Knowing Where We Stand

[yello]

...or the talented individual that couldn't be arsed with all the training required and gave it up.

I'm sure we've all known people at school (or wherever) that were talented but didn't really care. I know one of the guys in my football team in my early teens had amazing natural talent but rarely turned up for training. It was me that made the senior team whilst he was pubbing with his mates, yet he was undoubtedly the natural.

 

[snailracer]

I watched a doc about Johnson and his coaching methods. With slow motion video he took Bolt's running style totally apart and highlighted what he considered glaring flaws in his technique. Very interesting stuff. Bolt's leg angle in his first few strides from the start were of particular interest. Johnson reckoned that Bolt had a 'long' way to go before acheiving his full potential. Scary huh?

EDIT: I should add that the video in question was of his 100 metre world record!

I am a bit surprised to hear Johnson give such technical advice - his own running style was freakishly unusual - short, rapid strides, whereas every other sprinter used long strides. His build was also much heavier than his peers. I can't see how his own experience can translate to another runner (in the technical sense).

 

[Kirstie]

The only thing I ever showed any aptitude in was freeride mountain biking. A few years ago I was riding lines in Canada that only a few elite women who did the sport had ever attempted and cleaned. I realised then that if I practiced a lot I would be really good, but there aren't the facilities in the UK really. I also realised that it's a death defying adrenaline sport and it doesn't always go hand in hand with longevity! I won an xc mtb race once, which was a total fluke. I never really had a 'could have been a contender' moment with any of it though. I keep the achievement for my work and everything else is just fun.

 

[User482]

I did the Forest of Dean Spring Classic recently. 90 very hilly miles (we clocked 900 feet of climbing). I clocked 6.41, which I was pretty pleased with considering my total lack of preparation. That placed me about 215th out of 600 riders.

Putting me in my place was a long-retired ex-pro (Steven Rooks, who came 2nd in the 1988 TdF) who did it in 4.14! Over 30 minutes quicker than the next quickest rider.

Not bad for a guy who must be pushing 50 at least...

 

[ColinJ]

I did the Forest of Dean Spring Classic recently. 90 very hilly miles (we clocked 900 feet of climbing). I clocked 6.41, which I was pretty pleased with considering my total lack of preparation. That placed me about 215th out of 600 riders.

Putting me in my place was a long-retired ex-pro (Steven Rooks, who came 2nd in the 1988 TdF) who did it in 4.14! Over 30 minutes quicker than the next quickest rider.

Not bad for a guy who must be pushing 50 at least...

I reckon you've left a '0' off the climbing figure!

That looks like a really nice event. The kind of thing I'd like to do if fit. Oh, and a good result by you!

I saw ex-pro Dave LLoyd go past me like a train on the similarly hilly Pendle Pedal sportive a few years back. He was riding with a younger rider and they finished first and second. I think Lloyd was nearer 60 at the time - very impressive!

 

[User482]

Err, yeah, 900 feet isn't very impressive!
FoD ride was terrific - my first Sportive. Well organised, and having energy drinks and bars at the stops was a nice touch. I needed all the help I could get for Symmond's Yat (25% gradient, apparently) near the end...

I remember John North riding for the Karrimor MTB team back in the 90s. He used to kick the backsides of riders half his age.

 

[mudplugger]

I was just perusing the results of the Tour of Brittany, a 2.2 ranked event, and I noticed a name I recognised - possibly the best cyclist I have known personally - a guy called James Moss, who is from the north-east of England. He's now riding for a respectable British team which is aiming at higher things, Endura, and he's 28 minutes behind on GC, amongst the also-rans (he's not last). I'm guessing I would be at least an hour behind him every day if I was in peak condition. And he's probably a similar time behind the equivalent position in the Grand Tours.

Just looking at the results oversimplifies the facts. Based on the Endura website it is clear that early in the race they were in yellow with Reni Madri (rider eventually finished second). Consequently, Moss will have been given a job and once done would have sat up each day to save his legs for the next days job. Not surprisingly he would loose a lot of time. If he were riding for himself he would probably not have lost anything like that much time....which means you would not have lost an hour either

Good to see Endura doing well on the Continent and a great win in the Lincoln GP yesterday

 

[asterix]

There was never any doubt in my mind. I knew my place; I was not a contender. Looking at my school photos once when clearing out the loft I was surprised to be reminded how small I was at around 14 compared to my peers. A year or two later I had grown like a weed although I remained at 10.5 stone for quite while. In my late 20's I got to 13.5 stone which is my normal, acceptable weight.

A school friend was an exceptional runner, both sprints and medium distance. Physically he had matured far quicker than I did.

 

[oldroadman]

Nothing to do with size. The bike is a great leveller. If you have the VO2 capacity, big lungs, strong heart, and massive dedication/determination, then it's possible to get to a decent standard. Plus of course, top end riders are thin, and 13.5 stones would be heavy unless you are at least 6'4". See Magnus Backstedt..

 

[asterix]

You mean I coulda been a contender I coulda had class?

 

[fossyant]

We had a few very good riders in our club, but the difference in training, in being good, and national class, was huge.

Very difficult if you want a half normal life or a 'not normal life'.

One of my club mates was Manchester BAR (Best All Rounder) in TT's and he was awesome, he was also impossible to draft on club runs as he was about 5' 2" and tiny.... I'm only 5'9"... but he was a busy professional, and work/family eventually took over. Another club mate was a good TT'er and top hill climber, but did part time jobs and cycled with many of the pro guys in the 80's - loads of miles ... he's still riding a bike these days, but certainly isn't doing much now.

I realised the difference was training.... (oh and being a 'natural' - e.g. genetics).

I've raced against Chris Boardman in loads of TT's...... yeh I (and most others) looked like I'd had a cafe stop in the middle), and a few with Graham O'bree - yes his bike looked daft, but oh my was he fast.

At least I'm still riding. And love it !

 

[Brahan]

I am a bit surprised to hear Johnson give such technical advice - his own running style was freakishly unusual - short, rapid strides, whereas every other sprinter used long strides. His build was also much heavier than his peers. I can't see how his own experience can translate to another runner (in the technical sense).

That's the part that will surprise you the most then, because from what I can recall, the whole point of his training school is about dedication to technique. A 'Things don't have to be bad before they can be better.' type of thing. I've tried to find it on youtube but so far have failed. Its got a clip of Bolt as a teen and although he has won a 200m by a country mile you can actually see how bad his running style is.....going by the technical evidence provided by Johnson. It was a good watch.

EDIT: But onto the 'Contender' issue. I've never been able to get to the top of the tree in any sports I've competed in throughout the years. Did judo as a youngster and was a good club player but would get it handed to me at any comps. I remember getting flattened by a guy who went on to compete for Scotland and at the time he was holding me on the ground I thought he was actually trying to kill me

Then I got into fencing and rugby. I got really good at fencing quite quickly but couldn't go to the competitions to get better. The kids who were clearing up at comps were getting coached at a totally different standard and although my team cleared up in the Scottish Schools comp we didn't have the cash to travel too far. Meh. Fencing is still a passion and I'd like to return to it at some point.

Loved rugby, not fast enough to be a back and not really big enough for the front row but played No.3 for a few years eventually getting the speed up to be allowed into the back row, No.7. Had 10 years out of the game and got invited to play Edenbridge. Here I quickly realised that whilst I was drinking into my late 20s the 19-23 year old competition had been working out. I did a couple of seasons but had a car crash (which led me to cycling) and had to give it up.

Cycling now for 3 years and loving every turn of the pedals. I try hard but will never be that good. The point with actually being a contender is the desire to do it. My mate who I used to cycle with as a kid, Mike Zagorski, lives in Hawaii and has cycled all his life. It's all he has wanted to do and although he's not at the top of the tree he has won Masters Track competitions in the states. USA Nat Champ and a prolific TT champ too! He has the will and determination that drives those who dwell at or near the top. He hasn't dabbled in sports like most of us do, he has gone for it big time, put relationships to breaking point because of his will to be a success at what he wants to do. Our club fast guy is 47 and last year came 4th in the Nat 50. Missed the podium by 11 seconds. He rides his bike every day, while all his mates got into drinking he just carried on riding but for some reason never went full time. I think he could have done it too but he's happy to do what he does, perhaps he never had the desire....

 

[cyberknight]

I reckon you've left a '0' off the climbing figure!

haha

I do close to 450 feet of climbing in the last 5 miles of my commute .

1st sportive next sunday so i cannot pass judgement on times etc etc .
I have no idea if i was a contender at anything, won a few martial art semi contact competitions and the head of my style said i had fast hands but i was into too many sports at the time and then injury and the need to support a family came 1st.

 

[PaulB]

I was a contender this very morning. It was very pleasing. I was unexpectedly in a HUGE lead in a local race. It was great to have people taking my photograph and people lining the course yelling out encouragement and a group of girls had some klaxons and were giving it Laldie with them as I passed. It was a great feeling to be in such an overwhelming lead. Apart from one or two things that didn't feel particularly....right. I was in a huge lead in a race that A) I didn't even know was on. B) I hadn't bothered with the 20 laps of the swimming pool as a pre-ride event-type-of-thing. C) I wasn't wearing a number..well I wouldn't be; I wasn't actually IN this race (but it looked to everyone as though I was so I kind of 'milked' it!) D) The course marshals weren't bothering noting anything down on their forms as I passed them.

So there we are. The last bit of my early morning ride was on a local and very familiar route to me that by co-incidence happened to correspond to about eight miles of the Pendle Triathlon at around the time the first guys would have emerged from the pool and jumped on their bikes. For a while, I felt chuffed that the bike I was on and the gear I wore did kind of look like the sort of stuff a triathlete might employ and a few did think I was the leading competitor. Which was nice.

 

[ACS]

I started to run to lose the weight and discovered I was better that average at the longer distances, early finisher but never good enough to be a winner.

Having been a county level swimmer in my youth, again better than average but never good enough to stand on the top step, I took up triathlon in the early 80's and was not surprised to discover that I was better than average. Loved the sport with its 'every finisher is a winner attitude' I started to get top 5 places in local and some regional events but I was never quite good enough.

Change of jobs meant that I lost the time to train twice a day so I decided to concentrate on time trialing (to many running injuries). Always creditable and competitive but if truth be told I was always destined to be upper mid table.

Now many years older the fire is now longer lit, but the pilot light still burns brightly and having discovered the secret world of Audax with its 'every finisher is a winner' ethos riding my bike for fitness and weigh management is slowly drifting towards training.