“You’re crazy!”
“No one starts this at your age!”
“You will break before you succeed!”
Screw all of my loser friends for those comments...
Yes, at 43 I have no business starting a cycling racing career. After years of MTB’ing for exercise, I was baited into entering the 2007 Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival (Short and Fat 16). The 2007 season looked even more promising with several WORS dates planned. Then came three broken ribs while riding the new 2007 C-Dale for the FIRST time. Crushed and with training going nowhere, I was resigned to the fact that it would be better to stick to the exercise riding. Then with one month to go before 2007 CFTF and inspiration from ???, I hit the trails hard. Sitting at the starting line of the CFTF Short and Fat on my 43rd birthday was nerve racking. But one minute into the race—‘Hey this is fun!’ 2 minutes—‘This is A LOT of FUN!’ 3 minutes-‘This is better than beer and sex!’ (Well, maybe a close second). 1 Hour, 17 minutes later with a 255 out of 900 finish—A high I have never experienced, a high that inspired me for 2008.
As soon as the snow cleared in 2008, I hit the road training--HARD. The weight loss had not proceeded the way I wanted it to, so lugging the extra tonage up hills had to be dealt with. As I entered the first mtb race of the year, I am feeling good about my chances. So good in fact that I decide that Cat 4s are for wimps--I am starting as a Cat 3.
Part 2--Title: 'I am an Idiot' or 'What the F*CK am I DOING?'
“No one starts this at your age!”
“You will break before you succeed!”
Screw all of my loser friends for those comments...
Yes, at 43 I have no business starting a cycling racing career. After years of MTB’ing for exercise, I was baited into entering the 2007 Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival (Short and Fat 16). The 2007 season looked even more promising with several WORS dates planned. Then came three broken ribs while riding the new 2007 C-Dale for the FIRST time. Crushed and with training going nowhere, I was resigned to the fact that it would be better to stick to the exercise riding. Then with one month to go before 2007 CFTF and inspiration from ???, I hit the trails hard. Sitting at the starting line of the CFTF Short and Fat on my 43rd birthday was nerve racking. But one minute into the race—‘Hey this is fun!’ 2 minutes—‘This is A LOT of FUN!’ 3 minutes-‘This is better than beer and sex!’ (Well, maybe a close second). 1 Hour, 17 minutes later with a 255 out of 900 finish—A high I have never experienced, a high that inspired me for 2008.
As soon as the snow cleared in 2008, I hit the road training--HARD. The weight loss had not proceeded the way I wanted it to, so lugging the extra tonage up hills had to be dealt with. As I entered the first mtb race of the year, I am feeling good about my chances. So good in fact that I decide that Cat 4s are for wimps--I am starting as a Cat 3.
Part 2--Title: 'I am an Idiot' or 'What the F*CK am I DOING?'
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