail them for a minute, get my wind back, then pass when i felt better.
I was also thinking that my bike was squeaking soo much i wasnt going to sneak up on anybody...
Then i was riding by myself for the last 15 minutes and I was worried I wasnt pushing as hard as I should have been.
Then I was worried my friend paul woudl catch me as he started int he next age group right behind me...
then I finished and I was thinking I should move up to Cat 2 soon...
 
Mare45 said:
So when you are out there for hours....
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This is the song I was singing to myself at Wawayonda. Oh Yeah! I'm a DIVA!

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

BiknBen remix lyrics:
Love me hate me, say what you want about me
But all of the boys and all of the girls are begging to R-A-C-E me
Love me hate me, but can't you see what I see?
All of the boys and all of the girls are begging to R-A-C-E me
Love me hate me, la la la, la la la
 
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My first race ever...cat 3. 30 seconds in I was thinking what have I gone & gotten myself into this time. Then I crashed & thought well thats out of the way now I can start to ride. Then I thought often about how much my legs were burning, heart was pounding, how much I was gasping for air. Then I started telling myself to settle in, and actually thought about pedaling form for about ten seconds before crashing again.

Then I thought of advice someone had posted on MTBNJ about keeping my head screwed on (great advice) and tried to settle in. I kept thinking about how difficult even the simplest things were becoming, like clipping in, going over easy little rock faces...heck...steering when you are at the limit like that. Through all this I kept trying to reach inside to find enough to catch someone ahead of me, and didn't want to get caught by anyone behind me. Sometimes I succeeded, sometimes there was nothing left and I had to wait a minute & then look again.

The whole time I was thinking I really wished I knew the trail to know how much was left, and what was coming, to know when & how hard to push it. There were many moments when I thought I couldn't do it, then found some courage & dug in & found myself firmly believing that I could, and would finish, and respectably.

I kept reminding myself that everyone on here who encouraged us to race said that the hell during the race is forgotten as soon as you cross the finish line, and replaced with a sense of euphoria that is hard to describe, and hard to get from anything else other than pushing yourself that hard.

They were right.
:popcorn:
 
During the race I was thinking (from the side lines mind you) Why and the hell am I not out there man I was an idiot for not registering! :popcorn:
 
Mostly terrain and positioning related thoughts. Like this is the line, or holy shit that was close, or where is the next guy in my bracket, when do I pass this guy, that's a sweet downhill, bike's working great, need to adjust my nads a bit :popcorn:, those guys who I just passed should stop already talking about how smooth my 29" wheels are rolling over the terrain, etc.
 
kush said:
those guys who I just passed should stop already talking about how smooth my 29" wheels are rolling over the terrain, etc.
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LOL.. Nice Kush. I thought a similar thought...

As i would pass somebody in the rocks... I thought to myself... "he should have bought a 29er"
 
:hmmm:well i was cat 3 and i was 3erd for a littel and i was talking to two racers in front of me and one that was in front slept a peadel and made the second stop and i pasted two racers up and i was in the front in the first rock gardien wit the tree u had to go throw and than i look back and now one was bye me i had a 7min lead whan i finshed but i pushed all the way and all i said was i can do this i can do this and gasping for air and could not chach my breath and say to my self not mouch more becouse i had road the course the day be for so i know it ok:hmmm:so i said keep peadling i can do this😕

i got #1 in cat3 ,19-29age it was a blast
 
rockhoper said:
:hmmm:well i was cat 3 and i was 3erd for a littel and i was talking to two racers in front of me and one that was in front slept a peadel and made the second stop and i pasted two racers up and i was in the front in the first rock gardien wit the tree u had to go throw and than i look back and now one was bye me i had a 7min lead whan i finshed but i pushed all the way and all i said was i can do this i can do this and gasping for air and could not chach my breath and say to my self not mouch more becouse i had road the course the day be for so i know it ok:hmmm:so i said keep peadling i can do this😕

i got #1 in cat3 ,19-29age it was a blast
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Congrats on your win. Your time was rockin', you may be asked to move up soon.

Are you as upset as I am about America's failing public school system?
 
kush said:
Congrats on your win. Your time was rockin', you may be asked to move up soon.
thay told me to move to cat 2 next race

Are you as upset as I am about America's failing public school system?
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yes all the way:cry:
 
why dose the spelling have to be right if you undrsatnd it then why do you have to make fun of me?:popcorn:
 
rockhoper said:
why dose the spelling have to be right if you undrsatnd it then why do you have to make fun of me?:popcorn:
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Just messing with you ... largely because it seems like you're not even trying. Seriously dude, rockin' split at Wawa.
 
rockhoper said:
why dose the spelling have to be right if you undrsatnd it then why do you have to make fun of me?:popcorn:
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Most of it is just poking fun its not meant to be a serious insult. I'll be in your age/cat in the series so if I can even catch you we'll discuss grammar on the trails ok? 😀
 
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