DON’T FRIG IT UP
Well if the Pan American Points race was being run on festivase rules I would have won by a land slide. I for sure had the best feats of strength…unfortunately that is not how these things work…so let me break it down for you.
The race started off well…In the first few laps I was away in break with some strong contenders…The bell rang, I won the first sprint with ease. We continued our pursuit of the hind end of the field. The bell rang again…I sat on the back of the group of 5…with a tone of legs to sprint with…but it was early in the race and if I started wining sprint after sprint the group might just sit up and we wouldn’t get the lap…I needed that lap. We got the lap shortly after…the rest of the race was aggressive and blur. I tried my best to keep track of who was who…and kept scoring big points whenever they where available. I had two things working against me…1 I was the only Canadian in the race..no help… no deco…if the Canadian guy went they all knew I had lapped the field so there was no hesitation no check. I on the other hand was working with nothing but decoys everywhere. In the end I just couldn’t keep track of them all.
With no board and exact idea where I stood all I could do was listen for my name in the Spanish garbled sound…I was in the “top 4 contenders†but was not sure…all I knew is it was close but with who I couldn’t say. And in the end I was tied…for 3rd with the Mexican…but didn’t know…and he did…took a flyer and finished just a head of me on the line…If only I had gone for that one sprint early on…I would have won it and had a silver medal…but that is racing…All I know is…if there are points…and can get them I will from now on…and deal with the repercussions later. EVERY time I have been in a points race and had a chance for early points and left them, I have regretted it. The points is a complicated and mature race…This is the best I have finished at this race in the points…but somehow it is still an extreme disappointment…the potential for so much more existed…It takes such a long time to get these things right…but at least no I feel like I have the tools…and like a master carver…I just need to learn to use them…so all that really stands in my way is time spent carving…which in my case is racing my bike…still…soooo frustrated.
2 Comments
Mom on June 5th, 2007
Kudos to you my wise and fit son….to learn at the fresh age of 24 that “it takes such a long time to get these things right”…kind of a metaphor for life! And if anyone’s got the right tools to figure it out, you do. Never was a day in your life when you didn’t give it every thing you had….why should cycling be any different? Too proud of you for mere words to express, but this will have to do.
Ironbarista on May 25th, 2007
Hey Dude
The only way to get better is to screw up from time to time so you can learn from your mistakes.
If everything was easy the first time why would you work to change and improve.
Keep working hard and it will come.