What this blog is about

Bicycle commuting, bicycle touring, bicycle racing; bicycle ADVENTURING.
To the grocery store, up a mountain, across the country or to the finish line--
it's all an adventure.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Miss n Out at the Track!


Click the link above to see a larger version at Vimeo.


Another night at the track! We did a--

SNOWBALL
Each lap, the sprint for points gains in value. 
1st lap = 1 pt, 2nd lap = 2pts and so on.

SCRATCH
Simple-- winner on the final lap is the winner!

MISS N OUT
Each lap, the last person is eliminated (they have to get off the track!) until 3 remain-- who sprint one final lap for the win!


Three Woman Break in the Scratch
Kym (center) came around me for the win!


The Miss n Out was surely my favorite race-- and not because I won, but because I was nervous! The good, thrilling kind of nervous. The kind of nervous that plays selectively with your senses so that you are acutely in the moment, feeling deliciously alive. Then focus gives way to chaos and it's happening, you're there, it's moving, you respond, you try to make good decisions.

Having no teammates and being a marked woman, I could not risk getting boxed in-- so I sat at the front and middle of the wide group. I caught a lot of wind, but it guaranteed my place in the final 3. Then the sprint lap came, and I thought, "HEY! I'm still on the front!? ..why does this always happen? Ah, well.." so I just went for it, cranked it up, and had JUST enough to hold off Hong! She's got some sprint, though-- and after I lead the final laps, I thought she was gonna get me. As a veteran trackie from the shop put it, "DON'T GET COCKY." ..I can't just ride in the wind then sprint/take a flyer. Well, I can (blush)-- but it's not a good habit. Especially when the racing gets faster. Smart cookies like Kym have learned to pick my wheel while I'm floating in the wind like a hawk. She beat me in the Scratch! I need to buy her a beer. If I win just one more week in Women's Cat 4, though-- then I'll be upgraded and it's on to Cat 4 Men and Friday Nights with the 1/2/3 Women!

I hope to be competitive with the men and just be able to HANG with the women. AND, it'll be TWO nights of track racing a week! SWEET!!



Related Posts with Thumbnails