CX Perspective
CX is here. Well, in fact, it has been here for weeks. To be quite honest, it never really wandered too far away. After last year’s season ended with some broken ribs and unachieved objectives, the decision was made to take training to new levels. Training started over Christmas break or early January for many of us. Personally, I raced the road in the spring and early summer for the first time, started running in July, got just enough rest in August, lost some lbs, increased my watts by 5%-10% depending the interval, and felt ready to do battle on the CX course. The concept was to become a faster on the bike. It worked. A fitness test in mid-September revealed I was riding faster than I ever have with 8lbs less on the chassis. I felt “one” with my CX bike. For the first time, my CX bike was dialed weeks in advance. As compared to past seasons where I was waiting for glue to dry hours before the first race. I was prepared and ready to CRUSH it.
Well…guess what? So has everyone else. Big time. In my neighborhood, CX has grown dramatically. It is no longer an eclectic bunch of roadies or mountain bike racers looking to get out of the house in the fall to keep their fitness. It is now comprised of dedicated athletes that have been focused on this CX season since January 1st. There are several new breeds of CX-focused racers filling every category. They have come out of the woodwork. They ride swanky bikes, follow CX-specific training plans, have rad new CX-specific team skin suits, have watts to spare, and they all tried to register for CX Nationals at 12:01 EST. Oh, they are also FAST and just as passionate as the “old school” CX’ers. The handful of dudes that could beat me has become a bucket full. Some of these dudes are friends that are CX “late adopters”. Funny enough, some of these guys are friends that I turned onto CX in the first place. Now they beat me. Some of the guys finally decided to focus their season on CX when they stepped back and realized that CX is most the fun of all the cycling disciplines. CX went from cb ”breaker 1-9” to iphone before my eyes.
So what does this all mean? It means we have to stop judging ourselves by comparing recent placings to those in years past. I used to win races and finish on the podium. Who knows, if the stars align, I may be able to pull another “W”. But the fact remains that if people get too hung up on how they place, they are sure to have a disappointing season. Stop and wonder how many disappointed cross racers there are right now? Most have raced a few times this season and instead of finishing 3rd or 4th, they are finishing 7th, or 10th, or even 15th. Unfortunately, I think this will be viewed as failure because it is not where they are accustomed to finishing. They will see regression. They may even want to quit and step aside for the new CX blood. I think many folks, including myself, figured as long as they are feeling healthy and have improved their fitness, they will get better results. Unofortunately, it doesn’t always work this way. It is just so much more competitive out there. The pond is now an ocean, and unless you are a great white shark, someone’s got your number. Then again, even sharks get picked on by killer whales from time to time.
So does not paying as much attention to placing translate to giving up or throwing in the towel? Absolutely not. Personally, I will be even more competitive than in years past. I know that I have to scrap and fight for every single place from opening lap through bell lap. I know I have to train harder to increase my speed and be a faster CX racer. I need to work on barriers and run ups. I will sacrifice. I will fine-tune every detail that can impact my race. I will respect my competition and know that to beat them, 99% is not enough. Not even close. Probably most important, I will focus more on the scene, the CX atmosphere that attracted me to the sport in the first place, and the friendships and camaraderie won along the way. I will learn to cherish and enjoy the journey. I hope you do too. And remember, even if you finish dead last, it still beats mowing the lawn or walking around IKEA shopping for duvet covers.
Enjoy your season, respect your competition, ride hard, and don’t forget to cherish the journey. CX is here to stay – with or without you.
2 Responses to “CX Perspective”
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Great write up and all so true, in fields of 190-200 plus you high five when you finnish mid pack! You just keep training and pushing as hard as you can then just a little harder! And don`t forget to enjoy the scene!
Very true indeed. Gauging performance by place is like drinking espresso out of a paper cup. We do it, but there are better ways.