It has come down to the final lap of this grueling criterium (bike race). Riders are fighting for position at the front of the race as we weave through the last 3 turns heading into the finish. The pace picks up again with 2 corners to go as we stand and accelerate out of the turn. I’m in good position, about 4 riders from the front, and as we approach the final turn I can see the finishing banner out of the corner of my eye. We hug the right side of the road and prepare to dive into the last left-hand turn, leaving a straight shot to the line. The gears start to shift and the bikes lean into the turn.
What are those guys doing?!?! As we come out of the final turn at full tilt, two guys standing at the finish line, grab the poles holding up the finish line banner and pull them out of the ground. They then start running down the road, carrying the banner above their heads. We fly past the original locaton of the finish line and continue to chase them, desparately trying to to bring this race and brutal sprint to a end. We finally catch them. I didn’t win.
Yeah, I made that up. Well not really. It was just in a different context, such as an indoor cycling class.
We’ve been crankin’ for the last 40 minutes and it is coming down to the last sprint. The instructor has been prepping us for this finale for the last few minutes, building up the intensity for one last all-out effort. The instructor begins the slow and dramatic countdown to our last 20-seconds before we cooldown and stretch. “4………..3………….2………….1……….GO!!!
With all the resistence we can muster, and all the leg speed possibly, we give every last drop of energy for this 20 second sprint……15 seconds…..10 seconds……almost there…… Just as we are about to cross the imaginary finish line, the instructor yells: “10 MORE SECONDS”! What da? What do you mean “10 MORE SECONDS”? Did someone move the _______ finish line?
Dude, you just can’t do that. Mentally and physically we are pulling everything together, with just the right timing, to explode at the finish. There “ain’t” no such thing as 10 more seconds. Yeah, I know it sounds cool and all bravado like, to throw out what appears to be an extreme challenge, but it is more harmful than good.
First, it is a waste since most people doing the final sprint correctly will have nothing else to give, and will only slump their shoulders in exhaustion during that surprise 10 seconds. Anyone who has ever ridden a real bike will write the instructor off as a bone-head. Others may leave discouraged because they didn’t have anything left for those last worthless seconds. A competitive athlete wont come near your class with a 10-foot (or 10-second) pole. Second, this only trains riders NOT to sprint as hard as they can because “someone” may move the finish line, forcing them to scurry for some remaining vapor of fuel.
If you want your classes and workouts to reflect sound training and attract outdoor riders, don’t do stuff like this. Set people up for success and make them successful. Bolt that finish line down and encourage riders to give everything they’ve got left to hit that line at top speed.
The End.
Oh, wait. one more thing………… Yeah, see what I mean. It just ain’t right.
