Race Anecdotes: Permission to have fun

I give you permission to have fun. Yes, you.

The reason Cross is gaining popularity and Road seems to be slowly dwindling is because everyone is having fun at a cross race. Road races are so damn serious. I know because I take them too seriously too often. Us roadies are timing our nutrition down to the minute before and during a race, wearing RBF. The only time you see us smiling is if we land on the podium. It’s very disciplined. It’s one of the reasons why I love it.

I love the amount of focus, training, and dedication it takes to race on the road. But I also think we can lighten up. As I lined up with the badass women at the Ridge at 38 criterium last Sunday, I joked with the women on either side of me. I had my team cheering for me from the sidelines. I pumped my fist. I smiled and cracked jokes. We need to start having more fun at bike races. Our competition is not an enemy. They’re humans, just like us, who have feelings, who are flawed, who want to do their best.

At the blow of the whistle, already people from the sidelines were yelling tactics at some of the racers. And every time we passed these people, tactics and reminders were shouted to racers: “Remember the plan!” “Stick to the plan!” “Get off the front!” All I could do was laugh because it was distracting and totally unnecessary. It’s an amateur bike race…