I went to the velodrome in Atlanta for my first night of track racing and had a blast. It's interesting to me how I don't ever want to go to Atlanta for shopping but am willing to drive there and back in one evening for a bike race. Priorities.

For the first time this year the track folks were doing a keirin race so I decided to take advantage of it. A keirin involves a motorcycle leading the racers out for a few laps at a progressively pace, then pulling off so the cyclists can have a mad 2 lap sprint to the finish. It was fun.

I am hooked on track racing. It is social since everyone is hanging out in between races. And the races are short, usually less than 5 minutes, and I can deal with short periods of high intensity knowing that it will be over soon.

About a month ago I ditched my training plan since I wasn't having much fun and was feeling deeply exhausted. I cut my hours down and rode whenever I felt like it, however long I felt like it, and with whoever I wanted to ride with. No plans. No end purpose in mind. Cycling became fun again and every day I look forward to riding my bike.

This second season of racing has brought forth some new epiphanies about myself. One is that I am still finding my limits, and each year my limits are becoming higher so I can push myself harder. But they are still there and I need to remember that I am a mortal and an amateur athlete. Two is that variety is the spice of life, and I need to change things up every once in a while to stay motivated. So the track cycling endeavor was greatly needed to restore my enthusiasm. I may try some mountain biking or cyclocross in order to sustain my interest in two-wheeled sports.