My cycling journey @guy-jones-cycling - Tumblr Blog

// SELF CONFIDENCE //

My last characteristic I wanted to write about is self confidence and how this one trait could make or break you no matter how good or talented you are.

We all know that in order for something to happen we need to believe in it for this to come true. With the belief in a goal or an outcome the chance of success multiplies infinitely, so the point here is to trick your brain into thinking you are confident even if you don't really feel it. If you can do this and trick your brain at first then slowly it will start to change and that forced self confidence will manifest itself as actual natural self confidence. You could completely change the way you look at winning.

I think that self confidence can be difficult to master as a whole. It's easy to feel very confident in some situations but not in others and that's why I believe it can such a powerful tool when chasing success in anything. This is quite apparent in cycling and sports as a whole. For me there are situations in races where I will feel super confident in my abilities and other times where inside I feel no confidence at all however the key there is to protray through body language etc that you are confident as previously mentioned this could then make you feel more confident if you just act like it. You could be an exceptionally talented rider but if you don't have the confidence to try that race winning move then you will never try it and therefore never know the outcome.

In the end if you can radiate self confidence and start to really believe in yourself anything is possible. Anything.

DETERMINATION//

The second characteristic I want to talk about is determination. The ability to keep going when things are hard.

In my opinion determination is one of the most important factors when it comes to whether someone will succeed or not. You could start a goal being extremely motivated and this is also very helpful, apart from that motivation levels can alter drastically and you could of set a goal while feeling extremely motivated, however if you don't have to determination to continue to chase that goal consistently then you will struggle to achieve. I also feel that if you are determined then it has a positive knock on effect on motivation so if you are determined you will feel more motivated. Motivation gets you started, determination keeps you going.

For me in cycling determination is definitely one of my strengths. My goals mean so much to me that I am fully committed to achieving them and this has definitely helped me. The determination I have to achieve helps me push through those hard training days where all I want to do is give in, it also helps me push through those times in races where the pressure is really on, whether that be in a 30 second sprint, a solo last 3km attack for the win, or a tough climb. Having the determination to push through all the pain and the hard times will ultimately lead to success.

This can translate to every day life as well. You could be a student finding a certain subject difficult to understand or someone going for a promotion or work. Whatever you situation, you have two options. The first option is to give up and settle for a low grade or your current job position or the second option is to show that determination and work that bit harder than you were doing to achieve that A grade or promotion. At that moment of hardship, working harder feels rubbish, it sucks in the present but once it's over, the feeling of success will outweigh it all.

Motivation starts you off. Determination will bring you to the finish.

Thanks

//PATIENCE//

The first characteristic I want to talk about is patience. I would say this is probably one of the most important characteristics someone could have. I feel like people want things right now but is this the best option? Getting something right now brings short term happiness and satisfaction but this can easily dissipate after a short time. Going after that long term success though will bring a greater sense of satisfaction and yes you will have to sacrifice short term but it is worth it.

Having patience is the key to falling in love with the process. Falling in love with the process is key to having success. You could be going for a job promotion, chasing your dream job or wanting to become an athlete. What ever the goal is you need to love the process of getting to that goal otherwise achieving it will be so much harder.

For me patience in cycling hasn't always been one of my strengths. I came to cycling after being successful in another sport and so when I started cycling (and I was rubbish) I had no patience. I thought I could just be successful because I've been successful before. It was becoming a big problem because I'd go into each race with increasing pressure on myself to do well because "I should be able to." This saw my performances decrease and so I started to work with a sports pyschologist to work on it. I started to see it was the long term objectives which were more important and so I started to fall in love with the process and therefore my performances improved.

Patience is so important in cycling as only one person can win each race. You could be racing in a field of 100+ riders so that's only a 1/100 chance of winning, even in a small field of 20 that's a 1/20 chance of winning. They're not the biggest odds. Having the ability to look beyond right now to what is coming is one of the most of the most amazing things to be able to do. By having a goal so big it drags you beyond the present moment allows you to be patient in the moment where maybe it hasn't gone to plan. That's all part of the process though. Everyone fails and failing is just a part of the process. Coming to learn to accept that is the biggest breakthrough I've had.

So let me know if you have any thoughts on this and what experiences you've had.

Thanks

COLD DARK NORTH OAKENCLOUGH RR:

It was certainly cold. It was certainly dark. It was certainly Northern.

I don’t know where to start this one. Another Oakenclough without any result. Continuing in my record of never doing well here.

The alarm was set for 7am however the rain being as hard as it was woke me up instead. This had been the predicted forecast for a few days and I was dreading it. For some reason, whether it’s mental or physical, I never go that well in really adverse conditions and these were certainly adverse conditions. I can’t remember a time I’ve got more wet in half an hour than at this race. Coupled with this my legs, possibly still recovering from the crash, just felt empty and I couldn’t dig in as I normally can. This became apparent on the main climb of the course as I began going backwards and out of the back. As a climber, getting dropped on a climb is never a good sign.

Due to not being at the front of the race and the weather conditions I made the decision that it’s best to get an early shower and abandon. There are still many more races this season that I can hopefully get results in.

I feel this sums up cycling quite well. This was a race I wanted to get a really top result in. A lot of my training has been around meeting the demands of this race and I have riden the course multiple times on reckons to prepare, however all the preparation in the world doesn’t mean anything if you don’t have the legs on the day.

Thanks G

SPRINT FOR SUCCESS COLNE TOWN CENTRE CRIT: Wednesday night saw me race in my last town centre crit of the season in Colne. It was a super stressful start as the journey which normally only takes 1 hour took bordering on 2 and so therefore I only made it to sign on with a handful of minutes spare. After some time warming up on my rollers and chatting to my coach about tactics I headed over to the course for some sighting laps. A 800 meter course with 4 courses was what we had to take on. A short drag out of one corner and a downhill to the finish line. It was going to be a very fast 30 minutes of racing. My legs felt good and I was sitting up in the first third of the bunch consistently. My plan was to save myself for a full gas attack within the last 10 minutes however with just under half of the race completed a rider in front of me hit something that was either hanging over the barriers or which was dropped onto the track from a spectator and he crashed. This caused a big pile up of around 8 riders including me. After untangling myself from the other riders and their bikes I got up and chased as quick as I could. I didn't realise I lost my Garmin in the crash until 1 lap later ( it was later returned - but they didn't pause it :( ) unfortunately it was a chase in vein as on this course it was impossible to get back in as it was so fast. I ended up just rolling in with a small group of riders. Thankfully I only came away with a few bruises and scratches - nothing serious. Thanks G

LEVERHULME GP: Last weekend saw me compete in my first ever national A classified race - this is, apart from pro races, the highest standard of races in the UK. The Leverhulme Grand Prix plays out in Birkenhead Park. The race consisted of 1 hour 15 minutes of fast paced racing around the closed roads of Birkenhead Park and I managed to play quite an active role. My legs felt good and as the course was flat I knew I'd struggle to get a result from a bunch sprint so I decided to ride aggressively and try to get into a move that stuck. Unfortunately no move I went in managed to get away and so it came down to a sprint. Going into the final there were a few groups of riders up the road so the bunch was sprinting for minor positions. I came across the line in 23rd - not bad for my first national A but at the same time nothing to write home about. I had 2 other team mates in the race however they both had to abandon due to having mechanicals. It was a great experience racing at this level and I am taking a lot of confidence into my next races where hopefully I can get some good results on courses which suit me well. Thanks G

ULVERSTON RR: This course hadn't been used for a few years and so it meant that it was one I'd never ridden before. Situated on the coast the wind was always going to be a factor and it was no difference on race day with a stiff wind blowing. The course was very rolling with an uphill drag to the finish line - this suited me well. The race started quite fast and it wasn't long before a break of 10 was established, unfortunately I missed this move as it stuck til the end. They got a big gap very quickly and so a top 10 was out of the question. Due to this and my legs feeling really strong I rode a hard and aggressive race at the front of the ever dwindling bunch, putting the pressure on when the road went up seemed to work well for me as more and more people were feeling the effects in their legs. In the final few laps a few small groups got off the front and so coming into the finish the top 19 spots were gone. I ended up coming in 4/5th in the uphill bunch sprint leaving me in the mid 20's. Certainly not a result to write home about but an encouraging race with the good sensations. I have some favourable courses coming up so I have a few hard weeks of training to prepare for these. That elusive road race result is coming soon, I can feel it. Thanks G

CASTLE CARROCK ROAD RACE:

So I’m back blogging! I decided to leave it while going through my A level exams so I could concentrate on doing as well as I could in them. Now they are over and I’m focusing full time on cycling, I now plan to continue.

Sundays road race at Castle Carrock was my first road race back in the UK after my Switzerland training camp. Somehow in one of the hilliest counties in England this course was pretty flat with only 500 meters climbing over the whole race and a short (but quite steep) climb on each of the 7 laps.

Coming off the back of a training camp always brings uncertainty with how the legs will be.. Will they still be carrying the fatigue from the training or will that have converted into fitness. For me at this race it was somewhere in the middle.

The race however turned out to be quite an easy one in terms of road races. Over the 2hrs of racing my average heart rate was only 165 and my average power 170. Thus meant that pretty much the full bunch came into the finish feeling fresh and ready for the sprint. I found myself in a good position leading up to the final however a lack of knowledge and confidence in such a big bunch sprint (being a climber in this situation isn’t the best) left me boxed in and unable to do anything but surf wheels into the finish line. This left me in 21st. Neither a great result or a bad one. I’ve learnt from it and will hopefully be able to use that to my advantage in the next big bunch sprint I find myself in.

Thanks G

ERIC BIDDULPH ROAD RACE:

The road book for this race made sure to specially bring to the riders attention the state of the roads and how in places it resembled paris-roubaix. I took this with a pinch of salt as it is obviously the organisers job to warn us of potholes but in all honestly they were spot on with the comparison.

At least the weather was good. Temperatures in the 20’s and only a light breeze, it was gunna be a good day. It was a rolling course with no long climbs but quite a few short punchy climbs where the non climbers could still get up with relative ease. The hardest part of the race was avoiding the many wheel destroying potholes and this is what lead to me not quite getting the result I wanted.

On the back of a good result the week before I was going into this with a lot of confidence. However on reflection I didn’t feed enough during the race to have the kick at the end to finish it off. Either trying to spot the tarmac rather than the potholes or the race going hard, I struggled to get much food in. This lead to me to feel absolutely hanging on the last lap. While the group was reduced quite a lot due to the nature of the course, I was still there going onto the finishing drag. I made up a few places as people cracked however I was only able to follow wheels. This left me in 22nd place. Again like last week, not a bad result but nothing to write home about.

A huge thanks as always to:

E-vers cycling Bare composites Holmes Cycling

On a side note (if you’ve got this far 😜) you can now save 10% off anything from the bare composites shop with the code ‘Guy10’ so if you’re on the look out for a new pair of well priced great carbon wheels, go check them out.

Thank G

WESTMOORLAND TANKARD ROAD RACE: A summit finish always produces many challenges when in a race: . How much energy do I need to save? . Do I attack, or wait for the sprint? . When to launch said attack or sprint? And when they are coupled with an already hilly course it is a true test for any climber or anyone on a good day. Basically they sort the peleton out pretty well. The westmoorland tankard road race did this well; hills, a summit finish but crucially quite a stiff breeze, making the climbs even tougher. Attrition was the buzz word for this race with people being dropped from the peleton pretty much all the time. I was sitting comfortably near the front for the first half of this race, then a former team mate of mine Tom Hanlon (now racing for team Chronomaster) decided to ruin his and many others chances of a result for his team mate. Attack after attack up the main climb of the race put A LOT of people out the back and it was the first time in the race I had to really go into the red to hold on to a now select group. The last lap came and with around 2/3rds of the initial bunch dropped we were left with around 20 at the front of the race, me included. I knew going onto the finish climb a few eyes would be watching me as a pure climber to follow if I attacked, however I was the only one who knew how I felt, and that feeling wasn't great. I decided to ride the climb from the front of the group to give myself the chance to follow any moves as I knew if I was further back it'd be my day done if an attack went. It was only with a few hundred meters to go that I couldn't follow and so finished in around 20th. And this brings me back to those questions at the start of the blog, did I use too much energy early on? Should I of attacked long and tried to hold it? At the end of the day though what happened happened and I'm happy with how I rode, finishing in the front group on such a tough course was a real confidence boost and I'm sure a result to springboard me onto bigger and better things to come. Thanks for reading G

EAST LANCS RC ROAD RACE:

After a few weekends off from road racing I was back and super excited to get going. This was also my first hilly road race of the season so I was interested to see how I would go.

A perfect day for racing meet us as I travelled to Clitheroe for sign on, a hard day was on the cards with 5 accents of the bashal eves climb which is around 7 mins in length and with the warm weather it was crucial to stay hydrated and fed.

The pace was super high from the word go and with the first accent coming after a only a few km it meant digging in hard straight away, as I got my all time 5min power pb from minute 8-12 of the race. People were being dropped all the time and the bunch was becoming smaller and smaller. It split into 2 main groups over a really rough section of the course and unfortunately I was caught on the wrong side of this split. My legs felt good and I was pulling in this group all race to try and get back to the lead group. We were within 30 seconds at one point however we never made it back to the front of the race. Our group kept getting smaller and smaller until there were 3 of us left. I cracked with 1km to go and so rolled in 3rd out of the little group. We finished 2nd group on the road and me personally 25th.

This was a really tough day and with a lot of good teams there working well together I am happy enough with this result. It is neither good nor bad but my legs showed good signs of what’s to come in the hillier races.

A huge thank you as always to my sponsors: - E-vers -Bare composites -Holmes Cycling coaching

Make sure to check out my instagram: Guy_jones9

Thanks G

NEWS UPDATE: I am very excited and proud to say that for the remainder of this season I will be supported by Bare Composites. Born out of America, these wheels are super fast and very stylish. I will be using a pair of the 4.5 tubulars which are their middle depth wheelset, perfect for both fast crit racing and those more lumpy Road races. I can't thank Zack Morris, the founder of Bare, enough for this opportunity! Thanks G

BNECC TLI ROAD RACE: My first trip outside of England came this week with my first race across the border in Wales. We headed to a small village just outside Wrexham for what was going to be my first TLI race. For those that don't know TLI is an alternative organising body to British cycling who promote many races throughout the year. I went into this race essentially blind with the only information being from what my coach had said. Who knew TLI racing so going to be so aggressive! This race was 50miles with 5laps making up the distance. My legs felt good and I manged to make most of the splits and breaks that went and with around 15miles to go with a lull in the peleton I attacked and quickly got a gap. There was a break of 2 further up road so I set off in chase. Looking around I realised no one else had followed so I knew I was in for a hard chase. I closed the gap to the 2 up front considerably and got to to within 30secs however I never made the catch and was eventually caught by the peleton. A very reduced bunch came into the finish and with now 7 up the road only a handful of top 10 places were felt to fight for. Unfortunately for me I got cramp and rolled in 14th in the small bunch that was left meaning I finished 21st overall. Even though the result is nothing to write home about I am happy with how this race went and how the legs felt and performed. Good signs heading into an important block of racing. Thanks G

//UPDATE// So it's been a while since I last took to here to write a blog so before my next road races I thought I'd provide an update on what I've been up to since last time I spoke to you. The main reason for the lack of blogs has been due to the lack of road races, unfortunately some of the races that I was on the start sheet for had to be cancelled either due to snow or to road works on the course, this was a real shame as they were races that on paper suited me well but I understand rider safety is paramount and I fully respect the decisions to cancel the races, due to this it had left me instead with some more weekends in which I could get some good hard and long training hours in - not a bad thing. The mid week crit series at the UCLAN sports arena has also started now and I have had a good start to the series with two top 10 results, however as is the nature of these races I've also had some bad luck. I continue to ride these on Thursday evenings so come down and say hi! I will not write full blogs about these but may include results in full blogs. Looking forward if all stays the way it is and to plan I will be blogging a bit more as we lead into May which is a busy time for me in my race calendar. Also be sure to keep an eye out for new sponsor news coming very soon. Im super excited about this. Be sure to head over and follow me on social media: Instagram: Guy_Jones9 Facebook: Guy Jones (athlete) Thanks G

EASTER WEEKEND RACE ROUND UP:

//UCLAN CRIT//Going into the weekend I raced the first mid week crit at Preston on Thursday which resulted in my first top 10 of the season coming in 6th and just being pipped by 5th. I rode an aggressive race and was happy with how the legs felt.

//OAKENCLOUGH RR// well my first National B Road race of the season didn’t go to plan at all and ended up being very disappointing. A crash involving one other rider and me very early on left me chasing on for a while. Even though I caught back onto the main bunch it wasn’t long before we started the accent to the main climb of the day, at this point I hadn’t had chance to recover and as an attack went off the front from one of the main contenders the pace lifted and that was my race over. Time to recover for tomorrow.

//FRANK MORGAN MEMORIAL RR// who knew this would be even less inspiring than pimbo! Easter Sunday consisted of a 90km race around a square. 4 right hand turns followed by a straight. Exciting! Road furniture and potholes lead to a nervous but quick race with the 90km being completed in just over 2hrs. With such a flat course I knew it wasn’t likely that a top result would come my way so late on I combined with a few other riders to bring back a late break. Unfortunately 2 riders managed to stay away. Unlike Saturday I managed to miss the crash that took down around 5 riders on the last lap today thankfully, although this left me well out of contention.

All in all though I’m happy with how the legs are starting to feel and some good form should be on its way shortly.

Thanks G

DUNCAN SPARROW ROAD RACE:

The Duncan Sparrow Road race followed on from the Eddie Soens so it was my first double race weekend of the season.

This has been a race I have ridden for the last few years as even though it is flat, fast and around an Industrial estate it is a good early season workout and this race proved no different. A field of around 80 started and I had a goal of staying up in the first 1/3 of the peleton the whole race. This turned out to be successful as I stayed up the front, and managed to avoid the crashes. There was 1 intermediate sprint in this race and with a lull in the pace 1 lap before the sprint I thought I’d try my luck and have a go off the front (pictured above). 2 others followed me and we soon had a gap, however maintaining a break on this course is difficult and with the wind picking up we didn’t quite manage to hold the gap to the sprint. The rest of the race I spent up near the front, following moves and riding a positive race however poor positioning on the last lap meant I was not in the position to contest the finish. My legs are starting to feel good so hopefully a good early result will come soon.

Thanks for reading G

EDDIE SOENS MEMORIAL ROAD RACE: The Eddie Soens has become a rather renowned race in the Northwest and so attracts some big names such as Ed Clancy and teams such a JLT, Ribble and vitus pro teams. It is held on the race track on Aintree and with a field of 146 riders. So far this season we've been lucky with the weather, cold, yes, but not wet. Until this one. While through the actual race it didn't rain it was raining all through the build-up to it meaning the course was still very wet. It follows the same handicap format at the Clayton Velo Spring classic so I started in the 2nd out of 3 groups. As this race is very flat I had no real performance goal for the day, it was more for other purposes. It was a relatively uneventful race for me until the wind started to pick up, at this point, the bigger pro teams massed at the front and started to put the hammer down through the crosswind sections. As a climber, riding in crosswinds is one of my weaknesses and this was ultimately my undoing at this race. With around 5 miles left I found myself struggling at the back before being dropped and then pulling out. With the weather conditions and quality of the field it was a tough day out but great experience to ride against British and world champions. Thanks G

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