globecanvas

This is now fun to quote.

Nice job mattm!

jmikami

nice work on the upgrade, sorry you aren't getting to use it right now. Heal up quick.

My 3 to 2 took forever, about 7 or 8 years, but then my 2 to 1 was quick, just a few months. But as I was a sprinter so it just took one stage race and a few extra races to get my Cat 1 upgrade, being a sprinter it is not as hard IMO. I was in a rush as well because that was the olympic trials year and I wanted to do the big races. Of course as soon as I got my 1 and did a couple big races I opted not to do the trials races cause I knew there was no chance and it was too expensive.

mattm

yes indeed!!! =]

carpediemracing 

Sprinter della Casa: Training - Class

substructure

Into my third year now. Those points are really hard to get once you sell everything and take up cross stitching.

I mean, donut eating and cross stitching.

thechemist

Teammate of mine was a 5 for one yr and then went from 5 to 3 in a year. Now he will go from 3 to 1 in a season. so from 5 to 1 in 3 years or so but 3 to 1 in one year.

carpediemracing 

Don't give up on the 2.

I got upgraded to Cat 3 in 1986 after racing 1983, 84, and 85 as a 4. After getting my Cat 3 I raced for over 10 years with my sole long term goal being to upgrade to Cat 2, whatever that took. I had one year where I placed in the top 15 in virtually every race I entered but it wasn't enough because I was lacking the high point top 3s (I had one 2nd, I think one or two 3rds, etc). Around 1998 I started thinking it wouldn't happen and I gave up in the 2002-ish range (when my mom was really sick and I was barely riding). After that I took each season one at a time. Upgraded to Cat 2 August 2010 after a particularly dedicated year (massive weight loss over the prior winter, first ever custom frame and it actually really fit, all new wheels, "training" camps in Dec '09, Jan '10, Apr '10, pretty full racing schedule). We decided during that year that we wanted to have kids the following year. Based on that I downgraded in mid-late 2011 back to Cat 3, purposely had zero cycling goals in 2011. Junior arrived a year later than expected in 2012.

veloboy971

2-1 was about 10-11 months, just a little over one full Florida season, just a little longer than it took me to go from 3-2 but way shorter than 4-3 and 5-4 cause I raced almost every opportunity I could

shovelhd

Aren't you a Cat2 now? I upgraded to Cat2 twice. It took me less than one season each time.

himespau 

I think your avatar is my favorite of all time.

substructure

I would like to say, "Thank you." But it's like someone telling you that they like your cologne.
It's not my natural smell, nor did I create the scent. It was by mere coincidence that I bought it, and am wearing it the same day your nose is working. And you find it attractive.

So I will say, "Frog cakes." Because ... why not? :-)

Plus, I'm a big, fat tub of goo right now. Addicted to these things. Plus. off the bike for two years. Just now thinking I want to fling a tree trunk like leg over a saddle and attempt to rotate the pedals.

save10

No. Still a 3. But I actually have earned a reasonable amount upgrade points this year. When i posted that last year I was 15 lbs heavier and running a significantly lower FTP. And I was struggling just to not get dropped. Its really not about upgrading really, but its hard to have fun when you are struggling to do anything. I still have the same limited skill set (can't sprint, still a little too fat to climb) but at least I'm strong enough to have some options - try to get in a breakaway, attack a few laps out, lead out teammates, try to get in a good position and hope my 900 watt slow sprint gets me 6th (ok...10th). But at least i can do that now, last year especially at the start of the year was terrible.

abhirama

This is really a great post. I can relate with you a lot here. It's an incredible feeling when something like this happens.

Ygduf