A while ago there was a thread about how a lot of guys aren't feeling the racing thing (their own racing, this is) anymore, and are just having fun riding. I see the point, and at the time I was sorting out a lot of stuff in my world and wasn't doing a lot of racing, but was having a lot of fun just riding. I did a gran fondo, did a marathon mtb event, but the stress of normal x's and o's racing was unwelcome at the time.
Well, things got sorted out and a few weeks ago was able to race in probably the last edition of a race I founded in 2009, and it was fun as s**t. Then I did the regional age-graded champs which was a crazy race on the best course I've ever raced on. This weekend I made a last minute decision to do a stage race since I seem to be pedaling fast these days, and I tend to race better when I'm racing a lot so might as well give it a go. First up was TT, haven't used the clip-on aerobars since May 2011, but giving it about 90% gas I managed to do okay. Then a fun crit yesterday afternoon, when a lot of the better TT guys couldn't do as well. Did okay in that, and moved up in GC. Then a road race today, slightly selective course but Cat 3 fields don't often race like that, so I put my chips on a field sprint (I am the WORLD'S WORST sprinter). The last 1.5k is a crazy right hand turn, then a zig zag, then another right, and a short sprint. Figured if I got to the first right in good position I'd be okay just riding really hard through the rest of it, just pedaled wacky hard and focused on the wheel in front of mine (turned out I picked the best one) and it worked out great. Moved up to 6th on GC, tied for 5th, if I'd been two places higher in any of the stages I'd have been 3rd. A cruel scoring break, but man was it fun and now I'm all fired up for cross.
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