Second thoughts

I finally got an email from USA Cycling, announcing the new venue for the relocated National Championships. Sonoma, California's Infineon Raceway will be hosting the race. In an interesting twist, they've moved the race up one weekend, to July 13-16. That was originally the date of the fifth stop of the NMBS, which was to be held at Sonoma, but because of scheduling conflicts, USA Cycling pulled the NMBS race/s that were to be held at Sonoma and replaced it with the championships.

Since learning of my eligibility to race at the Nat'l Championships I've been intending to go. In the days prior to the announcement of the relocation I had a feeling that Sonoma was to be the location, due to the National Series race the weekend before. Once it became official, that's when I started looking into costs...and damn, it's gonna be a costly trip. Sonoma is right there in wine country, which is probably the most expensive part of the state. Geez!

Rough estimates are in the $1300-$1500 range right now. It's enough to make me have second thoughts about going. I have enough faith in my abilities to be able to ride well, and at least have a shot at winning, but if I have a flat or a mechanical (which is always a possibility in a race) then that's all she wrote. In a short race like what I'd be doing, a flat or a mechanical is a KO for all intents and purposes. It would tick me off to pay out all that money to get to the race, then get the dreaded DNF from some bike related issue.

Over the next couple of days I've got some serious thinking to do. Decisions, decisions.

On the training front, the last two days I got some good saddle time in, but it came at a price. We've been having some serious wind lately, and fighting it left my legs pretty thrashed. The wind was really kicking up today, and the legs just weren't feelin' the love, so an impromptu day off. I'll be back at it tomorrow.