So here I am, gutted by the result of my first ever mountain bike race that I took part in this weekend. Whilst I managed to complete three laps of a very tough course, I never completed the official four laps required for my “Master” category. On crossing the finish line after my third lap I was promptly told “You’re finished mate!”. The fact is, I had been finished since the first climb and in a stubborn fit of rage I had pushed on and refused to dismount until the four laps were complete. I did not want the letters “DNF” (Did Not Finish) marked against my name on my first ever race! But it simply never occurred to me that I could and would be pulled from the race altogether after only three laps for not being quick enough!
Fresh from my success in the British Heart Foundation Randonee and with encouragement from other cycling friends, I had decided to have a go at cross country racing. Which is why I found myself in a field, somewhere in Swaledale, on a bright and windy Sunday morning. The race is part of the Nutcracker series and I have to say was very well organised. My morning consisted mostly of watching other riders go through their pre-race preparations whilst I became increasingly nervous!
I came across an article in a recent copy of “The Ride” and thought the words really made sense with how I feel about the event;
“Most, if not all, writing about sport focuses on success. That’s what it’s all about isn’t it – success? Failure, though? The ugly twin brother. No one is interested in the also-ran, the quitters and the losers, are they? I’d like to challenge the above assumption and received wisdom though. I truly think we can learn from our mistakes when it comes to competition. I’m not just talking about throwaway remarks such as ‘try harder next time’. No, I’d like to show how the very objectives we set ourselves in the first place are the key to success or failure.”
My rationale was that I’d finished the 100 mile Randonee and I could do anything if I had the right plan of action. I had trained hard, prepared well yet still I simply could not deliver.
“So what did I learn. What wisdom can I impart? It’s about targets. We are all architects of our own success, simply by choosing the objectives to set ourselves. My failing was not that I hadn’t worked hard enough, hadn’t tried hard enough or hadn’t invested enough time or passion into the endeavour. No, it was simply that I set myself an unachievable goal given the point I was at. So my lesson learnt is to choose wisely. Goals met are a joy to the soul, goals failed, even though you gave your all, are a crushing weight.”
