Throwing down the gauntlet

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Next year is going to be my breakout year.

Remember this - next year is ALWAYS easier than this year. As you gain
experience you gain fitness and it all means that you find where you can
ride.

Good luck and I hope you don't find your level for a long time.

Train high and race even higher.This is something that Bob Roll has
discussed in depth.

Quoted message said:

Hi All,

Next year is going to be my breakout year.

Here are my results from this year for events I care about:

Vestfold Rundt: 165km hilly with some flat in the middle in 4:42
(winners 4:10)
Baglerrunden: 62km hilly in 1:44 (winners 1:34)
Trondheim-Oslo: 540km in 18:40 (winners 14:??)
Melfar24: 592km in 24 hours on rolling hills (winner 720km)
local ITT: 10km on road bike in 14:56
local road races: I got dropped in all 5 or 6 I entered.

So I need some motivational numbers to strive for. I need some goals
and wagers from all you [censored] to set the bar, merciless crowd that
you are, I think this will help.

Joseph

Unless you are making money from racing or you are under 25 years of
age, you will find no worthwhile motivational speech from me to race
your bike. That's why top pros who retire don't compete in master's
categories.

Racing for "fun" is stupid and not even a top pro could find the
incentive (or logical reason) to put in the necessary training and
travelling when the benefit is NOTHING.

So if you want to ride faster, the first thing you need to learn is you
cannot fabricate motivation when there really is none. Amateur racing
has NO MOTIVATIONAL INCENTIVE unless you're still young and have the
desire to do that sort of thing. It can be fun if you're in college or
travelling with some buddies. But once you get to a certain age, racing
is stupid, and a complete waste of time.

Once you lose incentive, don't bother trying to invent one because there
really never was a worthwhile one to begin with.

Of course, you can do what most people in here do: ride 100 miles/week
and spend $2,500 on a power meter and then drive 110 miles at 5 a.m. to
a parking lot crit to compete for $250. And in the process, you can
risk crashing and causing $1,250 in equipment damage and maybe another
$3,000 in hospital bills.

If you win a lot, you can go around and tell everyone you're the No. 2
ranked Cat 3 in your district and think that actually means something in
life.

Magilla

MagillaGorilla said:

Quoted message said:

Hi All,

Quoted message said:

Next year is going to be my breakout year.

Quoted message said:

Here are my results from this year for events I care about:

Quoted message said:

Vestfold Rundt: 165km hilly with some flat in the middle in 4:42
(winners 4:10)
Baglerrunden: 62km hilly in 1:44 (winners 1:34)
Trondheim-Oslo: 540km in 18:40 (winners 14:??)
Melfar24: 592km in 24 hours on rolling hills (winner 720km)
local ITT: 10km on road bike in 14:56
local road races: I got dropped in all 5 or 6 I entered.

Quoted message said:

So I need some motivational numbers to strive for. I need some goals
and wagers from all you [censored] to set the bar, merciless crowd that
you are, I think this will help.

Quoted message said:

Joseph

Unless you are making money from racing or you are under 25 years of
age, you will find no worthwhile motivational speech from me to race
your bike. That's why top pros who retire don't compete in master's
categories.

I think they don't race because they are either burned out, or afraid
they'll get their asses kicked.

Quoted message said:

Racing for "fun" is stupid and not even a top pro could find the
incentive (or logical reason) to put in the necessary training and
travelling when the benefit is NOTHING.

So if you want to ride faster, the first thing you need to learn is you
cannot fabricate motivation when there really is none. Amateur racing
has NO MOTIVATIONAL INCENTIVE unless you're still young and have the
desire to do that sort of thing. It can be fun if you're in college or
travelling with some buddies. But once you get to a certain age, racing
is stupid, and a complete waste of time.

I have big fun at my events and on training rides with the guys (who
are all faster than me). That in itself is enough to keep doing it.
But it would be more fun to not get dropped...

Quoted message said:

Once you lose incentive, don't bother trying to invent one because there
really never was a worthwhile one to begin with.

I don't need motivation, I need something to help me not make excuses.
All the guys I ride with try to be supportive, but all they really see
is that I get dropped, and say "good job!" when I roll across the line
and they are already in their cars. I tell myself I want to be able to
hang with them, but when I have my own personal goal posts, it's too
easy for me to make changes and justifications along the way to
accomodate my laziness. I figure putting it in a public forum like
this will help me keep my focus. Folks reminding me in a few months
about what a big talker I was, why no results?

Quoted message said:

Of course, you can do what most people in here do: ride 100 miles/week
and spend $2,500 on a power meter and then drive 110 miles at 5 a.m. to
a parking lot crit to compete for $250. And in the process, you can
risk crashing and causing $1,250 in equipment damage and maybe another
$3,000 in hospital bills.

No crits for me! And I go at more like 200 per week. And anyway I have
a $100 deductible on my bike insurance for any damage for any reason.
Not that that is what keeps me from falling every chance I can get.
But as much as I'm curious about what it would say, I'm with you on
the powermeter. I just need to ride more and lose weight. No PhD
required.

Quoted message said:

If you win a lot, you can go around and tell everyone you're the No. 2
ranked Cat 3 in your district and think that actually means something in
life.

If that doesn't mean something in life, what does? ;-)

Joseph

MagillaGorilla pontificated:

Quoted message said:

Unless you are making money from racing or you are under 25 years of age,
you will find no worthwhile motivational speech from me to race your bike.
That's why top pros who retire don't compete in master's categories.

Racing for "fun" is stupid and not even a top pro could find the incentive
(or logical reason) to put in the necessary training and travelling when
the benefit is NOTHING.

So if you want to ride faster, the first thing you need to learn is you
cannot fabricate motivation when there really is none. Amateur racing has
NO MOTIVATIONAL INCENTIVE unless you're still young and have the desire to
do that sort of thing. It can be fun if you're in college or travelling
with some buddies. But once you get to a certain age, racing is stupid,
and a complete waste of time.

Once you lose incentive, don't bother trying to invent one because there
really never was a worthwhile one to begin with.

Of course, you can do what most people in here do: ride 100 miles/week and
spend $2,500 on a power meter and then drive 110 miles at 5 a.m. to a
parking lot crit to compete for $250. And in the process, you can risk
crashing and causing $1,250 in equipment damage and maybe another $3,000
in hospital bills.

If you win a lot, you can go around and tell everyone you're the No. 2
ranked Cat 3 in your district and think that actually means something in
life.

At the risk of giving Magilla an even bigger head and a big gorilla boner, I
have to admit his posts are providing some damn good rbr entertainment for
this reader.

Unfortunately, I've failed to take his advice above in almost every respect,
so now I'm out the door for a good 3-hour ride... (btw, thanks Greg...
you're supporting me too)

Mark
http://marcofanelli.blogspot.com

Quoted message said:

MagillaGorilla said:

Quoted message said:

Hi All,

Quoted message said:

Next year is going to be my breakout year.

Quoted message said:

Here are my results from this year for events I care about:

Quoted message said:

Vestfold Rundt: 165km hilly with some flat in the middle in 4:42
(winners 4:10)
Baglerrunden: 62km hilly in 1:44 (winners 1:34)
Trondheim-Oslo: 540km in 18:40 (winners 14:??)
Melfar24: 592km in 24 hours on rolling hills (winner 720km)
local ITT: 10km on road bike in 14:56
local road races: I got dropped in all 5 or 6 I entered.

Quoted message said:

So I need some motivational numbers to strive for. I need some goals
and wagers from all you [censored] to set the bar, merciless crowd that
you are, I think this will help.

Quoted message said:

Joseph

Unless you are making money from racing or you are under 25 years of
age, you will find no worthwhile motivational speech from me to race
your bike. That's why top pros who retire don't compete in master's
categories.

I think they don't race because they are either burned out, or afraid
they'll get their asses kicked.

Quoted message said:

Racing for "fun" is stupid and not even a top pro could find the
incentive (or logical reason) to put in the necessary training and
travelling when the benefit is NOTHING.

So if you want to ride faster, the first thing you need to learn is you
cannot fabricate motivation when there really is none. Amateur racing
has NO MOTIVATIONAL INCENTIVE unless you're still young and have the
desire to do that sort of thing. It can be fun if you're in college or
travelling with some buddies. But once you get to a certain age, racing
is stupid, and a complete waste of time.

I have big fun at my events and on training rides with the guys (who
are all faster than me). That in itself is enough to keep doing it.
But it would be more fun to not get dropped...

Santana,

It sounds to me like you're not training correctly.

Most guys serious about racing hate their training partners and
teammates. One of the reasons I love riding with guys who race is to
hear them talk about how much they hate their current and old teammates
and how pathetic these arguments get about so-and-so "not leading me out
for the lap 15 prime like we planned in the team meeting." My favorite
arguments are the ones where the one guy accuses the "A-team leaders" on
the Saturday group ride of hammering when one of the slower riders on
the B-team stops to take a leak. Attacking people on group rides when
they flat or have to water the plants is probably one of the most
beautiful traditions that define the sport of amateur cycling.

If you ride with people who are friendly and courteous, then chances are
they're not Type A enough to be any good at racing and you should go
find yourself some real a-holes to teach you (95% of all bike races fit
this description) so you can learn how to act more like a real a-hole
bike racer.

Thanks,

Magilla

Quoted message said:

MagillaGorilla said:

Quoted message said:

Hi All,

Quoted message said:

Next year is going to be my breakout year.

Quoted message said:

Here are my results from this year for events I care about:

Quoted message said:

Vestfold Rundt: 165km hilly with some flat in the middle in 4:42
(winners 4:10)
Baglerrunden: 62km hilly in 1:44 (winners 1:34)
Trondheim-Oslo: 540km in 18:40 (winners 14:??)
Melfar24: 592km in 24 hours on rolling hills (winner 720km)
local ITT: 10km on road bike in 14:56
local road races: I got dropped in all 5 or 6 I entered.

Quoted message said:

So I need some motivational numbers to strive for. I need some goals
and wagers from all you [censored] to set the bar, merciless crowd that
you are, I think this will help.

Quoted message said:

Joseph

Unless you are making money from racing or you are under 25 years of
age, you will find no worthwhile motivational speech from me to race
your bike. That's why top pros who retire don't compete in master's
categories.

I think they don't race because they are either burned out, or afraid
they'll get their asses kicked.

Quoted message said:

Racing for "fun" is stupid and not even a top pro could find the
incentive (or logical reason) to put in the necessary training and
travelling when the benefit is NOTHING.

So if you want to ride faster, the first thing you need to learn is you
cannot fabricate motivation when there really is none. Amateur racing
has NO MOTIVATIONAL INCENTIVE unless you're still young and have the
desire to do that sort of thing. It can be fun if you're in college or
travelling with some buddies. But once you get to a certain age, racing
is stupid, and a complete waste of time.

I have big fun at my events and on training rides with the guys (who
are all faster than me). That in itself is enough to keep doing it.
But it would be more fun to not get dropped...

Quoted message said:

Once you lose incentive, don't bother trying to invent one because there
really never was a worthwhile one to begin with.

I don't need motivation, I need something to help me not make excuses.
All the guys I ride with try to be supportive, but all they really see
is that I get dropped, and say "good job!" when I roll across the line
and they are already in their cars. I tell myself I want to be able to
hang with them, but when I have my own personal goal posts, it's too
easy for me to make changes and justifications along the way to
accomodate my laziness. I figure putting it in a public forum like
this will help me keep my focus. Folks reminding me in a few months
about what a big talker I was, why no results?

Quoted message said:

Joseph

Joey Joey Joey...what you need is some EPO and a box of testosterone
patches. You should ramp your hematocrit up to around 61 and hit the
T-patch right after coming off a block of 350-mile weeks. And then
nonchalantly show up to the Saturday morning group ride and KICK THE
[censored] out of everyone and then tell them you didn't even touch your bike
for the past 2 weeks.

You need a little more style and attitude before you can hope to become
a solid amateur racer.

Magilla

williepoo said:

Train high and race even higher.This is something that Bob Roll has
discussed in depth.

Marijuana won't help your power, Boston George. Which is why I advise
aspiring racers to do as Juan Pablo Castro did (Cat II from NY), which
is to smuggle cocaine in your rectum and then try to board an
international flight, get caught, and then spend several years in the
bighouse.

I'm JT knows the details better than me.

Magilla

MagillaGorilla said:

Quoted message said:

On Dec 5, 5:55 pm, MagillaGorilla <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>Hi All,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>Next year is going to be my breakout year.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>Here are my results from this year for events I care about:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>Vestfold Rundt: 165km hilly with some flat in the middle in 4:42
>(winners 4:10)
>Baglerrunden: 62km hilly in 1:44 (winners 1:34)
>Trondheim-Oslo: 540km in 18:40 (winners 14:??)
>Melfar24: 592km in 24 hours on rolling hills (winner 720km)
>local ITT: 10km on road bike in 14:56
>local road races: I got dropped in all 5 or 6 I entered.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>So I need some motivational numbers to strive for. I need some goals
>and wagers from all you [censored] to set the bar, merciless crowd that
>you are, I think this will help.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>Joseph

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Unless you are making money from racing or you are under 25 years of
age, you will find no worthwhile motivational speech from me to race
your bike. That's why top pros who retire don't compete in master's
categories.

Quoted message said:

I think they don't race because they are either burned out, or afraid
they'll get their asses kicked.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Racing for "fun" is stupid and not even a top pro could find the
incentive (or logical reason) to put in the necessary training and
travelling when the benefit is NOTHING.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

So if you want to ride faster, the first thing you need to learn is you
cannot fabricate motivation when there really is none. Amateur racing
has NO MOTIVATIONAL INCENTIVE unless you're still young and have the
desire to do that sort of thing. It can be fun if you're in college or
travelling with some buddies. But once you get to a certain age, racing
is stupid, and a complete waste of time.

Quoted message said:

I have big fun at my events and on training rides with the guys (who
are all faster than me). That in itself is enough to keep doing it.
But it would be more fun to not get dropped...

Santana,

It sounds to me like you're not training correctly.

Most guys serious about racing hate their training partners and
teammates. One of the reasons I love riding with guys who race is to
hear them talk about how much they hate their current and old teammates
and how pathetic these arguments get about so-and-so "not leading me out
for the lap 15 prime like we planned in the team meeting." My favorite
arguments are the ones where the one guy accuses the "A-team leaders" on
the Saturday group ride of hammering when one of the slower riders on
the B-team stops to take a leak. Attacking people on group rides when
they flat or have to water the plants is probably one of the most
beautiful traditions that define the sport of amateur cycling.

If you ride with people who are friendly and courteous, then chances are
they're not Type A enough to be any good at racing and you should go
find yourself some real a-holes to teach you (95% of all bike races fit
this description) so you can learn how to act more like a real a-hole
bike racer.

Thanks,

Magilla

I think some of these guys are going to change their tune the day they
can't drop me up the local hills.

Joseph

MagillaGorilla said:

Quoted message said:

Hi All,

Quoted message said:

Next year is going to be my breakout year.

Quoted message said:

Here are my results from this year for events I care about:

Quoted message said:

Vestfold Rundt: 165km hilly with some flat in the middle in 4:42
(winners 4:10)
Baglerrunden: 62km hilly in 1:44 (winners 1:34)
Trondheim-Oslo: 540km in 18:40 (winners 14:??)
Melfar24: 592km in 24 hours on rolling hills (winner 720km)
local ITT: 10km on road bike in 14:56
local road races: I got dropped in all 5 or 6 I entered.

Quoted message said:

So I need some motivational numbers to strive for. I need some goals
and wagers from all you [censored] to set the bar, merciless crowd that
you are, I think this will help.

Quoted message said:

Joseph

Unless you are making money from racing or you are under 25 years of
age, you will find no worthwhile motivational speech from me to race
your bike. That's why top pros who retire don't compete in master's
categories.

Racing for "fun" is stupid and not even a top pro could find the
incentive (or logical reason) to put in the necessary training and
travelling when the benefit is NOTHING.

So if you want to ride faster, the first thing you need to learn is you
cannot fabricate motivation when there really is none. Amateur racing
has NO MOTIVATIONAL INCENTIVE unless you're still young and have the
desire to do that sort of thing. It can be fun if you're in college or
travelling with some buddies. But once you get to a certain age, racing
is stupid, and a complete waste of time.

Once you lose incentive, don't bother trying to invent one because there
really never was a worthwhile one to begin with.

Of course, you can do what most people in here do: ride 100 miles/week
and spend $2,500 on a power meter and then drive 110 miles at 5 a.m. to
a parking lot crit to compete for $250. And in the process, you can
risk crashing and causing $1,250 in equipment damage and maybe another
$3,000 in hospital bills.

If you win a lot, you can go around and tell everyone you're the No. 2
ranked Cat 3 in your district and think that actually means something in
life.

Magilla- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Get your mama to give you a hug, a smoochie and tell you're a good boy
no matter what anyone says.
Best,
Bill Black

MagillaGorilla said:

Quoted message said:

Racing for "fun" is stupid and not even a top pro could find the
incentive (or logical reason) to put in the necessary training and
travelling when the benefit is NOTHING.

billb said:

Get your mama to give you a hug, a smoochie and tell you're a good boy no
matter what anyone says.

His mama can't give him a smoochie because she's working
the harbour.

MagillaGorilla said:

williepoo said:

Train high and race even higher.This is something that Bob Roll has
discussed in depth.

Marijuana won't help your power, Boston George. Which is why I advise
aspiring racers to do as Juan Pablo Castro did (Cat II from NY), which
is to smuggle cocaine in your rectum and then try to board an
international flight, get caught, and then spend several years in the
bighouse.

I'm JT knows the details better than me.

I don't know details and am just glad he's out of prison and back.

MagillaGorilla said:

Unless you are making money from racing or you are under 25 years of
age, you will find no worthwhile motivational speech from me to race
your bike. That's why top pros who retire don't compete in master's
categories.

Racing for "fun" is stupid and not even a top pro could find the
incentive (or logical reason) to put in the necessary training and
travelling when the benefit is NOTHING.

So if you want to ride faster, the first thing you need to learn is you
cannot fabricate motivation when there really is none. Amateur racing
has NO MOTIVATIONAL INCENTIVE unless you're still young and have the
desire to do that sort of thing. It can be fun if you're in college or
travelling with some buddies. But once you get to a certain age, racing
is stupid, and a complete waste of time.

Once you lose incentive, don't bother trying to invent one because there
really never was a worthwhile one to begin with.

Quoted message said:

If you win a lot, you can go around and tell everyone you're the No. 2
ranked Cat 3 in your district and think that actually means something in
life.

What did you not put into, and/or take away from, bicycle racing that
has left you so... bitter?

Not that I couldn't agree with you here and there.

--D-cat-III-since-1982-y

PS Should I downgrade? What do you think?

Mark Fennell said:

Unfortunately, I've failed to take his advice above in almost every respect,
so now I'm out the door for a good 3-hour ride... (btw, thanks Greg...
you're supporting me too)

That's my call to talk to flowers....

Only 3 hours? I encourage all my pet primates to ride during all
their "work" hours. That way you have less time to destroy
civilization. A public servant that wanted to annoy me would work
very hard and diligently.

Making small conversation, I have it on good information that my
astronomer pet isn't just trying to destroy the earth via global
warming (by the guvmint overbuilding roads and incentivizing coal-
fired plants), but he is actually a Sith Lord trying to destroy all
that is good and light in the universe:

"A universe with a truncated lifespan may come hand in hand with the
ability of astronomers to make cosmological measurements, according to
two American scientists who have studied the strange, subtle and
cosmic implications of quantum mechanics, the most successful theory
we have."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2007/11/21/scicosmos121.xml

It is high time for a Save-the-Universe tax! Think of it sort of like
social security: insurance but yet not really.

On the upside, his attempts at building a better y = mx + b appear
harmless so far(http://mingus.as.arizona.edu/~bjw/tkrs_kinematics/
fitprogs.html). We'll see!!!

As a feeling and generous person, I don't want you to get hurt. You
pets stay away from real competition and stick to the ersatz
competition we call bike racing.

SLAVE of THE STATE said:

On the upside, his attempts at building a better y = mx + b appear
harmless so far(http://mingus.as.arizona.edu/~bjw/tkrs_kinematics/
fitprogs.html). We'll see!!!

Its really a plot to allow the guvmint to use a higher m and
b when calculating your tax increase.

SLAVE of THE STATE said:

On the upside, his attempts at building a better y = mx + b appear
harmless so far(http://mingus.as.arizona.edu/~bjw/tkrs_kinematics/fitprogs.html).

Weiner uses GOTO.
http://simplythebest.net/sounds/WAV/WAV_files/cartoon_WAV_files/haha.wav

MagillaGorilla said:

If you win a lot, you can go around and tell everyone you're the No. 2
ranked Cat 3 in your district and think that actually means something in
life.

Joe - this is what happens to people who can't find motivation to have
fun doing what they love to do. Remember this every time your kids
wakes you up in the middle of the night, every time you're thinking
twice about that last hill sprint and when your wife wants you to miss
your race so that you can attend a PTA function with her.

email hidden said:

I have big fun at my events and on training rides with the guys (who
are all faster than me). That in itself is enough to keep doing it.
But it would be more fun to not get dropped...

If you ride road races you'll simply get dropped and never improve
significantly. If you race crits you can see the pack the whole time
and you burn yourself out trying to keep up. Eventually that
motivation keeps you in for the whole race, then you find yourself
riding in the pack and eventually you discover that much to your
surprise you can ride on the front with the big dogs.

Live while you can. When you stop racing the fitness feels like it
will last the rest of your life but it only lasts until next spring.

Quoted message said:

Live while you can. When you stop racing the fitness feels like it
will last the rest of your life but it only lasts until next spring.

Two weeks. Three, tops.

OTOH, without compulsion, there is no achievement.

Train to race to train to... etc. etc. Some people can do it for
years, with careers and kids and charity work, too.
--D-y