Bummer

Well Diane just emailed me to inform me that the Women's categories for the eagerly anticipated Harvest Moon crit have all been combined. That sucks. As the last UCA race and not a hill climb I was hoping to do well. I have good power and I can handle a corner. . . just not quite as well as the pro women.

As if women's racing isn't discouraging enough. If you don't already know there is no Cat 5 women's category like the men have. There is no come and try out racing with other newbies. Instead come out and race against women that may have years of experience. Add to that incentive, the fact that Women's 4s usually race with the Masters women. Masters is just another name for women that were once pros but are "out of shape" or just don't want to go as long or hard. They are still usually very strong and of course they know how to race.

So let's say you stick it out in the Women's 4 and you figure it out and you start winning. This is not necessarily a good thing. Win enough and you "get" to upgrade. Well sure, if you're strong enough you shouldn't be racing with the beginners, but once you upgrade to a Cat 3 you now get to race with the pros. Usually the the Cat 3 women are combined with the 1/2s.

Okay, okay. I know I'm whining. And I know the reasoning behind all of this combining the women. There just aren't enough women racers. I'm not sure where they are. Maybe home barefoot and pregnant? Handing up waterbottles to their men racers? Afraid to try because of all of the above reasons? Afraid of helmet hair?

C'mon ladies. I know helmet hair is not attractive but racing is fun! You get to push yourself harder than you ever thought possible . . . it relieves stress. . . the racer women are nice (most of us anyway). . . and well it is just cool.