Last place again!

[Matthew_T]

Just finished the Prestatyn Prom Races in aid of Roadpeace. And I was in last place! I should have gone in the juniors but ended up in the adults. I really am rubbish at cycling. Maybe I should just quit.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Keep going, the more you do the better it gets as you get used to the speed and become strong enough to survive and eventually to contribute and make an impact. My first road race I was shelled out after the second corner.

 

[HLaB]

Keep going

 

[Hip Priest]

Don't quit if you enjoy it. Sounds like you're a young lad racing alongside older fellas. I'm sure you'll improve with age and mileage. Chin up and all that.

 

[Rob500]

Sounds to me like you are being far too harsh on yourself. Don't give up.

 

[gavroche]

Keep it up Mat. If I was younger I would ride with you as I live in colwyn bay, but the age difference is too big, you would leave me standing.

 

[Basil.B]

Keep going, chin up!

I only did one Road race in the late 70's, was dropped after a mile!
The shame. Keep going you will get better.

 

[monnet]

The first race I ever did was quite a tough circuit race. I wasn't last, but the serious guys ripped it apart so much that I finished 4 laps down coughing a wheezing and feeling very sick. I loved it though. I still race that circuit each year when the series comes round - I'm up to finishing a lap down now!

Elsewhere, I've had a mix of results but this year I went back to my parents and raced in Lancashire. I was feeling confident of finishing in the group - I was smashed out of hte back in the first 20 minutes and spent 60 miles riding in small groups/ solo. In the end I was 32 out of 75 starters. SO many people dropped out that I was actually dead last....by 5 minutes. It made me much stronger.

You're obviously young and you raced against experienced riders. In both the cases above I took the view that 'it was good training for next week'. Keep at it and you will start finishing further up the field and who knows, at the very front end.

 

[yello]

There's more to cycling than racing! So don't quit just because you're not the fastest out there.

The main thing is whether you enjoy riding. Riding and being competitive are different things. Disappointment at not doing as well as you'd want is to be expected - it's what drives you on to do better next time. But it's not a reason to pack in something you otherwise enjoy.

Be positive about your disappointment. Disappointment means you take it seriously, it means you want to succeed. Turn it into motivation. Desire to be faster/better is what gets you out of bed in the morning to do training rides.

If you reach a point where you say racing's not for you then there's no crime in that. There's a big wide world to explore (quite literally!) on the bike. You don't have to race to cycle, it's your decision. Nobody minds whether you do or you don't. Make your own choices and enjoy what ever you decide to do.

 

[BSRU]

The good riders do not become good riders by giving up, they are stubborn bar stewards who put loads of miles in.

 

[cisamcgu]

I did three road races in my youth, and finished last, next to last, and last

(I only avoided coming last in the second one becuase the lad who came last had a puncture in the middle race - he had the joy of coming next to last, last and next to last ).

I didn't enjoy it at all and didn't have the desire to win. I was much happier doing TTs where I could concentrate on my performance without worrying about everyone else at the same time.

 

[ianrauk]

Someone has to get the 'Lantern Rouge'