Back to the Fundamentals

Back to the Fundamentals

Alright, so after racing for a number of years in the US I developed a pretty consistent routine. I have a pretty good idea of what needs to be done the day before a race, the day of a race, and in the hours before a race, and even (so I would like to think) during a race. Barring any drastic mishaps, I would effortlessly deal with any delays or small unexpected problems.

To dig into some examples…

If it is a weekend of racing that involves some (or tons) of car travel. I know enough to bring a cooler stuffed with some decent food, just in case the only viable food source near the hotel is a McDonalds. In most cases I will have good idea of what to expect with the type or level of racing (local race, NRC, collegiate…). I will recognize a majority of the teams and riders that show up. I will also be able to read all of the signs/postings at registration, and in most cases figure out where the f@#! the start line is!

All of the above items and much more are things that become routine and in most cases very much an instinct that requires less and less mental energy as time goes on. Now use your imagination, some of you may not have to, and make all those individual tasks require some, if not lots of thought. They add up quick (even with all of the amazing efforts by Ann and Bernard to alleviate stressors like this), and easily disrupt others that are still relatively easy to do…looking for the start line instead of going through your full pre-race/warm-up routine. Or in the days prior, trying to figure out a sports drink that doesn’t mess with you stomach during the race…now you’re an American who just started racing in Belgium! Now all you have to do is learn to recognize the good riders and be able to distinguish them from all the rest of their thirty million teammates…

The point of all this rambling is that simple things, fundamentals, never hurt to practice, review, and perfect before you really need them. Whatever the subject be…unless you are there to just slide by in whatever you do.

On the other side of the coin, you can’t waste energy thinking about stuff you have already figured out or have no control over.

The fundamentals will not make you win the race but, lack there of can easily lose the race.