On Being Denied

So. I got denied my upgrade. And I'm trying really hard not to be a sore loser about it, but it's been a crappy few days. So, let's get my grievances out of the way and move on. I am very frustrated that I don't have enough money/time to travel to more than 2 of the 7 events that "count" and that at 1 of the 2 I did get to travel to I got a frigging flat tire. It makes me mad that girls that live in Colorado, that I know I can beat in races, are going to get to upgrade because they can attend more "big" events. It makes me mad that it costs as much to take a bike on a plane as it does to take a person on a plane. It makes me mad that the XC kids have double the amount of races that "count" towards upgrades. It makes me hate my job even more because I'm going to be stuck in Hong Kong auditing hardware and software installs instead of riding my bike in the races that "count" and that this denial happened within a week of being denied my vacation to Whistler/Nova Scotia. More than anything, I'm just bummed, because I got really excited to race with the big girls on a more regular basis, and now I have to wait.

AND... done.

Moving on.

I'm really trying to take this as a lesson in sportsmanship and patience. There is no reason I should get to upgrade when there are ladies who have made the effort and had the opportunity to attend the right races. I need to prove myself against those girls and not get cocky. The plan now is to try to get to Blast The Mass in August in CO even though I'm pretty much broke as it is now and that was going to be my only weekend home all summer. If this is really going to be a priority to me, I need to start making sacrifices. From there, since I flatted in Angel Fire, I'll have to get to one more race in order to upgrade. This likely means waiting until next year unless by some Miracle the project I'm working on at work tanks and I don't have to go to Hong Kong right after Blast the Mass. BUT! that's ok, because if they have the Mob n Mojave race on the gravity calendar again next year, and I manage to place top 3 there (even though bootleg scares the crap out of me), then I can go pro before the real race season actually starts. It's still possible to be a pro before I'm old!!

A solid plan when recovering from a setback is important I think. Take a moment or a day to be down and selfish, and then figure out how you're going to fix it and put that plan into action. I think my determination (stubborness??) should help me take this denial and work even harder in order to shove it in USA Cycling's faces when I get out there and win more races. :) Training for Blast the Mass starts tomorrow!!!

Random cool pic of me to motivate myself below.