This was the smallest race of the year, so far, for me.

I showed up, kind of uncertain about racing, but being as stubborn as I am I decide to stick in and give it a shot. I had gone for a ride the night before and hammered up the little hills...my mistake. My legs were now sore.

Five women showed up to race in the cat-4 group. Five. That's it.

The five of us, nervously, got grouped to start with the cat 1-2-3 women. The fast women.

The first two, almost three, laps were OK. The five of us managed to hang on. I clung to the back using all my might.

After lap three, and for the rest of the race, we were dropped. Four of us rode together until the prime lap. I had no extra UMPH in my legs to push at the sprint, and try as I might, I got dropped. Two women remained racing together for the cat-4 finish. I completed my laps and the race, after being lapped by a super speedy Morgan. Seeing her go by so quickly inspired me to pick up the pace...which lasted all of a few hundred metres.

I finished in fourth place. All alone. Exhausted.

I guess this is what happens when the racing season is over? No one comes out to play?

There's another race on the 9th, and I plan to show up to that one. Crossing my fingers that there's a few more women there this time.