Eleven is Goin Viral

Charlie often has good ones. His latest blog post is no exception. He has top eleven lessons of endurance bike racing listed. Drew did his too.

Here's my Eleven lessons. I think these relate to any bike racing not just endurance.

Lesson1- Ride it like you train it. I stole this from Leadville Ricky. If you ride it any other way, you will fail or under perform.

Lesson2- Train like you'll ride it. Do I really need to explain? This includes hills, speed, force, fuel, gear, etc. This becomes hard as I like endurance, XC, and now CX.

Lesson3- The bike is ready. If you freak about your bike, and start changing things too close to the race, it won't work. I know so many peeps (me included) that messed with something too close to the race, and then the bike doesn't work right. Avoid last minute changes if at all possible.

Lesson4- Don't focus on the negitive or you're race will go negitive. Dwelling on one negitive thought erases many more positive thoughts. I went a titch negitve at the Cheq100 this year, I could tell I was slowing. When I pulled myself out of it I was cruising again. Happens. Picture yourself doing more. Sort of like frowning takes way more muscle than smiling. Just smile and ride! Sounds easy.

Lesson5- The bike works. Use what you got. I can't tell you how many times I've ridden with no shifting, or grips that slipped off half the time, or no seat. Those are more tangible issues, but if even you think the bike has issue, it will. Be positive and use what you got. Make it work. It works. You'll finish if you realize it works.

Lesson6- Know pain. In every race you should suffer. It may hurt. Some pain is short, some pain is long lasting, some you make up. The more pain you know the more it becomes part of your plan. Make it a strength. Pain isn't bad, you are.

Lesson7- Don't listen to anyone. If your thinking about what someone said or someone did as comunication method your not racing your race, your racing theirs. Only you can ride your ride. What do they know? They know their lessons and training, not yours. Your race or their race? Na na na na na, i can't hear you. Mumbler.

Lesson8- Use the past if positive will result. Thinking about good history is always good. However, don't dwell on past results or mis-haps unless it makes you stronger. If you dwell on what you did wrong you are training your brain on that method. Think about a bad thing only long enough to dwell on the new, improved method. Dwell on the improved way.

Lesson9- Focus on mini-goals. Whether improving your fitness or racing, mini-goals guide you. In fitness training focus on baby steps, not riding 8 hours day one. Apply this to racing, "i'm going to hammer to the top of that climb." "Now I'm going to push it pretty hard to the end of this road" "I'm going to stay in the drops until that mailbox way ahead" One year at Leadville I counted on the map how many switchbacks there we're. I counted as I went up all 10 of them. I did way way better than the prior year when I got lost in mysery not said mini goals. Mini goals distract you from thinking about the bad.

Lesson10- It's only a flesh wound. So many times what hurts is only skin deep. The ache, the fatuige, the loss of energy or breath. Demons are only on the outside. Be strong, if you let them in deeper the wound will grow in your brain....and you'll talk yourself into slowing or stopping. It's only a flesh wound!

Lesson11- Quit only if future ride days will suffer. If you think about it like this maybe you won't quit so much. I only rode off the course once that I can remember. It was because I felt it would cause less future ride days. I don't quit. I almost quit the Ragnarok this year when both legs completly locked up both thighs and both knees. Both legs would not move!! That was a fiirst and related it to prior in the week hospital visit. I was ready to quit and then everything un-froze. I figured it won't hurt future ride days to keep going. 50+ some miles later I finished and was stronger for it. Yeah, I went a lot slower but had a great time. So glad I finished. Not many have done all Rag's. A few weeks later killed it at Cheq100.

These are mine. I think they relate to any type of race. For what it's worth, some of mine should be different than yours......I do want to read yours though.