Visions

This upcoming race in Tn was kind of spur of the moment and wasn't on my initial race calendar. I decided to add this race as part of my plan to get as much racing experience as possible so that I can go into the more intense racing that is sure to come next year. I know that at my current fitness level I'm not gonna choke in this race (short of a flat or mechanical), so all I should be concerning myself with is getting more racing under my belt.
At least that is what I was thinking when I added this race to the schedule, but a strange thing happened... as the race has gotten closer my desire to win this race has grown and grown. Now I'm thinking, "Hey, if I'm going to the trouble of strapping a number on my handlebars then I'm gonna throw down as if it was a national event." It's like the old saying, "if it's worth doing, then it's worth doing right."
Every time I picture this race in my head, I visualize winning it. I've not thought about 2nd,3rd,4th or lower.

I just need to reel this attitude in, and keep everything real. I just have to focus on racing MY race and letting everything else fall where it will.

Since I started training I've tried several different sports drinks. I started with Powerbar Endurance, and then I got hooked on Hammer products and gave HEED an extended trial period. After running out of HEED, I got hold of some Cytomax.
Here's what I've come up with...
All 3 of these drinks work. I've not suffered any leg cramps or gotten seriously dehydrated after a workout while using these different mixes. Hammer speaks out against using simple sugars in performance fuels, but I'm not totally sold on that concept.
Taste has been the main factor for me. Powerbar Endurance and Cytomax beat HEED all to hell in the taste category. HEED doesn't have a strong flavor to it, but it has a taste that becomes more noticeable (and less appealing) as your drink warms up. For my money Cytomax is the best tasting... I've been using the Tangy Orange flavor, but I'm gonna pick up a can of Peachy Keen to try some other flavors. If the Peach one is good then I'll probably stick with Cytomax for a while.
One plus for HEED is that with its mild flavor you can mix a double batch in your bottle and it still be relatively mild tasting. I'm sure that both Powerbar and Cytomax would be WAY too sweet to mix a double portion. That said, I'm still gonna go with Powerbar or Cytomax.