Masters Nats Preparation

So the DS wants us to post more blogs. I have been racing 2 years now and am going to Masters Nats. Nuts most of you might think. Am I nervous? Yes very. Why am I doing this? Maybe I have something to prove. Am I getting prepared? To the best of my ability. I have been training hard for the past weeks without overcooking. 5 laps weekly of SCAT in the A group, plenty of races and specific workouts or group rides. Is it enough to compete with the best in my age group at Nats? Physically yes and mentally will be the big question mark. Last night I did the A ride from Ride on. There were plenty of riders at the start and someone asked me how old I was? So I told him and he did not understand how someone my age would want to go through so much pain and ride with these jung studs. Well I‘ve been thinking about the answer and I guess it is because I can! After 15 minutes into the ride a group of 5 got separated from the rest. No wonder Eric Cristophersen, a SC State Champion, was leading to make things fast or maybe super fast. Eric asks the group if we want to wait for the others and I immediately respond with yes. I was outvoted 4 to 1. Then I think I am in deep sh.. because there is no way I will be able to keep up with these guys. So the party begins and I keep away from the front just to hang on. Hill after hill Eric and the Colombians are pushing so hard that I think my heart will explode any minute. At the midway mark I begin to settle down and start to think that I can finish this ride. So long story short. I finished and we did about 33 miles in less than an hour and a half. Not bad for an old guy. So I guess I can.

4 and a half years ago Cinthia and I did our very first group ride from Carolina Triathlon. Jim Cunningham was the ride leader of the C group and I told Cinthia that we don‘t have to do the D ride because I felt very macho. The last 5 miles to the shop I got dropped and was cooked. Jim stayed with me and had to virtually push me over the last 2 or 3 hills. I will never forget this as long as I live. Today we joke about it. So what is the motto of our team? Something about dreaming and making things happen. Bend here I come! I‘m even getting goose bumps while writing this!