dnuzzomueller

So I need some recommendations on a cloud buster. Over the past month in order:

1. Crashed at our local Norwell Circuit race, broke my frame amongst other things. This also resulted in going to the hospital and then finding out I had crashed into poison ivy (The welts are just starting to receed)
2. Received a new frame and then less then 2 weeks later had the derailleur somehow get into the spokes (I am not a moron, I work as a mechanic and I was on a flat although rough road) and subsequently destroy my entire rear wheel, derailleur and guess what? My less than 2 week old frame
3. The next day while sprinting I managed to bounce the chain off my big ring and nearly caused another solo crash (Luckily I saved it and nothing bad came of it)
4. Today on the group ride I gashed my tire.

And next week is the GMSR (Green Mountain Stage Race). My luck seems to be quite crappy, so I need to learn a few voodoo spells from you guys. I have access to a local asian supermarket so I am pretty sure I can go get some live chickens should I need to do any sacrificing.

bostongarden

For you: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&...20luck&f=false

For us: https://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/05/how_...omeone_is.html

revchuck 

Dang, Nutzo, when you do things, you do 'em right!

mattm

all your bad luck has been used up, you should be ok now.

Tyrell

Mama told me bad things happen in 3's. You're clearly an over-achiever. Although #3 on your list didn't end up being bad so it looks like you're golden. Bad juju is over!

dnuzzomueller

Mmmmm I do feel better after venting that.

Oh yeah: Incase you guys hear about someone dying in the 3s at that race you will know it was me, Who wants dibs on my boxes of gels?

shovelhd

I'll take them unless they're expired, in which case mattm can have them.

I believe in the rule of threes so I concur that you are in the clear. Now be careful.

grolby

Keep the rubber side down, man. Matt and I were just talking about you the other day. Try and live through GMSR, I'll catch you at the Mayor's Cup or something. I think you'll be just fine. These things do seem to come in cycles sometimes, you lose your mojo and that causes you to have more crashes or close calls or seemingly bad luck for a little while. But it all comes back.

MDcatV

i agree with this. a run of bad outcomes can be a snowball that can put you in a negative mindset, creating tension, which can create skittishness and over reaction or even panic. all those things make you handle your bike sharply instead of fluidly, and that can end up causing you to find the floor.

in 2008 (i think) i crashed 4 times in 9 days (i think i have the days right, either way, it was frequent). the first i was taking a corner way too fast and front wheel skidded out so i slid through an intersection at about 30 mph into a median (thank goodness for the median or i would have been in the oposing left turn lane); a few days later during a rainy circuit race there was about a 30 to 40 person pileup that i was smack dab in the middle of; the next saturday i got hit by a car warming up for a race; then after getting patched up like a mummy i missed neutral rollout so had to sprint to catch onto the group. a few miles later a dry gravel section of road i hit a big hole and my handlebars rotated downward, which pulled my brake cables full on so i did am immediate stop and header into a swamp.

after that i found my frame was broken.

so, i was not feeling the love for bicycle racing. my confidence was gone. i talked to a coach i was using at the time, and she recommended that I take my next few races and set a bunch of short term goals in them. for example, something like: first race remember to take a drink every lap - something that is an easy goal to accomplish but still requires you to do it; second race, up the ante a bit, i'm going to get to the front and attack from about 3 wheels back with the intention of going up the road solo or with whoever follows for as long as i can; next race (or your next crit), contest the first prime; next race, up a little more, etc. until you're back and engaged in racing instead of thinking about crashing or racing with a goal of "dont crash."

mike868y

look at the bright side, at least you can afford to race GMSR...

waterrockets 

Your mama clearly never raced in the 5s.

Racer Ex 

I can fix this. First you need to put $1000 cash in a white envelope...