Winning Versus Enjoying

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I found Rich Dillon's blog from today interesting:
http://teamdicky.blog.com/1957712/

Specifically this:

Remember to race for the sheer joy of running around the woods on bikes wih 429 of your closest friends. Winning may look glamorous, but for me it's a mental catastrophe. Instead of just worrying about pace, cramps, nutrition, fun, good lines, good times etc. I am looking over my shoulder, rushing through aid stations, not looking at the scenery, thinking about failure, taking bad lines, freaking out when I'm flailing trying to get over a log, etc. I'm paying good money to stress myself way the hell out. Make sense? I dunno, but when I see pictures of people enjoying what looks like a lot of comaraderie at the aid stations and keeping each other company on Curtis Creek Rd I certainly feel a twinge of jealousy.

Don't really have much to add but I thought it was an interesting perspective. As someone recently said to me, if you're not having fun, then what the hell are you doing?
 

Shaggz

A strong 7
Ironically, I was having similar thoughts this morning while stuck in traffic - what makes a mountain biker a mountain biker, or more specifically, is there something that makes someone more of a mountain biker than someone else?

Is it riding 200 miles a week on the road to go faster than someone else in the woods? Is it buying thousands of dollars of bikes and equipment? Or is it as simple as getting out in the woods when you can and enjoying the hell out of it, and then being able to tap those good feelings later on and look forward to the next ride? Some may be better athletes, some may have more time on their hands, but we are all mountain bikers.
 

elzoller

El Guac-Oh
I enter the races to have fun. If I start training for them and worrying about every little detail it takes away the fun for me. It can become like a JOB and to me MTB is my distraction from my real JOB. But, hey, everybody is different and some people enjoy training and competition, so good for them, too. As long as everybody haves fun that is all that matters.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I definitely have a problem balancing the fun versus competing thing. At a very base level you want to have fun. Like I said, otherwise why are you out there? But then I read this:

"I see pictures of people enjoying what looks like a lot of comaraderie at the aid stations and keeping each other company on Curtis Creek Rd"

And that makes me think, well am I out there socializing or riding? So of course you want to go faster. Who doesn't? But how much faster? Faster than Steve? Elzoller? Walter? Everyone?

Like Maurice I tend to push myself hard when I ride. But unlike Maurice I tend to crap out and give up riding for months and even seasons at a time. Now that hasn't happened in the last year or so which is nice. But as this year winds on, I'm finding myself dialing back some of the longer weekend rides and enjoying it a little more.

I still don't have a good balance. I have no idea what my point is. In the end, yes, we're all just riding to enjoy it. Try not to get too caught up in it all. I would probably do well to heed my own advice.
 
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anrothar

entirely thrilled
it's also a matter of how a person defines fun. going fast can be fun. being completely winded at the top of a hill yet continueing to pedal can be fun. pushing yourself to the edge of crashing can be really fun. in a race it's just a matter of racing yourself, which can be difficult. racing others can be fun, for a time, and if you're close to the lead and feeling strong, but if not, you just have to resign yourself to racing yourself.
 

ArmyOfNone

Well-Known Member
I think what makes this all fun is that we enjoy riding. I am not sure if enjoyment and fun are the same thing....maybe

Competing is fun. It is hard work if you want to be able to compete. Some days or stretches of training are easier than others. When it gets tough its easy to give up. But it is part of what you have to do.

On days like the one i had today, its easy to throw in the towel. Tommorow is another day. Today sucked tho.

Does that make sense?
 
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DANSPANK

Guest
I'm in it to catch a little air of trail bumps every now and then. The squish of the suspension as I land. To listen to the sounds, and to take in the smells of the woods. The whirring of the chain and gears. Stopping at the top of a hill to allow a rider to grunt up past you and giving them a few words of encouragement on the way. Splashing through the stream crossings. The taste of my accelerade in my camelbak. Riding with new and old buddies. The views from the top. Adding the miles to my annual tally. The tired legs, the shortness of breath. Listening to my "After the ride" playlist on my iPod, and the trail wounds that are evidence of a good day. It's all fun and even a bad day on the bike is a better day than being on the sofa...
 

elzoller

El Guac-Oh
I'm in it to catch a little air of trail bumps every now and then. The squish of the suspension as I land. To listen to the sounds, and to take in the smells of the woods. The whirring of the chain and gears. Stopping at the top of a hill to allow a rider to grunt up past you and giving them a few words of encouragement on the way. Splashing through the stream crossings. The taste of my accelerade in my camelbak. Riding with new and old buddies. The views from the top. Adding the miles to my annual tally. The tired legs, the shortness of breath. Listening to my "After the ride" playlist on my iPod, and the trail wounds that are evidence of a good day. It's all fun and even a bad day on the bike is a better day than being on the sofa...

Word!
 

ChrisG

Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
I'm in it to catch a little air of trail bumps every now and then. The squish of the suspension as I land. To listen to the sounds, and to take in the smells of the woods. The whirring of the chain and gears. Stopping at the top of a hill to allow a rider to grunt up past you and giving them a few words of encouragement on the way. Splashing through the stream crossings. The taste of my accelerade in my camelbak. Riding with new and old buddies. The views from the top. Adding the miles to my annual tally. The tired legs, the shortness of breath. Listening to my "After the ride" playlist on my iPod, and the trail wounds that are evidence of a good day. It's all fun and even a bad day on the bike is a better day than being on the sofa...
Right on.
 

ytc100

New Member
I'm in it to catch a little air of trail bumps every now and then. The squish of the suspension as I land. To listen to the sounds, and to take in the smells of the woods. The whirring of the chain and gears. Stopping at the top of a hill to allow a rider to grunt up past you and giving them a few words of encouragement on the way. Splashing through the stream crossings. The taste of my accelerade in my camelbak. Riding with new and old buddies. The views from the top. Adding the miles to my annual tally. The tired legs, the shortness of breath. Listening to my "After the ride" playlist on my iPod, and the trail wounds that are evidence of a good day. It's all fun and even a bad day on the bike is a better day than being on the sofa...

Somebody get this guy a copywriter's job quick!

Good stuff.
 
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DANSPANK

Guest
It's funny you should say that. My bike-paying day job is leading a marketing team where media development is a top priority! Not that you'd be able to tell that from reading my other posts!
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
see, i have a big problem with this...the winning v. enjoying. i have always enjoyed b/c i've won. i know what that sounds like dumb but i got used to being at a certain level of doing things. this cycling thing...i just can't get there yet. i have my own little personal victories now and again but in the grand scheme of things, well, i don't know that i'll ever get to the level that I feel i should be at based on past athletic performance.

so, that said, i think my mtb race "career" is pretty much over...at least the H2H type stuff...and for sure this year. both of the races i've done haven't been fun. i have the most fun when i'm riding with my buddies. hopefully races like the DH40 and other longer ones will bring that but i think that will have to wait until next year...
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Interesting you bring this up. In an ironic twist, this weekend was the only race I ever DNFed and yet I enjoyed it more than any other race I've ever done. So F-Bomb it. If I DNF everything I do yet have more fun, it's all good. Figure over time I can immensely enjoy a race I actually do finish.
 

J-Dro

Well-Known Member
both of the races i've done haven't been fun. i have the most fun when i'm riding with my buddies.

Thats the reason that I'm soooo looking forward to this years 24 race at allamuchy. What's better then a weekend of biking and camping with your buddies? I don't give a rat's ass where I place in the standings. To me it's all about the shared experiences with your friends that you will talk about for years to come. I hope to share a lap or two with some of the mtbnj regulars.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Thats the reason that I'm soooo looking forward to this years 24 race at allamuchy. What's better then a weekend of biking and camping with your buddies? I don't give a rat's ass where I place in the standings. To me it's all about the shared experiences with your friends that you will talk about for years to come. I hope to share a lap or two with some of the mtbnj regulars.

Hey why not join the party and setup camp with or at least around us. We've probably got 8 of us looking to be in one general spot so far.
 

J-Dro

Well-Known Member
Hey why not join the party and setup camp with or at least around us. We've probably got 8 of us looking to be in one general spot so far.

Well I'm already committed to camping with a rather large group but I'm sure there will be plenty of time to mingle.
 
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