Cat. 4

Monday I received the official approval of my upgrade from Category 5 to Category 4 for both Road Racing and Track Racing. I know it shouldn't be a big deal. Both are just about experience, not results. Completing the Track class gave me the Cat 4 on the Track and 10 mass start races is all it took to become Cat 4 on the Road. No requirement of how well I finished or anything else. Still, it's an accomplishment.

I started the season thinking that I would probably be racing category 4/5 races for as long as I was into bicycle racing, and probably switch to 50+ when I turned 50! Now I've finished 2nd and 4th in two different Criteriums. Joe Hamlin, who I barely edged out to win the 2nd place, is now a Cat. 3, and he finished in the top 3 in his group at Sunday's SPBRC Dakota Crit challenge. Makes me realize I'll most likely be racing Cat 3 on the road next year gives me the crazy idea I might even upgrade to Cat 2 at some point. What am I thinking? I started this sport at 39; I should just sit back and enjoy.

But I've also learned something incredibly valuable. Accomplishing a goal that you really care about makes things that seemed impossible before (racing Cat. 2?) seem possible. Now I want to share that with others. I just don't know how yet.