Is it summer yet?

Rolled up to Spokane on Tuesday and got abused in the rain and 45 degree weather at the Twilight Series. When almost the entire field is one team, and their two strongest riders get up the road on the first climb, the two solo guys with legs get to do all the work. I spend more time on the front at 400+ watts than I've ever done in my life, then find myself on the front leading into the field sprint. I try something new but don't get away and have only a back of the pack finish to show for my efforts.

On Wednesday for the mountain bike series, I hang on to the fast guy for a bit longer than last week, but then pop on a climb and see him ride away. I waste about a minute trying to fix a burped tire, and then finish about a minute down. Although I'm slightly slower on the second lap both this week and last week, I run faster second laps than the fast guy both times. Of course, he probably shuts it down after opening the 2-minute gap, but I'll tell myself he's still killing it.

And then last night we roll out in some gray weather and 50 degrees for the first 'Palouse fast ride' of the summer. Then it starts raining and the temp drops even more. By the first hill I'm freezing and need to warm up. Rather than ride away from everyone, the high school kid who never rides (according to his dad) latches onto my wheel as I roll by at 500 watts and proceeds to abuse me for the next 20 minutes or so. So now I'm cold and wet and getting my arse kicked by a kid who showed up for the ride in jeans and a t-shirt, and who had to borrow some clothes so he wouldn't freeze. And he's graduating today, so he's probably been spending the week staying up all night and drinking.

So I'm cold and wet, and now feeling old and slow. But I take the final sprint easily (after letting him pull the last mile, of course).