Vertical Earth

As a notoriously uncommitted biker, I'm not sure if I could bike the 112 miles of Ironman, let alone do anything but complain after that. With that said, I needed a good support system to get me on my rear (in the saddle) and do some biking. With three or four bike clubs in the area, I sent out some e-mails to see who would be interested in helping me with that support system. I'm pretty sure all the clubs would allow anyone to join, but I wanted one that would help me through the process with some sort of mentoring. Vertical Earth got back to me first with some great advice and took the time to get me up to speed on the world of cycling (from the saddle, not the couch). It's one thing to watch the major tours, but understanding what goes on doesn't prepare me to be a racer. It's a lot like creating artwork instead of just admiring it. I joined Vertical Earth cycling team largely based on the help of Michael Gaertner and the quality of his team. On the other hand, after I had joined, I got a great couple of e-mails from North Division's club. They appeared to be equally helpful, but got back to me about a week too late.

Having a team to ride for was the first step. The second was to get my USA Cycling license. I'm officially a Category 5 (aka. Cat 5) rider. It goes from pro ranks, which may also be Cat 1, down to Cat 5. Being Cat 5 doesn't mean I'm slow, rather that I am new and haven't done any races to get points to improve my Cat ranking (aka. Cat Up). I'll be racing in the Cat 4/5 category in my first official race as an official cyclist this weekend (5 and 6 April). The race is the Baddlands Frozen Flatlands Omnium. I have no idea what an Omnium is, but I'm in it. On Saturday we do a crit (criterium) for 60 minutes at Spokane Raceway Park. That should total around 25 miles. On Sunday we do a 50-mile road race. Last time I raced that far was in the Grand Columbian Half Ironman. I barely made it to the end of the bike leg, so this should be interesting.

It should be a good time as I get to enter what is essentially a whole new sport. I feel I have an advantage after getting years of riding under my belt before going into this essentially as a beginner. I'll get a small taste of what I see on TV and get to race as part of a team. It should be fun.