Half shorn, but ready to race

My New Year's resolution (self-serving though it may be) is to start racing bikes. Bicycles, that is. Motorcycles go really fast and I've already crashed them, so I wanna try crashing something new while I'm only wearing a thin layer of elastic.

I've been riding for about four years now. I like to say that I've started riding again, but my wife points out that I took a 20 year break, so my biking when I was 15 doesn't really count. She could has a point.

So, I've been riding and training for four years. I've ridden 9,576.45 miles since I got a Garmin 305, and I've been pushing myself pretty hard every year to best my personal records up Tunnel Road and around The Three Bears. My training, however, has had no focus beyond beating myself. I want to try to beat some other people.

So, the first thing I've gotta do? Wax, of course. It's Pro, right? Adds at least 15 Watts? In truth it was more of a throw-down from my wife based on a sale at The Body Shop. For a home job, I think it actually came out pretty well. I even finished up the other side.

I've got a few things I hope to get out of this year:

• Focus my training on improving race-specific strength
  
• Learn racecraft
  
• Become part of a cycling community
  
• Win
  

I'm pretty sure I can do the first three. On the last, I've got to balance work and my commitment to my wife and two girls. I've got a ton to learn. Perhaps the most important thing I need to learn is how to get strong fast.

I'm at least half ready to go.