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.