midlife crisis?

I'm sort of being forced into temporary "retirement" from endurance racing because of my (formerly knee, now hip) issues and, therefore, being forced into short/fast/painful racing. This is definitely stepping OUT of my comfort zone as the last short/fast race I did was the Cohutta 35 over a year ago. And, before that, it was 5-10K road races several years ago. Hmmph.

I'm trying to keep a good attitude, though..eventually I will get faster and at least I can start trying some new things. The track racing didn't really pan out since my knee didn't agree with the fixed gear. So, I just bought a BH Cross Bike so I can start getting familiar with the technique and handling..we have a really great CX series here in Georgia. Plus, it takes much less time to train for than 12-24 hour racing..and seeing that I don't have the time to train anyway.....

So, I just registered for my first official XC race EVER this Sunday @ Raccoon Mountain. I'm not going to hope for anything great, just to ride a steady pace in the heat and finish in one piece. If my hip/knee don't bother me, I'll consider it a victory regardless of how I finish. The big question is, is it OK to wear my new Topeak-Ergon skinsuit??? I love it! If I'm not going to win, then I might as well LOOK good, right?? (edit: OK, the consensus seems to be that it's too hot to wear a skinsuit. fine. the forecasted heat index is 102 deg.!)


By the way, there are three spots left in the Women's Beginner Mountain Bike Clinic Series. Go here for more info.