No excuses.

I brazenly invited myself along on a weekly cyclocross training ride w/ some fellow racers who are much faster than myself. You know the old adage, Play w/ better players and get better yourself. Well, that may be true, but I hardly ever even SEE these guys. Man can they hurt themselves. They graciously wait for me at various points and don't brazenly mock me to my face for which I'm eternally grateful. I've never beaten them and never will. Such is my lot in life. On several of the rides, we've been joined by TR. He's about to do his 1st cross race. He's super strong, a fast descender (we're training on MTB trails riding cross bikes, always a thrill), and can match the attacks and accelerations of the others while I cannot. He's my age (44), and has decided to race Masters 35+ B. I pretend to race Masters 35+ A. If he doesn't win, I'll eat my hat....then guilt him into racing A's. Why would I encourage someone who I know is faster than me to race the same category you ask? Because that's just the kind of guy I am.....stupid.