Well, I suited up today for the 6th of the Genesee Valley Cycling Club´s spring Giro series, 4 laps and 46 miles of aggressive racing over moderately rolling farmland in vicious crosswinds. Didn´t arrive in time to warm up, but luckily there were several miles of riding to get to the course, where A´s and B´s split into two groups. I rolled out with the A group, and the attacks started right away. I felt sort of okay, managed to maintain contact and stay on top of things as we came around to the start/finish. But then, we hit the steepest roller, and my suspicions were confirmed: a dozen or so times on my bike in the last six months do not, in fact, comprise sufficient preparation to go up against a group of motivated racers who´ve been racing twice a week for a month already. So I got popped, then hopped onto the back of the B group and rode another lap. At that point, the near total lack of endurance was catching up to me and the cramps were settling in, so I called it a day well spent.
It felt really good to be back in it - wonderfully motivating! Bike racing is the best.