How To Be A Crappy Cyclist

Today I decided to look back at March 2011  to compare/ evaluate what I was doing for training over on TrainingPeaks.  Specifically, cycling.  It appears ( and entries don't lie)  I was riding no more than 3 times a week (and that was a GOOD week). My results as the months progressed were flat and uninspiring to say the least and often i was rewarded with disappointment and frustration and decided to label myself as * The Crappy Cyclist*   Come May I barely got through my  Team Psycho Training weekend burning all my matches while desperately looking for any wheel I could latch on to.  I suffered  through the b2b (140 mile) ride in June  way under-trained and all of my Charlie Baker Time Trial efforts  never improved. Look how nicely they got progressively SLOWER as the season progressed: 27:17 -27:21- 27:39- 27:40- 27:41- 28:41 (CX bike night)

 It's always a good idea to  look back at your previous efforts or lack  thereof  and assess, wince, regroup,
 set new goals and more importantly,determine why something wasn't  providing the results you were expecting. Sometimes it's easy to see, other times not so much. I'm not sure what I was thinking last year but the bottom line is,  you can't have your pudding if you don't eat your meat and  my results did all the talking as * The Crappy Cyclist* I'd become.

Cyclocross season rolled around and after another stress fracture in my toe in September and a fall  run focus suddenly shelved, I jumped into cyclocross full swing.  No real cycling base, no build up, no specific training, no skills work.  Again like previous seasons, I was the rear sweep of most of the 13 races I participated in feeling slow, uncoordinated, and always finishing a race like someone tossed me in a blender going from: mix, crush, and finally PULVERIZED.
I had one speed for cross: HANG ON FOR DEAR LIFE so they don't pull your from the course or get LAPPED-speed.
No strategy, no working off other riders, double hop remounts,  and way toooo much braking. Perfect
reinforcement of being *The Crappy Cyclist*

It's a new season and after 13 years in the sport of triathlon, I had to face the music that I lack the fire in my
belly to plan, train, and race in the manner I'm used to as competitive age group athlete. I haven't run a step since September18th in which I finished a race on a stress fractured toe and quite honestly, I don't miss  it one bit. I'm fit from TRX, I have a solid swim base and I'm way ahead of where I was last year in the cycling department to become less of *The Crappy Cyclist*

 So my goal this season is to simply  work hard at casting off this stigmatization of being *The Crappy Cyclist* I've created  for my very self and see if I can rekindle my love affair with my trusty steed(s) with hopes of ending  this dreadful  streak  of  being* The Crappy Cyclist*   all the while coming to terms with :
All four brake pads are NOT rubbing on my tire rims.

I will leave you with photos of my commuter bike who I've made an agreement with that if I keep shiny and clean, well oiled and rolling, will help me become * The Crappy Cyclist No More*

My Classic Steel Marinoni road bike, now my smiling commuter bike sporting pink accents helping me become less of *The Crappy Cyclist*

The essential cockpit for early morning commuting as I become less of  * The Crappy Cyclist*