CX Nationals
Green Mountain Cyclocross is no stranger to podium finishes through grime, mud, and rain. But racing for a team isn't just about the podium — it's just as much about the connections made and the mentorship provided.
Schuyler Hagge (pictured above) isn't taking her opportunity on the team for granted. At age 15 she's soaking up knowledge and leaving her best out on the course — mentally and physically. Read about her experience at Cyclocross Nationals below.
Bike racing can be a challenge because often pressure is put on results over learning and growing as a young athlete, making it hard to enjoy competition. This season I have been grateful to be a part of Green Mountain Cyclocross. As a young athlete, it was exciting for me to join a team that supports the development of junior racers without pressuring them into a results-oriented mindset, as GMCX’s primary emphasis is on gaining experience, not medals.
As the cyclocross National Championships weekend approached I became increasingly nervous about my race. My team mentor, Kim Coleman, helped me come up with process-based goals, which are great for steadying your mind before big events. They can help you to refocus on how hard you worked and not the result you expect. In cyclocross there are many things you can’t control; the weather, fellow racers, and equipment failures, so for Nationals our team used process-based goals to focus on the controllable variables.
The practice of setting process-based goals was a relatively new idea for me, but my teammates are much more experienced in this racing mindset. Greta Kilburn is in her first year of U23 and was predicted to have a very good race. But having had a surgery the month before she had to cut her training and reset her expectations. Greta decided to focus on her technical skills in the race, riding as smoothly as she could. By focusing on her dismounts, running, and mounting in the muddy conditions, she knew she would have a successful race.
She also decided to focus on making sure she was prepared at the start line by finding appropriate layers for the intense effort in the cold weather. By controlling the controllables and focusing on honing skills in the race, Greta secured 9th in one of the most competitive fields of the weekend.
Kim raced in both her age group and in the elite race. She used her first race on Friday to prepare for Sunday. By learning fast lines in the dry conditions she improved her knowledge of the course even though the lines changed dramatically by the elite race on Sunday.
Because of the mud, Kim wanted to use her race as an opportunity to practice her pitting. But because of the ever-changing weather conditions, a drying course, and a constant battle for position in a big group, she didn’t feel the need to take a clean bike. She instead chose to adapt to the racing environment and focus on the other goals she set for herself. This adaptability helped her race two successful races.
I liked Kim’s other goals of being fierce and making motorcycle noises, like “BrAAAAp”, as she accelerated out of the turns, so I took on those goals for myself. Motorcycle noises don’t necessarily need to be out loud, but making fun noises in your head helps remind you to have fun. It is easy to get caught up in the nerves of such a big race, but reminding yourself to have fun is the most important process-based goal. Kim encouraged me to keep making motorcycle noises to remind myself that I am fast, and that this is fun. When I showed up on the start line of my race I was the most nervous I had ever been. The goals I set helped me to stay aggressive but to still race in the moment.
As important as having a smooth and fast race is, it is even more important to have fun and to feel confident in your skill and work put into the race. At the end of the day you will remember how you felt, but you’ll likely forget how many seconds back you were. Having skilled teammates and my team manager Ben Coleman to talk me through setting and working towards process-based goals helped me get to the start line with a clear head, and then through to the finish line with a positive perspective. Winter is setting in back in Vermont, but the Green Mountain Cyclocross crew can’t wait to get back between the tape next year!
