It's go time.

Faithful readers (all 2 or 3 of you...you know who you are) might have noticed a subtle change in the name of this blog. "Pinchy's Wheelfast Adventures" has become "Pinchy's Heavenly Adventures." No, I did not shuffle off this mortal coil and am not typing this from beyond the grave. Rather, in the off-season I made the difficult decision to leave my Wheelfast komrades and join the ranks of Bicycle Heaven. Tomorrow's season-opening criterium in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin will be my first race under the blue, black, and teal of the BH crew.

Is it race time already, you ask? Oh heavens, yes. Time to see what kind of shape I'm in after all of those hours in the basement riding to suffer-inducing training videos. Pinchy has received a thorough cleaning, and is sporting a new cassette and a chain that isn't as stretched out as Gumby. He could still use to be recabled, but we're getting there. It is time to put the rubber to the road and turn those pedals in anger.

That being said, the early part of this racing season is going to up in the air for me. This is because it is also "go" time in another important way...my wife is due with our first child on March 21. This is smack dab in the middle of all of the Pleasant Prairie crits, the Joliet Autobahn race, and the South Beloit Blackhawk Farms Speedway race. Not knowing whether the baby is going to be punctual like his father, or whether it will opt for an early or late checkout, means that I'll have to be making a lot of game-day decisions. I won't want to be hours away at a race when she needs to be heading in to the hospital! Also, being a first-time father I have no idea what the time impact and fatigue levels are going to be. Fortunately, my wife is very supportive and is encouraging me to keep riding and racing as much as possible. She still doesn't like it when I shave my legs, though.

Hopefully the baby comes more or less on time, so that things have started to settle down a bit by the time that the Sherman Park Crit and the Leland Kermesse roll around in April. Maybe it won't be pouring down rain during Sherman Park. Maybe we won't have 30 mph gusts during the Kermesse. A man can dream, right?

The legs are starting to feel somewhat strong. Pinchy is clean and tuned up. And the house is now cluttered with crib, stroller, basinette, etc. So, be it on the road or in a delivery room, it is definitely go time.