Matching the uncaged animals of Washington state cycling

For the first time in several years, I made it to the opening race of the Washington state bike racing season Saturday March 1. Pledging to my Garage Racing teammates that my goal was just to show up, I rolled my bike to the line with minutes to spare. It helped a little that I had done some winter riding out at Mason Lake across the Puget Sound from Seattle. But this time I would be riding with "Cat 3" riders, freshly uncaged from a winter without racing. Would it be a hammerfest from the start? Would I survive maybe a lap or two and have to pull out of the race, as I have done on several occasions in the past?

Turns out I felt pretty good and was able to accelerate through the field at times. Nor did I feel in danger that I would get dropped during the five-lap, 60-mile race. One of our teammates was in a break during the last third of the race, which put the onus on other riders to chase them down (which we did in the last 200 meters).

After the event, several teammates noted I look strong, seeming maybe a little surprised. After all, I didn't show up on any team rides over the winter, which is usually interpreted as a sign of disinterest in racing. But this year, I needed to try a different strategy than simply riding with the team every weekend. I can get pretty competitive out there. Or maybe it's simply a point of pride -- I'll want to go toe to toe with riders from the rest of the team, which consists of some state champions in the Cat 1 and 2 divisions, the top echelon of amateur cycling. This group consists of any young rider trying to be the next Lance Armstrong as well top notch racers in their 20s or 30s who might otherwise rie for a semi-pro team. So as you imagine going on training rides throughout the winter with these guys might hurt more than it helps. At least that's my excuse for missing all those team rides:) 

Instead, I've ridden solo -- on the indoor trainer, some commuting to work, and the occasional long ride. Hopefully, this turns out to be a recipe to actually do some decent racing for a change -- to at least match the uncaged animals! 

Then there is the issue of my wife Amy who doesn't exactly want me gone on long rides every weekend. Now that the season has started, my solution for this problem is refreshingly simple: throw money at it. We now have a team of professional nannies lined up to work various Saturdays. Cost? I'll just have to order fewer lattes;)