I raced the evening of FSA day 1.
I raced the 5-mile scratch race and the points race. It was a long wait until my events. There was great racing to watch though. Some of the best riders in the united states + Canada and a few other countries like Australia and Tasmania.
I watched former World Champion Jennie Reed motor away from some of the best riders in the country in the women's Keirin. Then I saw the current men's national champion destroy his heat in the men's elite. It was really fast!
I lined up for the scratch with pros from Texas, California, Pennsylvania, Canada, etc. I knew I couldn't out sprint them so my idea was to try and get a prime. The problem is that if they call a prime it would already be to late. So I waited for a good moment and attacked hoping they would call one soon. I got maybe 1/2 lap up(?) and was out there for 3-4 laps. The announcer was really talking my break up as one of the "local riders". Then the bell rang! I need to stay out there for one lap to get $25. There were people all the way around the velodrome (400 meters worth) so it was loud with people cheering for me. I went as fast as I could but the Tasmanian champ and former Marymoor record holder burst out of the pack and caught me on the line to take the prime. I didn't get the money but it was worth it to have the crowd cheering me on! I then got dropped and pulled from the race but I had had my fun.
The points race was really fast too. 40 laps with about 40 super strong women. I hung in there and finished but no heroics this time.
Tonight is round 2. Come on out and watch! 7pm ant the Marymoor Velodrome in Redmond.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Marymoor Velodrome Friday Night
I won the final sprint of the night in the points race! I think I got third for that race but it sure was fun to come across the finish line first! I think my Sunday sprint training helped.
I was 5th in both of my first two races. The first race was a tempo race. I took some points at the beginning but then had a close call with another rider and ended up in the back. The pace picked up and four of us separated from the rest on the last lap. I was with the fastest sprinters so I decided to lead out the last lap and let them contest it.
The next race was the miss-and-out. I rode tempo in front and it worked fairly well but I got soft towards the end when I should have punched it again.
On the last race I was riding up front and trying to mark the three group health women in the race so that if any of them got off of the front I was right there. It was tiring though. On the last lap and a half Carol went early and got a big gap. I followed the new rider, RJ, and she went with 1 lap to go. I thought Carol had it for sure but we caught her and went around on the back stretch. I let a small gap form between myself and RJ as we approached corner 3. Then I accelerated in the gap and punched it. The other riders were coming around me at the same time and we drag raced to the finish and I held on for the final points.
I was 5th in both of my first two races. The first race was a tempo race. I took some points at the beginning but then had a close call with another rider and ended up in the back. The pace picked up and four of us separated from the rest on the last lap. I was with the fastest sprinters so I decided to lead out the last lap and let them contest it.
The next race was the miss-and-out. I rode tempo in front and it worked fairly well but I got soft towards the end when I should have punched it again.
On the last race I was riding up front and trying to mark the three group health women in the race so that if any of them got off of the front I was right there. It was tiring though. On the last lap and a half Carol went early and got a big gap. I followed the new rider, RJ, and she went with 1 lap to go. I thought Carol had it for sure but we caught her and went around on the back stretch. I let a small gap form between myself and RJ as we approached corner 3. Then I accelerated in the gap and punched it. The other riders were coming around me at the same time and we drag raced to the finish and I held on for the final points.
women's clinic
A few weeks ago we had a women's clinic to practice standing starts.
A standing start is used for some of the timed events like the 500 meters and the pursuit. It also helps to have a good standing start if you are doing a keirin or a chariot.
A standing start can either be from someone holding you or some tracks have a machine that holds the riders. This can be problematic though. If you leave too early it hangs on to you and if you leave too late you might fall over. It is important especially on steeper tracks to get on the bike uptrack so you don't fall down the track.
They had us think about:
looking straight ahead
steering straight
keeping arms strong and stiff
pulling back on the bars
drive into the pedals with the hips - like putting on pants
pushing your butt back right before the start to help drive the momentum forward
arms start back on the bars to avoid bruising the forearms
It is also important to have the right gear. If you have too small a gear you will get up to speed to fast. If you have too big of a gear it will take too long to get up to speed. If you have more power and can get up to speed quickly you can use a bigger gear. If you have a fast spin you might be better off with a smaller gear.
They suggested practicing standing starts at every track practice. Either at the beginning to work on power, or at the end of the workout to work on form.
A standing start is used for some of the timed events like the 500 meters and the pursuit. It also helps to have a good standing start if you are doing a keirin or a chariot.
A standing start can either be from someone holding you or some tracks have a machine that holds the riders. This can be problematic though. If you leave too early it hangs on to you and if you leave too late you might fall over. It is important especially on steeper tracks to get on the bike uptrack so you don't fall down the track.
They had us think about:
looking straight ahead
steering straight
keeping arms strong and stiff
pulling back on the bars
drive into the pedals with the hips - like putting on pants
pushing your butt back right before the start to help drive the momentum forward
arms start back on the bars to avoid bruising the forearms
It is also important to have the right gear. If you have too small a gear you will get up to speed to fast. If you have too big of a gear it will take too long to get up to speed. If you have more power and can get up to speed quickly you can use a bigger gear. If you have a fast spin you might be better off with a smaller gear.
They suggested practicing standing starts at every track practice. Either at the beginning to work on power, or at the end of the workout to work on form.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Hour Record at Marymoor
This morning I watched the hour record at Marymoor. The most miles ridden in one hour on the Marymoor track. If it wasn't windy he might have gotten an age-group national record as well. He rode about 33 seconds per lap (400 meters) for an hour straight. It was incredible to see someone riding that fast for so long!
There is no record yet for women - no one has attempted it yet.
Above is the officiating crew to verify the distance and the time.
Here is Stewart - Dave M. is yelling out the time left.
Afterwards he was so tired before he could complete another lap he collapsed in the grass. They massaged his legs for about 20 minutes before he could get up again. I have never even come close to riding that hard.
Friday Night
Racing was fun but I am terrible at the Keirin.
First round of the Keirin went fine and I got into the final - which had 8 riders. I drew 1st position which meant I was supposed to go to the motorcycle first, but somebody else had a better start and grabbed the motor before I got there. Then we are riding behind the motor and a rider rides up to take my spot and I bump her but I guess that didn't intimidate her and she cut in - I thought it too close to be diving in at that point, but I think when I hit her I lost speed and gaped off? I really don't like bumping other riders on purpose but that is normal in a Keirin.
Then 3 other riders do the same also cut in front of me. By then I'm not doing a very good job of keeping close on the wheel. I got 6th on the final lap.
Then a 10 lap scratch race - I think I got 6th again. I acclerated around the rider in front of me but she was also coming around somone so we were three wide on the corner which meant I was taking a longer line. I came past a few riders on the final straight but not quite enough to get in the points.
We finished with a 6x4 - 6 sprints every 4 laps. I got swamped on the first sprint behind too slow a wheel. There were two Broadmark girls and one went off the front so I waited for the counter attack from her teammate and we got a small gap but and I got second in the next sprint. I couldn't quite come around her. 4 more sprints to go though. I started to die with about 8 laps to go and just hung on the back. I finished in the back - very tired.
First round of the Keirin went fine and I got into the final - which had 8 riders. I drew 1st position which meant I was supposed to go to the motorcycle first, but somebody else had a better start and grabbed the motor before I got there. Then we are riding behind the motor and a rider rides up to take my spot and I bump her but I guess that didn't intimidate her and she cut in - I thought it too close to be diving in at that point, but I think when I hit her I lost speed and gaped off? I really don't like bumping other riders on purpose but that is normal in a Keirin.
Then 3 other riders do the same also cut in front of me. By then I'm not doing a very good job of keeping close on the wheel. I got 6th on the final lap.
Then a 10 lap scratch race - I think I got 6th again. I acclerated around the rider in front of me but she was also coming around somone so we were three wide on the corner which meant I was taking a longer line. I came past a few riders on the final straight but not quite enough to get in the points.
We finished with a 6x4 - 6 sprints every 4 laps. I got swamped on the first sprint behind too slow a wheel. There were two Broadmark girls and one went off the front so I waited for the counter attack from her teammate and we got a small gap but and I got second in the next sprint. I couldn't quite come around her. 4 more sprints to go though. I started to die with about 8 laps to go and just hung on the back. I finished in the back - very tired.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Rained out last Friday
We were rained out last Friday. The Friday before I got we got in some racing but this time no luck.
It was raining when we arrived and then let up. So it seemed as if we were going to get a chance to race. Some of the racers even got on the track and warmed up but got called off of the track when it started raining a few minutes later. A group of us went out to eat instead. It was fun to hang out with the group and just have relax. Of course we talk about racing the whole time.
On Saturday my teammates and I did some easy loops around Magnolia for endurance. Sunday I did another track workout. This time we traded off doing hard 1-lap rides while the others in the group came around to attack on the finish straight. It was exhausting but really good efforts.
It was raining when we arrived and then let up. So it seemed as if we were going to get a chance to race. Some of the racers even got on the track and warmed up but got called off of the track when it started raining a few minutes later. A group of us went out to eat instead. It was fun to hang out with the group and just have relax. Of course we talk about racing the whole time.
On Saturday my teammates and I did some easy loops around Magnolia for endurance. Sunday I did another track workout. This time we traded off doing hard 1-lap rides while the others in the group came around to attack on the finish straight. It was exhausting but really good efforts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
