Got dropped, got lapped, finished last...

[Keith Alexander]

Well, I knew I was going to come in last, but I didn't think I'd get
my ass handed to me like that.

I screwed up at the start. Instead of laying back and letting the
group I was in find the pace, I shot off the start line. I went balls
out for a few hundred yards and the first time I looked back, I was
alone. I knew right then and there I ****ed up. I was already a little
winded and I had no one to draft with. A few hundred feet more and I
heard the paceline behind me. And then they blew by me and I couldn't
fall in behind them. I gotta tell you, I was dejected and knew I was
in for a hard, lonely ride. I was right. And I'm not as fit as I
thought I was.

After the second lap, I was definitely panicked and afraid I couldn't
make it. Especially after that first hill. It's about 3/8ths of a mile
long, and steep. And I knew I had to hit it 7 times. Honestly, I
thought about quitting. But there was no way I could let that happen.
If I had to crawl on the pedals, finishing now took the place of
winning.

Laps 4 and 5 were easier and I started to settle into a groove. My
feet were numb from the cold and my legs were quivering from the
exertion, but I felt pretty good. Until my group lapped me. As I
passed the start/finish line each time, I saw my girl, my sister and a
friend taking pictures. Fact is, that embarrassed me as I was sucking
hard.

Lap 6 wound down and I hear "one more lap" shouted at me. That spurred
me on. Until I hit that hill again. I mashed my way up the hill, asked
one of the Marshals "did I win?" and enjoyed her howls of laughter as
I hammered the last 2.5 miles to the finish. ****, I was hurting at
this point. When I read the cycling magazines, I'm always amazed by
the suffering the riders are showing on their faces and now, for the
first time in a real way, I relate 100%. Each breath set my lungs
afire. Like shards of glass instead of cilia. My kidneys were
throbbing and my whole body was strained to the max.

When I saw the landmark telling me the finish line was around the next
bend, I put my head down, dropped to the drops and hammered my way
home. I crossed the finish line and coasted to a stop. I was afraid to
get off the bike, I swore I was going to drop to my knees if I did. I
had no interest in my overall time, I just cared that I finished. I
couldn't breathe, could hardly walk and was soaked to the bone in the
cool morning air.

I'll get them next year.

KA
---
www.nootrope.net

 

[Steve]

On 10/3/04 4:12 PM, in article
[email protected], "Keith Alexander"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Well, I knew I was going to come in last, but I didn't think I'd get
> my ass handed to me like that.
>
> I screwed up at the start. Instead of laying back and letting the
> group I was in find the pace, I shot off the start line. I went balls
> out for a few hundred yards and the first time I looked back, I was
> alone. I knew right then and there I ****ed up. I was already a little
> winded and I had no one to draft with. A few hundred feet more and I
> heard the paceline behind me. And then they blew by me and I couldn't
> fall in behind them. I gotta tell you, I was dejected and knew I was
> in for a hard, lonely ride. I was right. And I'm not as fit as I
> thought I was.
>
> After the second lap, I was definitely panicked and afraid I couldn't
> make it. Especially after that first hill. It's about 3/8ths of a mile
> long, and steep. And I knew I had to hit it 7 times. Honestly, I
> thought about quitting. But there was no way I could let that happen.
> If I had to crawl on the pedals, finishing now took the place of
> winning.
>
> Laps 4 and 5 were easier and I started to settle into a groove. My
> feet were numb from the cold and my legs were quivering from the
> exertion, but I felt pretty good. Until my group lapped me. As I
> passed the start/finish line each time, I saw my girl, my sister and a
> friend taking pictures. Fact is, that embarrassed me as I was sucking
> hard.
>
> Lap 6 wound down and I hear "one more lap" shouted at me. That spurred
> me on. Until I hit that hill again. I mashed my way up the hill, asked
> one of the Marshals "did I win?" and enjoyed her howls of laughter as
> I hammered the last 2.5 miles to the finish. ****, I was hurting at
> this point. When I read the cycling magazines, I'm always amazed by
> the suffering the riders are showing on their faces and now, for the
> first time in a real way, I relate 100%. Each breath set my lungs
> afire. Like shards of glass instead of cilia. My kidneys were
> throbbing and my whole body was strained to the max.
>
> When I saw the landmark telling me the finish line was around the next
> bend, I put my head down, dropped to the drops and hammered my way
> home. I crossed the finish line and coasted to a stop. I was afraid to
> get off the bike, I swore I was going to drop to my knees if I did. I
> had no interest in my overall time, I just cared that I finished. I
> couldn't breathe, could hardly walk and was soaked to the bone in the
> cool morning air.
>
> I'll get them next year.
>
> KA
> ---
> www.nootrope.net

This was the last guy to finish at the SFGP:

36 Josh Hall (Can) Jet Fuel Coffee 9.31

Is this you??

 

[Callistus Valerius]

> After the second lap, I was definitely panicked and afraid I couldn't
> make it. Especially after that first hill. It's about 3/8ths of a mile
> long, and steep. And I knew I had to hit it 7 times. Honestly, I
> thought about quitting.

What I've learned here, when I was commenting on the people who quit
during the Olympic road race, quitting is what your suppose to do, if you
can't keep up. So by following the advice that I received in here, you
became a road hazard for the other cyclists and should have quit. That
Rocky stuff belongs in another arena.

 

[John Forrest Tomlinson]

Cool start to the sport. Everyone (or almost everyone) gets crushed
in this sport at some time or another.

JT

****************************
Remove "remove" to reply
Visit http://www.jt10000.com
****************************

 

[Steven Bornfeld]

Keith Alexander wrote:
> Well, I knew I was going to come in last, but I didn't think I'd get
> my ass handed to me like that.
>
> I screwed up at the start. Instead of laying back and letting the
> group I was in find the pace, I shot off the start line. I went balls
> out for a few hundred yards and the first time I looked back, I was
> alone. I knew right then and there I ****ed up. I was already a little
> winded and I had no one to draft with. A few hundred feet more and I
> heard the paceline behind me. And then they blew by me and I couldn't
> fall in behind them. I gotta tell you, I was dejected and knew I was
> in for a hard, lonely ride. I was right. And I'm not as fit as I
> thought I was.
>
> After the second lap, I was definitely panicked and afraid I couldn't
> make it. Especially after that first hill. It's about 3/8ths of a mile
> long, and steep. And I knew I had to hit it 7 times. Honestly, I
> thought about quitting. But there was no way I could let that happen.
> If I had to crawl on the pedals, finishing now took the place of
> winning.
>
> Laps 4 and 5 were easier and I started to settle into a groove. My
> feet were numb from the cold and my legs were quivering from the
> exertion, but I felt pretty good. Until my group lapped me. As I
> passed the start/finish line each time, I saw my girl, my sister and a
> friend taking pictures. Fact is, that embarrassed me as I was sucking
> hard.
>
> Lap 6 wound down and I hear "one more lap" shouted at me. That spurred
> me on. Until I hit that hill again. I mashed my way up the hill, asked
> one of the Marshals "did I win?" and enjoyed her howls of laughter as
> I hammered the last 2.5 miles to the finish. ****, I was hurting at
> this point. When I read the cycling magazines, I'm always amazed by
> the suffering the riders are showing on their faces and now, for the
> first time in a real way, I relate 100%. Each breath set my lungs
> afire. Like shards of glass instead of cilia. My kidneys were
> throbbing and my whole body was strained to the max.
>
> When I saw the landmark telling me the finish line was around the next
> bend, I put my head down, dropped to the drops and hammered my way
> home. I crossed the finish line and coasted to a stop. I was afraid to
> get off the bike, I swore I was going to drop to my knees if I did. I
> had no interest in my overall time, I just cared that I finished. I
> couldn't breathe, could hardly walk and was soaked to the bone in the
> cool morning air.
>
> I'll get them next year.
>
> KA
> ---
> www.nootrope.net

Good for you. As Billy Bauer said to me after my first race,
"I guess dis was yore baptissmal by fyah!"

Steve

 

[Steven Bornfeld]

Callistus Valerius wrote:
>>After the second lap, I was definitely panicked and afraid I couldn't
>>make it. Especially after that first hill. It's about 3/8ths of a mile
>>long, and steep. And I knew I had to hit it 7 times. Honestly, I
>>thought about quitting.
>
>
> What I've learned here, when I was commenting on the people who quit
> during the Olympic road race, quitting is what your suppose to do, if you
> can't keep up. So by following the advice that I received in here, you
> became a road hazard for the other cyclists and should have quit. That
> Rocky stuff belongs in another arena.

Give the organizers and officials credit for knowing when a lapped
rider is a hazard to others, and to this rider for sticking it out.

Steve

>
>

 

[Raptor]

Keith Alexander wrote:
> Well, I knew I was going to come in last, but I didn't think I'd get
> my ass handed to me like that.

It happens, trust me.

> I screwed up at the start. Instead of laying back and letting the
> group I was in find the pace, I shot off the start line. I went balls
> out for a few hundred yards and the first time I looked back, I was
> alone. I knew right then and there I ****ed up. I was already a little
> winded and I had no one to draft with. A few hundred feet more and I
> heard the paceline behind me. And then they blew by me and I couldn't
> fall in behind them. I gotta tell you, I was dejected and knew I was
> in for a hard, lonely ride. I was right. And I'm not as fit as I
> thought I was.

No one is, in their first race. By about, maybe, the sixth race you'll
get a better feel for how you measure up BEFORE the race.

> After the second lap, I was definitely panicked and afraid I couldn't
> make it. Especially after that first hill. It's about 3/8ths of a mile
> long, and steep. And I knew I had to hit it 7 times. Honestly, I
> thought about quitting. But there was no way I could let that happen.
> If I had to crawl on the pedals, finishing now took the place of
> winning.

There's that, and there's letting such a dissapointing race turn into a
(needed) training ride. Whatever gets you to the end, but there's
nothing really wrong with DNF-ing a lost cause depending on how you use it.

> Laps 4 and 5 were easier and I started to settle into a groove. My
> feet were numb from the cold and my legs were quivering from the
> exertion, but I felt pretty good. Until my group lapped me. As I
> passed the start/finish line each time, I saw my girl, my sister and a
> friend taking pictures. Fact is, that embarrassed me as I was sucking
> hard.

The last time I did the RMR crits (a flat course, something like a
2-mile lap, 15-mile race IIRC), I got lapped. There were about six
serious racers in end-of-season condition, and I was doing about my
third race of the entire season. Those bastards were really flying,
which I already knew having managed to hang with them for the first two
complete laps. I take solace in the fact that I was the last one they
dropped.

They seemed not to notice me blowing them a raspberry as they went by on
the bell lap.

> I'll get them next year.

With a lot of training, perhaps.

Welcome to bike racing! It's not extremely difficult to win, if you get
the hard part over BEFORE the race and do everything right DURING the race.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall
"We should not march into Baghdad. ... Assigning young soldiers to
a fruitless hunt for a securely entrenched dictator and condemning
them to fight in what would be an unwinnable urban guerilla war, it
could only plunge that part of the world into ever greater
instability." George Bush Sr. in his 1998 book "A World Transformed"

 

[Stan Cox]

Keith Alexander wrote:
> Well, I knew I was going to come in last, but I didn't think I'd get
> my ass handed to me like that.
>
> I screwed up at the start. Instead of laying back and letting the
> group I was in find the pace, I shot off the start line. I went balls
> out for a few hundred yards and the first time I looked back, I was
> alone. I knew right then and there I ****ed up. I was already a little
> winded and I had no one to draft with. A few hundred feet more and I
> heard the paceline behind me. And then they blew by me and I couldn't
> fall in behind them. I gotta tell you, I was dejected and knew I was
> in for a hard, lonely ride. I was right. And I'm not as fit as I
> thought I was.<snip>
> I'll get them next year.
>
> KA
> ---
> www.nootrope.net

Welcome to the sport. Its really scary when you put in a turn &
realise you are off the front isnt it. Now you know what not to do
next time. Good to see you are not discouraged. You will be surprised
how much better you do next time. All the best.

Stan Cox

 

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (Keith Alexander) wrote:

> Well, I knew I was going to come in last, but I didn't think I'd get
> my ass handed to me like that.

It happens, even to semi-competent racers

> Laps 4 and 5 were easier and I started to settle into a groove. My
> feet were numb from the cold and my legs were quivering from the
> exertion, but I felt pretty good. Until my group lapped me. As I
> passed the start/finish line each time, I saw my girl, my sister and a
> friend taking pictures. Fact is, that embarrassed me as I was sucking
> hard.

> When I saw the landmark telling me the finish line was around the next
> bend, I put my head down, dropped to the drops and hammered my way
> home. I crossed the finish line and coasted to a stop. I was afraid to
> get off the bike, I swore I was going to drop to my knees if I did. I
> had no interest in my overall time, I just cared that I finished. I
> couldn't breathe, could hardly walk and was soaked to the bone in the
> cool morning air.

I had two notably terrible races this year. In one, I had an
accident/mechanical (a bump from behind at the entrance to the gravel
section (the "Harris-Roubaix" race) dislodged moved my rear wheel
(horizontal dropouts)) which left me permanently dropped about 15
minutes into the race. (I tried to catch for several laps until it was
hopeless, then gave up).

The second one was a crit the day after a road race. I got dropped
relatively late in the hard road race, but that was fine. But the crit
saw me beaten and blown away in minutes. I lasted about two laps with
the pack, dropped off the back, watched them disappear, and pulled up
about 15 minutes after the race began. Not exactly value for money on
that entry fee.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.wiredcola.com
Verus de parvis; verus de magnis.

 

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> When I saw the landmark telling me the finish line was around the next
> bend, I put my head down, dropped to the drops and hammered my way
> home. I crossed the finish line and coasted to a stop. I was afraid to
> get off the bike, I swore I was going to drop to my knees if I did. I
> had no interest in my overall time, I just cared that I finished. I
> couldn't breathe, could hardly walk and was soaked to the bone in the
> cool morning air.
>
> I'll get them next year.

And maybe many years down the road as well. Hang in there; it's not just
strength but the experience from riding in the pack and learning how things
work that keeps you in contention (instead of watching them recede in the
distance).

Another thing to consider- it's a good thing you rode to the end. You won't
always get that chance; if it's a crowded field on a tight course, they'll
often pull out lapped riders. But if you go into the race knowing that
you're going to go the whole distance, it can be a powerful motivator to
hang in there with the pack, since it's a whole lot easier drafting that it
is being out there on your own. Just remember that when you think you can't
hang on... it's still easier than doing it on your own!

And if you ever wonder what happens to ex-racers many years down the road,
you might find this story fun to read-

http://www.chainreaction.com/crazy.htm

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

 

[Keith Alexander]

"Callistus Valerius" <[email protected]> wrote:

> So by following the advice that I received in here, you
> became a road hazard for the other cyclists and should have quit.

*** I don't recall ever saying I became a hazard. It's a three lane
parkway and lil' ole me was tucked quite out of the way.

But your statement is well taken and if I /was/ in the way, I
would have quit.

> That Rocky stuff belongs in another arena.

*** If you think my post was Rocky-like, you may
want to rewatch the movie.

KA
---
www.nootrope.net

 

[Kyle Legate]

Keith Alexander wrote:
> Well, I knew I was going to come in last, but I didn't think I'd get
> my ass handed to me like that.
>
> I screwed up at the start. Instead of laying back and letting the
> group I was in find the pace, I shot off the start line. I went balls
> out for a few hundred yards and the first time I looked back, I was
> alone. I knew right then and there I ****ed up. I was already a little
> winded and I had no one to draft with. A few hundred feet more and I
> heard the paceline behind me. And then they blew by me and I couldn't
> fall in behind them.
>
If you couldn't tag the paceline on its way by right at the start, I don't
think it would make a difference if you let the group set the pace; you'd
still be blown off the back. You need to ride a lot more.

At least you can take away from this experience the fact that you know what
it feels like to go hard enough during your interval sessions. Now you have
to find the motivation to push yourself there regularly.

 

[Kyle Legate]

Stan Cox wrote:
>
> Welcome to the sport. Its really scary when you put in a turn &
> realise you are off the front isnt it. Now you know what not to do
> next time. Good to see you are not discouraged. You will be surprised
> how much better you do next time. All the best.
>
If he does do that again, he should simply softpedal back to the group.
There's nothing wrong with misjudging the start, but don't continue the move
unless you intend to lap them right away.

 

[Benjamin Weiner]

[email protected] (Keith Alexander) wrote:
> "Callistus Valerius" <[email protected]> wrote:

> > So by following the advice that I received in here, you
> > became a road hazard for the other cyclists and should have quit.
>
> *** I don't recall ever saying I became a hazard. It's a three lane
> parkway and lil' ole me was tucked quite out of the way.

Pay no attention to "Callistus." If he was any smarter, he'd
be trolling, but as it is, he's the RBR equivalent of a road
hazard - more like a pothole than a speed bump. If RBR was in
color we could spray fluorescent orange paint around him.

Most of the rest of us got dropped in our first races as well.
(Or, like me, still get dropped.) What Callistus fails to
comprehend is the difference between a recreational amateur like
you or me gutting it out just to finish a race as a matter of
principle, and a pro (who has to race again next week) unnecessarily
killing himself to finish when he's well out of the results.

> But your statement is well taken and if I /was/ in the way, I
> would have quit.

If it was a problem, the officials could have pulled you - that
is what they are there for.

> > That Rocky stuff belongs in another arena.
>
> *** If you think my post was Rocky-like, you may
> want to rewatch the movie.

You did good. Thanks for describing the experience. Not
everybody who comes to RBR asking for advice returns to give
back the rundown.

 

[Richard Adams]

[email protected] (Keith Alexander) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Well, I knew I was going to come in last, but I didn't think I'd get
> my ass handed to me like that.
>
> I screwed up at the start. Instead of laying back and letting the
> group I was in find the pace, I shot off the start line. I went balls
> out for a few hundred yards and the first time I looked back, I was
> alone. I knew right then and there I ****ed up. I was already a little
> winded and I had no one to draft with. A few hundred feet more and I
> heard the paceline behind me. And then they blew by me and I couldn't
> fall in behind them. I gotta tell you, I was dejected and knew I was
> in for a hard, lonely ride. I was right. And I'm not as fit as I
> thought I was.
[snip]

I can sympathize. I had an excellent ride on Saturday, my personal
best and thought I'd follow up with the same form on Sunday.
Unfortunately I made a few errors, getting caught in the wind and such
and was gapped at the far point of the ride (on an incline) and try as
I might, I couldn't close it and spent a long lonely hour hammering
home against a cold wind in sweat soaked kit. My sole energy bar
already exhausted generating heat as well as power. I made it a good
training ride, but think I came close to hypothermia. (This morning I
ordered a couple boxes of those Clif builder jobbies, I think they're
come in handy, feed zones would be so handy on these rides!)

Keep at it and best of luck!

 

[Warren]

"Benjamin Weiner" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] (Keith Alexander) wrote:
> > "Callistus Valerius" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > So by following the advice that I received in here, you
> > > became a road hazard for the other cyclists and should have quit.
> >
> > *** I don't recall ever saying I became a hazard. It's a three lane
> > parkway and lil' ole me was tucked quite out of the way.
>
> Pay no attention to "Callistus." If he was any smarter, he'd
> be trolling, but as it is, he's the RBR equivalent of a road
> hazard - more like a pothole than a speed bump. If RBR was in
> color we could spray fluorescent orange paint around him.
>
> Most of the rest of us got dropped in our first races as well.
> (Or, like me, still get dropped.) What Callistus fails to
> comprehend is the difference between a recreational amateur like
> you or me gutting it out just to finish a race as a matter of
> principle, and a pro (who has to race again next week) unnecessarily
> killing himself to finish when he's well out of the results.

Not exactly. By the time nearly every rider gets to Cat 3 they have learned
the following harsh truth... If you are no longer with the pack (nor in
contention) you are no longer racing, you are training. If you want to train
on the course that's your business but most of the decent riders at the race
will wonder why you don't just go home and train.

If you think finishing every race gives you more motivation to race then so
be it, but I think you'd try harder to stay with the pack if you knew the
truth-that your racing was finished as soon as you get dropped so you must
fight until you can no longer pedal to avoid being dropped without the
little safety net of thinking you can still "finish" the race if you get
dropped. If you do finally get dropped then that's the end of the race.

Avoid the "runner" or "century rider" mentality of, "How was your race?",
"Well, I finished." (but not with the pack) Oh really, was there a doubt
that you could ride 45 miles (or whatever it was)? No? Okay then, what did
you actually accomplish in the race, and what do you need to do to make it
more likely that you can finish the race with the pack. If you really want
to be a bike racer then you need to focus on these things for now.

> You did good. Thanks for describing the experience. Not
> everybody who comes to RBR asking for advice returns to give
> back the rundown.

I agree. And starting fast may serve you well for some races, especially
criteriums where the riders you don't want to be around will be near the
back and in your way.

What you do next will show a lot.

-WG

 

[Callistus Valerius]

> Avoid the "runner" or "century rider" mentality of, "How was your race?",
> "Well, I finished." (but not with the pack) Oh really, was there a doubt
> that you could ride 45 miles (or whatever it was)? No?

This "whoever finishes is a winner" is Steven Speilberg Hollywood
sentimentality. This disease has crept into all facets of life including
cycling. It's really really sad to see it.

 

[John Forrest Tomlinson]

On 4 Oct 2004 06:32:56 -0700, [email protected] (Keith Alexander)
wrote:

>"Callistus Valerius" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> That Rocky stuff belongs in another arena.
>
>*** If you think my post was Rocky-like, you may
>want to rewatch the movie.
>

Good comebacks from a first-time racer. You'll go far.

Ignore CV in this thread.

JT

****************************
Remove "remove" to reply
Visit http://www.jt10000.com
****************************

 

[Keith Alexander®]

On Mon, 04 Oct 2004 20:28:36 GMT, "Callistus Valerius"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> This "whoever finishes is a winner" is Steven Speilberg Hollywood
>sentimentality. This disease has crept into all facets of life including
>cycling.

*** My iPod was playing "Chariots of Fire," not "Gonna Fly Now."

And I never felt like a bigger loser, actually.
But then I watched "Breaking Away."

I'm good now. Thanks.

---
k e i t h a l e x a n d e r
http://www.nootrope.net
http://www.modernamerican.com
aim: nootrope9 element

- - e n d t r a n s m i s s i o n - -

 

[Keith Alexander®]

On 4 Oct 2004 11:29:01 -0700, [email protected] wrote:

>Thanks for describing the experience. Not everybody
>who comes to RBR asking for advice returns to give
>back the rundown.

*** The signal-to-noise ratio may scare people away.

http://www.nootrope.net/race has a few pictures, blog
postings and a wrap up.

I was going to embedd the theme song from "American Flyers"
but then I read Callistus Valerius' take on my post and thought
better of it.

Is crystal meth a banned substance?

---
k e i t h a l e x a n d e r
http://www.nootrope.net
http://www.modernamerican.com
aim: nootrope9 element

- - e n d t r a n s m i s s i o n - -