Measuring Up

I've had a good week on the bike and when I do, it never fails that I begin to get the "race itch". I have a hard time judging my capabilities because I've spent my entire season riding with men who are ironman triathletes, cat 2 racers, elite classification mountain bikers, and a woman who just kicks ass at all of it. If I am to judge myself by where I fall in with them, I fall short. However, when I remind myself of my classification - I realize I won't be racing against Mike, Max, Joey or Brenda but I WILL be racing against a bunch of people with abilities beyond my awareness. I am always so afraid of the unknown; riding with new riders is like riding a new course - until you know what lies ahead, behind and all around - it all seems difficult and scary.

I talked it over with my "coach" last night who told me to "try on the race like a new pair of shoes". I'm not sure if that means I should only attempt to do this with my right foot (if the shoe fits my right foot then its a "go" - my right foot is larger than the left), or if I should expect someone to bring the race to me while I sit in a comfy chair and dictate exactly which race I'd like to try. Either way, comparing it to shoes makes it seem very do-able so it was a good comparison even if I am still in the dark about the general meaning of his fluffy metaphor.

I really prefer a single category race for my first real race and this one is a 3/4 mix but that just means it'll be a greater character building experience (thanks Max!) because I'm more likely to be last across the line. So do I register? I have one week to make up my mind.