So the truth is out: I am racing this weekend. Besides Time Trials (TT)s, I haven't done a bike race for ....wow...nine? years. TTs count, but road races are much scarier. This weekend, the Minnesota Senior Games are in Mankato. Yup, I'm old enough. They checked my I.D.
I wanted to get 1000 miles before the races, and I'm short by 46 miles...I could easily ride that tomorrow, but not when I need a rest day (you know, we older people need rest days). So, here I go. I think I'm ready. I'm feeling strong. I may get my A*# handed to me in a bag, but as long as I don't entirely embarrass myself, it's okay. I'm riding to have fun and go as fast as I can.
So this entails a TT and a road race Saturday a.m. and another of each Sunday a.m. I have to do it, right? The staging area is two miles from my house. Actually, I'm excited. And my buddy Skarpohl (I call him Skarpohli because he only rides Italian components...he and Mike Busch are instrumental in my riding Campy (Campagnolo...and the reason Mike started calling me Campychk at A-1 Bike) is loaning me some racing tires, aero bars, and maybe an aero helmet! I told him maybe I shouldn't. Then people would expect me to be fast. He said "It's my stuff. Nobody expects you to go fast as much as I expect you to go fast."
Wow. Pressure? Yeah, but talk about support. I love having great friends.
This morning, toward the end of a 40-mile ride, Lisa said that I was the strongest I'd been in the spring since she's been riding with me. Those were the boosts I needed.
Okay, I'm ready to go.
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