Annual decision time

It's licence renewal time again, and as ever, I battle with the same decision. Do I stick with my Cycling Ireland leisure licence or go for the Limited Competition one? While navigating a narrow stairwell at work the other day, I realised that the two folks in walking front of me took up the same amount of space as I did on my own, so it is safe to say I won't be dancing up the hills dropping all and sundry anytime soon. My plans to use my involuntary break from work for a month and a half (involuntary since I was actually made redundant) to get the kms up and kgs down were scuppered by actually having to use the time to look for a job and go for interviews. 5 interviews later, I had found gainful employment again but my plan to shift weight only worked in as so much I shifted the weight from the inside of sweet wrappers on to my belly.

Each year I think going for the competition licence will inspire me to get my act together but then reality hits and I click on the Leisure option. This year I had gone further and even selected LC but was then faced with deciding if I was Elite or Masters- neither of which sum up my unique style on the bike (turning 40 next year complicates things further). So leisure it was again. However the one major factor that shaped my decision was the fact I actually lack any competitiveness. I obviously enjoy watching racing but I simply don't have the desire to prove myself against others-whether due to a deep down recognition that I would get my backside handed to me so there is no point in trying, or maybe I just don't feel a gap in my life that competition would fill.  On the positive side of things, it does mean my club can have me as a marshal at all the races we run, ensuring at least one of the flag waving stewards at a junction won't be there under duress and being grumpy because they aren't getting to race.