Hey you! Just coming back to this thread, and troubled by you thinking that you SUCK. Now, repeat after me: "I DO NOT SUCK". Now go write that 100 times...

Seriously, Raven, think of all you have accomplished in the past year - none of that shows that "you suck". I agree with BM - if you are not having fun with the racing, you need to take a step back and consider what you are doing and what your motivation is. Trust me when I tell you that I KNOW what it is like to feel so discouraged after a race that you question what you are doing, but you learn from it and move on.

I also agree with BM's on-the-fly strategy changes. It is "easy" to come up with a pre-race strategy, but lots of different things can happen during the race to require a chang ein strategy or goal. I remember my very first TT - my goal was NOT to get passed by a woman who started a few places behind me (and was a Cat 2 racer). When she did pass me, I changed my goal to not let her out of my sight (which worked!).

Remember this: you are out there racing when scores of other women are not; you gave it your all; you had fun (I hope).

Good luck at the TT this week and at the race this weekend. Above all else, have FUN!

SheFly