CW and next years racing
Posted on December 3, 2008
I saw an ad on Marco Fanelli’ blog. It featured Christian Walker as the “product”.
Reading the comments you can get a sense of what is to come next year. BIG masters teams and then people like CW. I was discussing this with a friend of mine and he had an interesting point: what if masters racing becomes so competitive that nobody decides to show up to race? What if the TWO big teams in SOCal next year win 90% of the races?
I guess I will find out come the first race next year. There is no doubt that there will be some strong riding, but guys that have a “little” bit more time to train than the average schmo will be killing it. Wonder if racing will still be fun or are the rest of the guys going to show up to pay for prize money for the few stronger ones.
I am kinda split on this one. And this is where CW comes in. You make a choice, family, life, job or ride your bike until you are 60. I personally am taking the family route… for obvious and not so obvious reasons. I want to have kids, wife, good job, care for my parents, etc, etc, etc… AND I SUCK! Cycling keeps me mentally sane. I sit in a chair 8 hours + a day, I need to get out and stretch. Racing is just motivation to keep riding and hang with other schmos.
Now, you choose cycling and you dedicate yourself to it. From an outsider’ point of view (mine), you either have to be gifted, juiced or you have to give up. Lets keep it real here. So you are gifted, problem is, you have to be 100%. 90 wont cut it, but you follow through, train, sacrifice, suffer and then there are two options: you succeed or you fail. Rate of cyclists that fail at getting paid to ride? Not sure, but lower than unemployment nowadays… maybe catching up, but still lower.
One day you wake up and you are 40 or 50 or whatever age is to old to start over, or at least HARDER… not impossible. Do you keep pushing? Do you re-focus, do you regret? By now there is nothing you can do cause you made your choice. What to do?
Not sure what will happen to CW. I am almost sure he will find something. My advise to him will be to adapt. Evolution is the only thing that has kept us alive so far, so we might get a hand on it while we can. Sounds too broad? Maybe he can race for a team, as support… maybe he can move, maybe he can race triathlons, I don’t know… everybody adapts at one point or the other.
I guess my point is that maybe the reality of being so competitive in masters cycling might hurt the sport in the long run. I might be biased as I have already decided where I want to go (CAT2), but I have a feeling that more people will realize that maybe upgrading to CAT3 is enough. Its a sport, its fun and it should stay that way.
Best of luck to CW. We will hear all about it pretty soon.
I am sure I will get some heat for this too… So I will go ahead and call it, yes, I am a pussy.
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5 Responses to “CW and next years racing”
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Hey Jan,
Can’t really argue with anything you’ve said here. I try not to pass judgment on those people who put 100% focus into bike racing, even though as you suggest, it will make life tougher for them eventually. (BTW, I’m not saying that you’re passing judgment either, but some people do.)
One point I will make, and am pretty confident about having been an observer for a couple decades. C-Walk does not have any special physical gifts, and no way is he on anything other than cheap pasta and water. What he does have is very rare: the ability to train 400 miles a week, HARD, all year long, year after year. By himself. In the wind, or the rain, or the cold fog. He gets on his bike and goes.
I can’t speak for you or anybody else, but I’m pretty sure that even if I wanted to focus 100% on bike racing, I still couldn’t train like he does.
Re Masters racing… Personally I think it’s great to have fast guys doing Masters. We’re all in this sport because it’s hard. If you do well in a Masters race, you don’t want an asterisk next to your result.
One last thing, I heard that the Rock Masters team may not be happening after all. But I’m pretty removed, so that could be wrong.
I hate to be the one to point this out, but didn’t he some years ago get caught on something? I would like to clarify this point as I hate to point fingers… i heard it was at RR nationals… bigger race.
As far as passing judgement, I honestly am not worried about coming across if I am or not. I like to keep my writing pretty open. If I am wrong then somebody please shout at me, if I am right I leave it that way. I’ll fix the wrong parts right away and will always clarify my position.
In any case, don’t want to sound harsh. My point is that people make choices. They choose to ride, they choose to get married, they choose to have kids, they choose not to go to college or they choose to go… Right or wrong they all have consequences, I just think that the risk in choosing a career in cycling is much higher than say working for McDonalds… Its clear that the competition is greater for the cyclists. By the way, marriage is also right there, but get me started…. 50/50 it will work out. Your odds in cycling might be better. And the odds of raising a kid might even be worse. AND I DON’T EVEN OWN A KID!!!!
Alright, getting on a tangent here.
So if anybody regrets choosing cycling or not choosing cycling, chime in.
If you are married and have kids you are SOL, that shit is for life, no way of getting out of it!
> I hate to be the one to point this out,
> but didn’t he some years ago get caught
> on something? I would like to clarify
> this point as I hate to point fingers…
> i heard it was at RR nationals… bigger race.
I’ve never heard that, and I’m quite sure it’s false.
On the “choices” subject… I think we agree about all that. His choice is certainly out of the mainstream, and he may suffer consequences eventually, but I’m pretty sure he has no regrets.
I know I’m late to the party but…
I rode with CW back in the day (mid 90s). If he’s on anything, I’d be shocked. He is dedicated to the bike like nobody I’ve ever known. I love racing and my bike… but not like CW does. I don’t know if ANYONE does.
That being said, his choices in life are not for me. I understand that when I line up next to him on Sundays. I think he understands that when he lines up next to me. My choices took me one direction both on and off the bike. His choices took him another. I’m okay with where I am in both places. And I think he is too.
not too late Roller… never too late.
Well, I heard the rumors… from years and years ago. Not sure if it is true. So far everyone has denied it. I’ll roll with that.. plus is none of my business, i don’t even race him…
As far as the rest of the post goes, I just wanted to discuss some choices related to cycling. It honestly could have been another subject… one thing about cycling is that it takes a lot of time away form day-to-day life,so that is probably why you have to make some sort of commitment to it if you plan on being OK at riding.
You could probably spend the time that you ride and go practice pool. You would probably be good at it too…. My point was just a general one and comparing it to real life cyclists of all ages. CW is an example of complete dedication.
I could not do that myself… not to cycling… I just don’t have the genetics and the mindset for it…