Chasing....

Generally in cycling - chasing is a bad thing. It means you missed the break, or even worse you have been popped out of the main group. Chasing is an odd topic for mid November - usually storied of grand chases of all varieties are more for the mid season fury where excuses are as thick as the humidity by the lake.

I am chasing hours now. I have been away from racing for several years now, with a few exceptions here and there to keep my competitive fuel alive. But really - i am behind the ball. Not that I plan a HUGE 2009 campaign, but id like some sort of return to form. More than a stab in the dark, something with some meat to it.

I looked back at my journals of the more successful season i have had, and 30 hours in November seems to be the magic number. Not easy... not hard, but not easy. Most people lack motivation to get that kind of time in at this time of the year, not to mention now is when mother nature just STARTS her hatred of outdoor cyclists in the northern half of the country.

My goal is 35 this month, and its still within reach. Today is Nov 19, and i have banked 17 hours to date, looking to add another one tonight. We have all had our spots of bother on the bike, and been in a spot of difficulty on occasion to put us in a position to chase. We all know that getting halfway across is not 50% of the battle. We know that the last 5 seconds is the tough half. SO for now, i have a good start, but finishing off this month i am looking at the harder half in front of me still.

Fat kid - Pedaling!