Originally Posted by
td.tony
I'm trying to set a goal for the coming season.
I'm still a cat5 but by the end of January I will have completed the minimum number of mass starts required to upgrade. I've only done 3 crit races so far but my last race I placed somewhere in the top 15 out of 45, I still don't have enough sprinting power to place.
My goal I want to set is to upgrade from Cat4 to Cat3 by the end of the 2010 season. I'm wondering if this seems too far fetched or not for most riders.
I also joined my school's cycling team so I should have some guidance and support with training and nutrition and whatnot. I'd also be competing in just about every race of the season.
To a large degree getting to the 3s is more about figuring out
how to race than anything else, so it's hard to say whether or not it is realistic for you or not. I was in a similar boat as you for the 2008 season, I finished my 10 races at the end of 2007 and started 2008 with upgrading to cat 3 as my goal. I didn't really get anywhere for most of the season until things started to click near the end of it. I don't think I had any huge fitness leap that suddenly allowed me to upgrade.
If you aren't already placing well in the 5s then it's going to be an uphill battle in the 4s. Things will get harder before they get easier. You just have to figure out your strengths and race to them. Hopefully things will click for you and you will be able to get your points in. It doesn't take too many good results to get 20 points.