Racing under stress = Bad

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So I just got back from a race in milwaukee... Whitnall Park criterium if anyone here's familar with it. During the week before the race, I was dealing with big housing issues. (Read: I got ditched and didn't know where I would live next semester...:eek:) Also, the night before the race, I got in a big argument with one of my close friends and ended it about 20 minutes before I went to sleep to wake up 7 hours later to drive up for the race. I was thinking about all this stuff for the first half of the drive to milwaukee from chicago. Had to force myself to even start thinking about the race! Not a good situation, I know.

So after that, I concentrated on the race, and pulled up to the line with 85 other cat 4/5 riders. It was a sketch fest, with 3 crashes, lots of bumping, and many a rude folk. In my opinion, the race really wasn't that fast. I checked my HR monitor and I was below LT for the majority of it, and it was by far not the fastest or hilliest race I had ever been in, and I was sure I'd gone up against stronger/smarter racers in the past--That is, until I came in 30th in the back of the pack... my worst finish ever.
I couldn't figure out why the race had gone that way. Just the week before, I had done a crit around the capitol in madison, it was the third race of the weekend, way faster, and I was in zone 5 and zone 6 the entire race!! (my computer verified I never dropped below 189 bpm.) The races were both 45 minutes too.

Then it clicked. I didn't have any fun that race at all. I was so stressed out with all that other stuff going on, that when I started getting my normal prerace jitters, I didn't even want to deal with it. It totally stopped me from enjoying the race, and so I went from trying to win, to just trying to hold on.

So I guess what I'm saying, is... Race when you're stressed, you won't do as well! Ive heard the same thing before, but this was for sure the first time I ever experienced it. Bike racing's suppose to be fun!
Any thoughts?

So I just got back from a race in milwaukee... Whitnall Park criterium if anyone here's familar with it. During the week before the race, I was dealing with big housing issues. (Read: I got ditched and didn't know where I would live next semester...:eek:) Also, the night before the race, I got in a big argument with one of my close friends and ended it about 20 minutes before I went to sleep to wake up 7 hours later to drive up for the race. I was thinking about all this stuff for the first half of the drive to milwaukee from chicago. Had to force myself to even start thinking about the race! Not a good situation, I know.

So after that, I concentrated on the race, and pulled up to the line with 85 other cat 4/5 riders. It was a sketch fest, with 3 crashes, lots of bumping, and many a rude folk. In my opinion, the race really wasn't that fast. I checked my HR monitor and I was below LT for the majority of it, and it was by far not the fastest or hilliest race I had ever been in, and I was sure I'd gone up against stronger/smarter racers in the past--That is, until I came in 30th in the back of the pack... my worst finish ever.
I couldn't figure out why the race had gone that way. Just the week before, I had done a crit around the capitol in madison, it was the third race of the weekend, way faster, and I was in zone 5 and zone 6 the entire race!! (my computer verified I never dropped below 189 bpm.) The races were both 45 minutes too.

Then it clicked. I didn't have any fun that race at all. I was so stressed out with all that other stuff going on, that when I started getting my normal prerace jitters, I didn't even want to deal with it. It totally stopped me from enjoying the race, and so I went from trying to win, to just trying to hold on.

So I guess what I'm saying, is... Race when you're stressed, you won't do as well! Ive heard the same thing before, but this was for sure the first time I ever experienced it. Bike racing's suppose to be fun!
Any thoughts?
I somewhat agree. Sometimes the stress/anger can help you destroy the field.

But, oddly enough, an ex-gf and I got in a fight tonight and I'm not racing tomorrow because it is pissing me off so much.

Chicks man... Chicks.

I somewhat agree. Sometimes the stress/anger can help you destroy the field.

But, oddly enough, an ex-gf and I got in a fight tonight and I'm not racing tomorrow because it is pissing me off so much.

Chicks man... Chicks.

Tape a photo of your girlfriend onto the front tire and try and beat your average high cadence record in the race.
I assure you, a 1st place finish.