With my recent upgrade to Cat 1, I've been training. Hard. My old race pace is now my training pace. I've reached speeds that I didn't think were possible. And I still need to go faster. Cat 1 races are generally 50% farther with top lap times 12% faster than Cat 2. Fortunately, going fast is self-perpetuating. The faster I go, the faster I WANT to go.
Riding at race pace is a completely different experience than "normal" riding. I find I'm having to unlearn some concepts I was taught by the rigid single speed. Things change when approaching Mach 3. Obstacles become a blur. I no longer focus on finding smooth parts of the trail. Instead, I focus on setting up for the next turn like a billiard player thinking ahead for the next shot. Maintaining maximum speed through a turn involves finding the most traction and holding that line. Roots be damned. Strangely, quick steering becomes a moot point. It's all about flow. It often feels like I'm going break my bike hopping it over logs, root clusters, ditches, and whatever else without bothering to slow down. It's a rush. I'm addicted.
This infection is even spreading to my road biking, as it's easier to train on the road after work than drive to the trail. However, my comfortable, *cough*30lb*cough* road bike isn't great for intense riding. I've got my eye on a Flyxii road frame...just as soon as I recover from my last spending spree. Still, it's a whole lot cheaper than brand names.
By this point I'm sure most people feel compelled to say "be careful", but the truth is, being careful is incompatible with racing. I'll do my best to keep it rubber side down though.
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