Why do I bother?

I always come last (or so close to it that it doesn’t matter).

Another MTB race over the weekend, and another wooden spoon for the mantle piece. So I am forced to ask myself the question “Why am I doing this?”.

If I do a bit of navel gazing, I see that when it comes to competitiveness, I must have been standing behind the door when this “spirit” was dished out. To put it bluntly, I don’t give a rats arse about not coming first.

BUT (note the emphasis using capital letters), I am passionate about not coming last. The very thought of coming last at something raises my blood pressure. So, if that is the case, then I am just as happy not winning as I am at not coming last.

My last 2 MTB races have seen me place in the last 5 at each event, so on a personal competitive level, I am kicking goals. However, if I really put some grey-matter into it, I must be racing for more than just the placing.

So what is it that motivates me to participate in races where I know I’m going to be close to last?

Here’s my top 3 things I love about mountain bike racing:

1. The competitive banter on the start line. As I’ve already said, I’m not a competitive person, but I love hearing and engaging in the bullshit that gets spoken on the start line; “hey mate, your front tyre is looking a bit flat” is a favourite. The nervous energy that seems to engulf even the calmest people brings out some excellent jest.

2. Being photographed by professional looking photographers. This makes me feel like a superstar, even though I’m usually sweating like a Sumo wrestler when the flash pops, and probably looking like a crazed loon with a look of extreme pain on my face. I say probably here, because even though these professional looking photographers take pictures of me and post their images on the web, I’ve never EVER seen a photo of myself at a mountain bike race (I put this down to my sweat-stained grimace not being attractive enough for the internet).

3. The mid-race encouragement from the speedsters. I am always in awe of the “elite” riders who pass me like I’m standing still (I’m not far off being stationary most of the time during a race). You can hear their wheels hammering over rocks and obstacles, then the call of “rider” from behind, which tells me to get out of their way while they zoom past. Of course, they could leave it at that, but I really love it when they give me a bit of encouragement: “c’mon, keep pedalling” or “keep going, you’re looking strong”. Even though I know they are lying, it tells me a lot about the person who has just passed me, and I really get a boost from it.

So why do I bother participating in mountain bike races? Because I love it, that’s why!!