What am I DOING???

Stop the presses, Machine gun Midz has called me out and I've made my decision (gasp) I am going to (gulp) race in the EXPERT class this year. Let me tell you about the first MTB race I did. Year 2001, event Sugarbottom scramble, class SPORT. At the time I knew diddly about XC racing, it just sounded fun and never having done it before I thought, hell, I've been riding for three whole months now, I'm not really a beginner so I better sign up for the sport class (dumbass). 100 racers, 20 miles, exactly 1 lap on this course before I raced it. I finished 98th place, if I had drank any water during the race I would have puked, I had never experienced anything as difficult before (however 2004 farmdale frenzy race was a close second, buts thats another story) but the hook was in. There is ALWAYS a lot of hushed talk about who's sandbaggin or who should move up and whats fair, yada, yada, yada, thats always open to debate. But after reading some other postings around the web and being "on the fence" all winter in regards to sport/expert this year, I feel I've got to do whats right for me. And if that means I'm suckin wind behind the grand poobahs in the midwest so be it, like thats never happened before!! I've watched and compared lap times with guy's like PAMBA's Tony T. or Iowa's Cam K. and I'm giving up 4 minutes a lap in some cases, but I guess if you don't push yourself you won't improve, and when you get right down to it, when racing a MTB your "on your own", and your biggest competition is YOU. Thanks Midz, I needed something to light the fire this year.