What's ahead for '23?

It's hard to think of long bike rides and hard workouts when I'm sitting comfortably in my recliner, a blanket draped across my legs, and a dog snoring at my feet. I'd be remiss if I didn't give honorable mention to this vicious cough, too; covid really does suck. 

Illness aside, I've decided to throw my hat into the ring for the Gran Fondo National Series in 2023 and see how well I can compete against others. This will be the first quasi-bike race I'll have competed in since I was a teenager (ignoring Zwift races), and I'm both excited and nervous. 

The National Series is just that - a series - meaning it's more than one race. In fact, I have to compete in (and complete!) at least two races to qualify for a spot in the National Championships in Maryland, which is my goal for 2023. Wait --National Championships? Yes, that's what I'm after. No reason not to shoot for the stars...if I fall at little short, perhaps I still land on the moon. 

I like how Gran Fondos have timed segments only -- the entire event is not a race from start to finish (although there is a minimum average speed that must be met that includes stops). I thought long and hard about entering a more traditional crit race, but the idea of finishing in a scrum of splintered carbon doesn't really sound like fun to me. Being able to pace my own ride, while hammering select, timed climbs, is much more my style. I also like how there are lots of age groups, so I'll only be competing against other dudes, who, like me, think they are much better than they actually are. 

Gran Fondos tend to be around 100 miles in length, and all of the races I'm looking at have about 8000ft+ of climbing. That's no small feat, but certainly doable, especially with the right training. That said, this will be among the hardest series of events I've ever undertaken, and is forcing a change in my mindset from beyond just the volume of miles I ride, to the quality and structure of those rides. I've already taken steps in that direction, and will share more about my training in future posts. 

2023 will bring plenty of other events my way as well - the Cap2Cap Century (roundtrip from Richmond VA to Jamestown VA) and another round of Climbing for a Cure, at a minimum (until a cure for T1D is found I have no other priority). Maybe with all of this training, I can actually hit 18k-ft of climbing in a single day? We'll see if can get within striking distance of my white whale or not. Only time will tell. More soon!