Race Goals & Other Thoughts for New Racers
Reading everyone's posts, especially those of you new to racing, prompted me to share a couple of thoughts.
Determine why you want to race. This is an important one. Just because you're a fast rider doesn't mean you need to race. To be successful at racing, you need to be competitive. I can teach riders all the skills necessary to race, but I can't teach someone to be competitive.
Race your own race. Unless you're an elite athlete, there are many variables that will affect your training and racing. Don't compare yourself to others. Sometimes you don't even want to compare yourself to yourself. Each race will be different, so set goals based on where you are for that specific event.
Set goals for the season and each race that are achievable and not dependent on others or on variables you can't control. For example, you can't control what other racers will do, so don't give yourself a goal based on placing. Instead, give yourself specific performance-based goals that you can evaluate based on you (ie climbing a given hill in a specific gear, positioning yourself at the front of the pack in a certain place on the course, eating & drinking during the race).
Control those things you can control. This includes your equipment, your training, your nutrition, your stress level, your race-day schedule, etc. You cannot control the weather, the competition, the course conditions, etc, so don't stress about them. Remember, if it's raining, everyone is getting wet (not just you). If there's a killer climb, everyone is feeling the pain (not just you).
Set goals that are realistic based on your past performance. If you've done a handful of races, you'll have a sense of how you should do. Set incremental, short-term performance goals.
Set goals that will push you and motivate you. Do something that will scare you. Don't be afraid to do a race you're not well suited for. Don't be afraid to race when you've been training really hard and don't have fresh legs.
Choose a variety of events to compete in. You will be better suited to some types of races than others. So is everyone else. If you're not a climber, don't torture yourself with hilly road races. If you have pack issues, don't choose just flat crits. If you hate being alone, don't choose time trials. As a new racer, try a lot of different events and see what you like to do and where your strengths lie.
Have fun. Unless you're collecting a paycheck as a bike racer, the only reason to do it is because it's enjoyable. If you're not having fun, you should reconsider your decision to race.
