A Shot of Encouragement

Pro Race, Iceman 2010

Now that we've gotten over the hurdle that is Halloween (school parties! costume parades! costume making!!! candy collecting! candy eating!) the focus has now shifted to the next circus (I say that with the sincerest endearment) that is Iceman.

There are a lot of first-time racers out there whose nerves are starting to get the best of them. And even though I am somewhat of a sophomore when it comes to racing, I still get racked with anxiety before every race.

Last night we had some friends in town for Trick-or-Treating from Traverse City. Iceman eventually came up in conversation and when she started talking about working the E.R. during the race one year . . . well, that didn't help my anxiety one bit.

One of the first-time Icemaniacs dealing with nerves is my very own Snoose. She is participating in the Meijer Sno-Cone event.

Last night she crawled up into my lap, her little body tense and stiffened with anxiety, and asked me if she had to do the race. She didn't want to do it anymore.

Parental side note: I always feel like I'm walking a fine line as a parent. At what point am I encouraging them to follow-through with what they started, to be strong, face challenges head-on to forcing them to do something they truly do not want to do. I don't want to be that parent . . .

Once again I asked Snoose about her race experience at Pando.

M—Remember how hard that was?
S—It was really hard.
M—Remember how you felt when you climbed the hill to the finish line and EVERYONE was cheering?
S—It felt really good.
M—Were you proud of yourself?
S—Yes.
M—You should be proud. The more difficult the challenge, the harder something is for you—when you cross that finish line—whether its mountain bike racing or a project at school or anything else you might face—the greater the reward will be. I know you're nervous about this race. I know it's going to be difficult. But the reward at the end will be worth it. You can do it.
M—Do you have to do the race? No, you don't. But I would hate for you to miss out on experiencing something special if you didn't.

"May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds."—Edward Abbey

"I have always struggled to achieve excellence. One thing that cycling has taught me is that if you can achieve something without a struggle it's not going to be satisfying."—Greg Lemond

“The real race is not on the hot, paved roads, the tortuous off-road course, or the smooth-surfaced velodrome. It is in the electrochemical pathways of your mind.” – Alexi Grewal

I hope everyone racing this weekend has a great experience! 

Stay safe, ride hard, and enjoy the moment.

—Heather Adventure