(From the newest member of the PureJenius.net staff (who, by the way, is paid >well< into the 2 figures))
So I've been perusing the MCF board tonight and I still can't believe how many guys are whining about the races and race categories that promoters choose for races. I'm pretty good at whining too, so here goes: I'm a 35+ Cat 3 woman who will show up for the St. Cloud Crit and have to toe the line with Cat 1/2 guys - I don't give a shit that they're 50+, their license still says Cat 1 or 2 (and 3/4/5) and they race like Cat 1/2s. What's that you say, it's a ROY race, so we'll be scored separately? Okay cool, then I'll completely overlook the fact that the race will blow apart on about lap 1.5 and I'll spend the remainder of the race with 3 or 4 other women if I'm lucky or I'll assume the time trial position and ride around in circles by myself. Should be fun. Oh, I should shut my trap because if I think the 50+ guys are too fast and furious, I should just race with the Master's 35+ 3/4's because those guys get their own race? Okay, I didn't want to race with my teammates anyway, so I'll do that race instead - those guys will probably be tired anyway, because some of them can do 4 different races that day. Plus, they have kids and jobs, so they don't get to train much. I only have a job, and no kids to tire me out, so I should be able to hang with them.
Then, to follow-up with what is sure to be a brilliant performance in St. Cloud, I will fill my car with $4/gallon gas, blow off my family and friends for the tenth year in a row, and head to Northfield for the July 4th holiday so that I can spend $25 to race for 35 minutes in the Women's Open race. Yep, that's right...5 minutes longer than the Juniors 15+ race and 10 minutes shorter than the Master's 30+ 4/5's.
I know, I know, I should be happy that promoters are putting on races, and that they're having separate Women's Cat 4 races (especially since I've been preaching about MWCMR for 3 years now)...so don't get me wrong, I am happy that these races exist. In fact, St. Cloud and Northfield are two of my favorites and I'll be there racing both of them. And I've promoted races, so I don't want anyone bitching to me about how if I don't like it I should promote my own race. Been there, done that, I understand there's only so much time in one day, and I understand that certain ages/categories of racers bring in more money, and blah, blah, blah. My point is this - all these guys whining about wanting a race specifically aimed at their age/category combo have very little to whine about. So to all those guys whining, I say try showing up to a local race with breasts and a Cat 3 license and then tell me what you have to bitch about as a 37-yr old Cat 3 guy who works full time.
Oh, and here's a little brain teaser - there are 8 races at St. Cloud and 9 races at Northfield. I have an idea - let's pretend that everyone would be happy just racing their category, and I'll even still suggest grouping the Cat 1/2/3 women and Cat 1/2 men so that people aren't whining about those races being too small - here's what the schedule could look like - 7 total races:
Juniors
Women 4
Women 1/2/3
Men 5
Men 4
Men 3
Men 1/2
And as an added bonus, each of the races could be just a little bit longer, oh, the insanity! Man, I must be off my 35+ rocker to suggest something so crazy!! Must be the estrogen, or maybe the lack of sleep from my 50+ hr work week getting to me. Yeah, that's right Mr. 37+ guy, I said it - you only get to do one race, and you have to race with guys who have approximately your same level of fitness and you may just have to race a little longer than you're used to. And then when you turn 38 or the big 4-0 and/or you have another kid, and you can't train as much, might I suggest a downgrade? Gasp!! Did she just suggest I downgrade! Oh no she didn't!! Bitch doesn't know what she's talking about or who she's talking to. Doesn't she know how good I was back in the day?
Come on people, thank the promoters, thank the officials, thank your friends and family for letting you blow them off to train and race, and if you still want something to whine about, come see me and we'll eat some cheese and compare notes.
So I've been perusing the MCF board tonight and I still can't believe how many guys are whining about the races and race categories that promoters choose for races. I'm pretty good at whining too, so here goes: I'm a 35+ Cat 3 woman who will show up for the St. Cloud Crit and have to toe the line with Cat 1/2 guys - I don't give a shit that they're 50+, their license still says Cat 1 or 2 (and 3/4/5) and they race like Cat 1/2s. What's that you say, it's a ROY race, so we'll be scored separately? Okay cool, then I'll completely overlook the fact that the race will blow apart on about lap 1.5 and I'll spend the remainder of the race with 3 or 4 other women if I'm lucky or I'll assume the time trial position and ride around in circles by myself. Should be fun. Oh, I should shut my trap because if I think the 50+ guys are too fast and furious, I should just race with the Master's 35+ 3/4's because those guys get their own race? Okay, I didn't want to race with my teammates anyway, so I'll do that race instead - those guys will probably be tired anyway, because some of them can do 4 different races that day. Plus, they have kids and jobs, so they don't get to train much. I only have a job, and no kids to tire me out, so I should be able to hang with them.
Then, to follow-up with what is sure to be a brilliant performance in St. Cloud, I will fill my car with $4/gallon gas, blow off my family and friends for the tenth year in a row, and head to Northfield for the July 4th holiday so that I can spend $25 to race for 35 minutes in the Women's Open race. Yep, that's right...5 minutes longer than the Juniors 15+ race and 10 minutes shorter than the Master's 30+ 4/5's.
I know, I know, I should be happy that promoters are putting on races, and that they're having separate Women's Cat 4 races (especially since I've been preaching about MWCMR for 3 years now)...so don't get me wrong, I am happy that these races exist. In fact, St. Cloud and Northfield are two of my favorites and I'll be there racing both of them. And I've promoted races, so I don't want anyone bitching to me about how if I don't like it I should promote my own race. Been there, done that, I understand there's only so much time in one day, and I understand that certain ages/categories of racers bring in more money, and blah, blah, blah. My point is this - all these guys whining about wanting a race specifically aimed at their age/category combo have very little to whine about. So to all those guys whining, I say try showing up to a local race with breasts and a Cat 3 license and then tell me what you have to bitch about as a 37-yr old Cat 3 guy who works full time.
Oh, and here's a little brain teaser - there are 8 races at St. Cloud and 9 races at Northfield. I have an idea - let's pretend that everyone would be happy just racing their category, and I'll even still suggest grouping the Cat 1/2/3 women and Cat 1/2 men so that people aren't whining about those races being too small - here's what the schedule could look like - 7 total races:
Juniors
Women 4
Women 1/2/3
Men 5
Men 4
Men 3
Men 1/2
And as an added bonus, each of the races could be just a little bit longer, oh, the insanity! Man, I must be off my 35+ rocker to suggest something so crazy!! Must be the estrogen, or maybe the lack of sleep from my 50+ hr work week getting to me. Yeah, that's right Mr. 37+ guy, I said it - you only get to do one race, and you have to race with guys who have approximately your same level of fitness and you may just have to race a little longer than you're used to. And then when you turn 38 or the big 4-0 and/or you have another kid, and you can't train as much, might I suggest a downgrade? Gasp!! Did she just suggest I downgrade! Oh no she didn't!! Bitch doesn't know what she's talking about or who she's talking to. Doesn't she know how good I was back in the day?
Come on people, thank the promoters, thank the officials, thank your friends and family for letting you blow them off to train and race, and if you still want something to whine about, come see me and we'll eat some cheese and compare notes.
Comments
If you give people several options (Masters, etc)they'll gravitate to the one that appeals to them most.
If you reduce the number of fields, people will find the one that's right for them and that might mean that they're over or under categorized.
i think there are a few cat 3 men out there with moobs (man boobs).
nice post.
I think road cycling should do away with age categories. They do not represent a collective skill/experience level and often yield boring, predictable races, or small fields. The experience/skill category system serves the riders better.
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:3ui8XQAKowwJ:www.nickelnuts.com/2007/01/31/uscf-my-way/+nickelnuts+%22USCF%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us
Ps moobs and... cankles, too.
Hey now...leave me out of this.
If a male cyclist achieves the performance standard of any category, that person, regardless of age, should be racing in that category. A 42-year-old cat 3 should not have any trouble racing with a 23-year-old cat 3. Age makes no difference when categorized by ability.
It's the women who get fucked over nearly every single race. Putting a cat 3 woman in with 50+ cat 1/2 is nothing more than an insult to women's cycling. Bravo!
Ckicks rule and deserve equal fields.
There are to many masters fields. but if you have none the fields would be crazy big.
I'm close to needing a manzeer, so it won't be long and I'll line up as a 3 in a womens filed.
Too much to read on an empty stomach. I'll get an Asian (how's that for pc) buffet in me and come back. Of course after an Asian buffet you need to keep a garden hose handy for the effects of the MSG.
great post!
You say that like it's a bad thing. I would love to have a crazy big field of cat 3 women!
and are there any numbered categories where field size limits are a potential problem other than 4's and 5's? I don't think there would be....
Is that really true? When there are Cat 4/5 races, it's true that the field size is large, but if you gave each of those categories their own race would they still really be that big? I can't imagine they'd even come close to reaching the max limit of riders.
anyways, heres my question: if women want a "better" race experience (or whatever word fits in between those quotes), why dont they race in a "men's" catagory?
Does there need to be a distinction?
fpa
Three things: (1) if we did that, I think we'd have to recategorize (i.e. a Cat 3 woman is not the same as a Cat 3 man...and a Cat 3 woman would not want to do a men's 1/2/3 race...I have no desire to race against Pete); (2) presumably most men want to race against other men, and most women want to race against other women, so why mix the two?; and (3) that's kind of like saying that the solution to women's racing is to not have women's races.
You better watch your back FPA because I'll be doing some races with you yet this year in that Master's 3/4 field!
A few of us women have done this, and frankly, we get a lot of flak for doing so: e.g. we're "elitist" for not racing with the women's field, or "maybe we should just eliminate the women's field(s) altogether if you're not going to race it", etc. As Strats touched on, cat 3 men are faster (on average) than cat 3 women...and while women are allowed to race down a category in men's races, would you voluntarily race a 4/5 men's race once you'd upgraded out of that foolishness?