Series Recap and...National Championship Qualification??

This is the first weekend since early January that I haven't had a race, and I have to admit, it feels a little strange not to have one on the horizon. Instead, I've taken the time to reflect on the virtual E-Fondo series and really think about my performance and the challenges ahead. 

In terms of the series itself, I think RGT and the Suarez Gran Fondo National Series put on a great set of events. While RGT was a little glitchy here and there, and the addition of steering mid-stream may have offered some a disproportionate advantage, overall it was really well orchestrated, especially considering the entire series was free. The results were posted promptly - usually in less than 24 hours from the final race - and each race was attended. With a total field of more than 150 people each week, you were almost guaranteed to find a competitive group to ride with. Regardless of whether or not I do any in-person Fondo's next year as part of the national series, I look forward to riding the E-Fondos again if offered. 

In terms of my personal performance, I gradually improved throughout the entirety of the series. This was likely a result of both learning the dynamics of RGT as well as the gradual improvement in fitness over the 6 weeks of training and racing. Below is a quick snapshot of my finishing place within my age group:

Race	Age Group Placing
1	16th
2	15th
3	14th
4	11th
5	12th
6	10th

In terms of series points, I ended up finishing 14th overall in my age group. As I've noted in previous blog posts, it's hard to say whether or not these results met my expectations. Having never done a series like this before, I didn't really know what to expect. Did I want to win my age group? Of course. Did I want to place better overall? Absolutely. I don't compete to lose. But at the same time, these were large fields of racers with some impressive ability, and I'm admittedly proud of how I placed among my age group peers. It has definitely helped me keep perspective about the kind of training I need to continue doing and the sort of competition I'll be up against when the in-person races begin in June. 

Now, all that said -- there is some good to share! After six intense virtual races and what felt like endless buckets of sweat, I received notification this week that I have qualified for the USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships for my age group in Maryland! This is pretty exciting, and what I've been working towards since beginning my training in December. It's a bit surreal to think that I've already qualified for the championships, but hey, I'll take it. 

Of course, I have quite a lot to do before September rolls around - namely, keep training and racing. While my fitness has improved considerably over the last 3 months, a long road with lots of miles still waits ahead, including 3 in-person Gran Fondos (more on those another time!). Fortunately, the structured training program I'm following with TrainerRoad has been absolutely fantastic. It's just the right mix of endurance, VO2Max, Sweet Spot, and Threshold training that I need, and my FTP has been slowly improving. After all my years pedaling a bike, I don't think I've ever felt so strong and confident on two wheels as I do now. I simply can't wait to see what the next few months of training has in store for me. 

Maryland, here I come!