It’s race day, everything is dialed in. Everyone is healthy; you’re peaked to race your best. The sky starts hailing.
You are on a training ride. You’re meeting all your ride goals, all the right zones at all the right times. You get a flat.
Mid race, you have been pushing a hard pace, towing other teammates, or not needing a tow. Everyone on your team is flying, there’s a team behind you, close on your heels. Your bowels kick in, and nature is not asking questions.
The question Mr. Trebek is, “how do you respond to this?”
Adventure racing brings plenty of opportunities to contemplate (or not) difficult situations. Some teams and racers don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the hail. They simply respond. “Jackets ON”. And they roll. Other racers might stop and curse the gods because damn it, it’s hailed for three friggin races in a row, and we’re tired of it!
Technical issues are a guarantee. Someone on your team is going to get a flat, break a spoke, break a chain, or something else of critical value. Training and preparation are your best weapons here. Learn how long it takes you to change a tire or fix a part, and be able to provide a time estimate if not for yourself, then for your team. Knowing in advance how long of a break people will have while the part gets fixed is helpful. It’s also a perfect time to review your route choice. Another thing to consider – if someone on your team is more skilled at fixing things (i.e. faster, less prone to mistakes) make them the designated team gear head. Play to your strengths.
Bowels and racing are unfortunately going to be at odds with each other more often than not. Sometimes there’s simply nothing you can do but roll with it. You certainly can’t get mad at your teammate for having to stop while teams are passing you- even if they’ve already gone three times in the last hour. If anything you need to keep an eye on your teammate. There might be an actual problem that isn’t simply IBS. Most of the time it’s not a big deal, just an unscheduled pit stop. At this point your team could decide that serenading said teammate while they’re doing their business could hurry things along. This does not work with everyone. Use caution. Laughing at your teammate during ‘business’ time is also not recommended.
The key thing to remember is that we race because there’s something extraordinary about being in a race that you set the course on. We all have to get from point A to point B, it’s how we get there, and how we respond to the difficult stuff that makes all the difference.
Happy racing!
-Brandon
