Wednesday I dusted off (literally, used a swiffer) my track bike and took it out for a spin to make sure it was still in good working condition. Three weeks ago I was heading out for a casual ride on my extended lunch break when I ran into a track friend before I was able to get going. As we started talking, the thrill of racing and the excitement of powering your body to 40 mph on a single gear came rushing back. There was talk of the upcoming Pro Race Series and my Atlanta friends I haven't seen since last fall. That casual ride ended up having three speed sections in it with an impromptu 4th to ensure I wasn't attacked by a loose dog. I was pretty much hooked. The email a day later from race director and track manager inviting me down for the invitational Keirin field locked it in. I would be returning to the track to start my 2014 racing season off on Friday May 9th for a Sprint Tournament and Saturday May 10th for 'The Keirin'.
It's not so simple though. Two weeks ago as I was preparing to do my first set of intervals for the year, I was frozen with fear. It took me several minutes to press that lap button to start the first interval. I was afraid of not performing, failing to live up to my previous standards. The fear of failure was keeping me from even trying, from doing what I love. Well this weekend I put that aside.
It's an honor to be invited down and included in the program for the Dick Lane Velodrome Pro Race. I'll be lining up next to several strong riders from the Atlanta area, plus guys from Florida, Pennsylvania, and Australia. Just the usual international competition down at DLV. I guess I'll be representing the great state of Tennessee. Go Vols!
This also works out great because for the first time, my girlfriend Laura will get to see me race. She'll get a glimpse of the crazy, obsessive, time consuming world that is bike racing. You couldn't ask for a better stage either. You might see the start and finish of a road race, you could see the riders once a lap in a crit, but on the track? On the track you can see the entire race without ever moving! (Now I have to impress!)
So with minimal rides and zero training, I'm hitting the track tonight for high speed, pedal power. Come out and watch at 7pm Friday night and the main event at 6pm Saturday night.
