Crits = Corners = Turning = I Suck

Last weekend we headed to Dothan, AL, a small quaint town in southern Alabama for my first night crit in nearly two years. I am slowly but surely adjusting back to the high pace leg speed required for crit racing but the dark aspect threw me off completely. I can tell my fitness seems to be improving but I have not seen the corresponding confidence or cornering ability return to previous levels. It was embarrassing how gingerly I was cornering, I'm sure you can ask anyone at the race and they cold tell you. The upside is that at one point I was dropped because the rider in front of me was either worse at cornering or blew up and I thought that my race was over but I was determined to get back in. At one point the gap stretched for nearly the entire straight and spectators were saying I was done but I kept my head down and in about 5 laps I bridged back solo, no big deal.. I guess I am a little more confident cornering solo than with the group. I was just glad to finish the race and stay in one piece. This weekend we are headed back to Alabama for the Sunny King Crit, which is another night race, but hopefully I will be better prepared this time.

This is why I ride...

After thinking that I never have time to ride, my schedule opened up yesterday afternoon. I planned on taking advantage of the opportunity to maybe ride for 2.5 to 3 hours at most, but if you've ever ridden with me you known this wasn't the case. After about 40 minutes I rode up on another rider, an older gentleman that I've chatted with on numerous occasions. I used to commute to work and I would see him about once or twice a week and we would chat for a few miles or so. I probably haven't seen him since last November and I don't even know his name, but that doesn't keep us from chatting it up, which is probably the best thing about cycling or any other common interest. I think that it's amazing how something so simple, can get complete strangers talking, granted not everyone you meet on the ride is nice, but it's refreshing to come across people like him.

I originally planned on riding to Madison but after going through Social Circle and Rutledge, I realized that I should probably think twice about that. Short on supplies, i.e. absolutely no money or food, just water, I figured I better start to head back when my legs started hurting. I knew that on the way out I was riding with a strong tail-wind but somehow I always fail to realize how much the headwind will suck on the way back, and suck (or blow) it did. The weather went from mild to cold then impending clouds started to roll through and I worried about a chance of rain. Luckily, I was able to inch back home, after about 70 miles and just shy of 4 hours on the bike. Stinger waffles, chocolate milk, and Twizzlers never have tasted so good...until this weekend.