One more run at Cat 4

To move up or not to move up, that is the question;

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

(by staying in cat 4 this year)

 Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

(by moving up to cat 3)

Actually, the slings and arrows of cat 4 are not too bad.  But am I a sandbagger?  I do well in cat 4.  I haven't won a race, but I have three top six finishes and three more in the top ten.  But I would like to win one...just once.  After much thought I have decided that at age 43 with only two years of racing under my belt (and 2 1/2 years of riding) that it is ok for me to hang out in cat 4 for a little while.

The problem is that I don't think I have the time to train the way a cat 3 rider needs to train.  And so, when I do move up, I fear that I will spend the rest of my racing career not contending for the win.  In cat 5 and cat 4 I have felt that in almost every race I had a shot at winning.  I'm definitely not the strongest person out there, but I'm a contender.

And so, I will start out the 2009 season in cat 4.  Maybe half a season.  Maybe a whole season.  We'll see how it goes.