Taking it all in

So last night while riding up Paris Mountain on the Sunshine cycle shop group ride I had a bit of a sentimental moment regarding this whole cycling thing and how far I've come in the sport. Its really hard for me to believe that only 6 years ago I was walking up this climb in pain knowing it was the hardest thing I had ever done or would ever do. Flash forward to the present and here I am bleeding out my eyes trying to follow people who I cheered on to Paris Roubaix victories while sitting on the couch in my living room. Its all a bit surreal. I'm sure this feeling will fade away as I progress further into the ranks of the pro peloton but for now its really quite amazing. This year is also reminding me of my first year as a CAT 5 rider. I keep remembering how tough it was for me to grasp all the nuances of riding in a pack, drafting, using energy, and even eating on the bike. I now know how to do all of that its just on the pro level you have to re learn to do only this time with greater speed and awareness cause everyone is as good as you or better. Often times knowing this is the difference between getting dropped and notching a result. Its a lot to learn but I have progressed quite at bit through this year and feel I can finally get some results. Hopefully tour of Pa can be a good jumping off point for me. I'd love to be the guy years later people are saying they used to watch on TV.