Logic: If I am to get faster on my bike, then school must give me a break....

 Massasoit was a beat-down for me.  It seemed to me like I really long cyclocross race - complete with run-ups.  I am at the point where I know I am suffering because I haven't been putting in the work I need to, but at the same time, I know that my sanity requires me to ride for pleasure right now as much as possible.  Sure, I've been hitting the "fun" rides as hard as I can, but to keep up with the fast girls, I'm going to have to start doing "fast" rides in lieu of the ones that I use to maintain my sanity.  

The end of the school semester has been throwing me into a panicky whirlwind of papers, finals, and catch-up, and quite frankly, I can't do it all.  Not all the time, anyhow.  I can safely say, I'm almost done for a spell.  I have a paper almost done, another paper to write, and 3 final exams to take.  Sure, I am likely taking two summer courses just to knock them off the list of requirements I have to meet to graduate someday, but those should be cake compared to the load I've been carrying the past few months.  I plan on celebrating next Friday with a beer and nachos.  

So anyhow, Massasoit was tough.  I hung on, but barely.  I went as hard and as fast as I could go, and I even managed a stellar crash with a speedy bounce right back onto the bike.  I might have lost 15 seconds there.  I'm reminding myself constantly that it's early in the season, and I hadn't really intended to be very fast yet anyhow because of my school schedule.  The real race season is coming; I have hopes that by then I'll be a little faster.  

This coming Sunday is the Battle at Burlingame.  I'm not sure who's racing the Pro category besides myself, but I'm really excited because it's a 33 mile race.  In the world of mountain bike racing, you don't usually see anything over 30 miles unless it's considered a marathon category race.  The race is being promoted by some really cool people out of RI, so it's sure to be a fun time.