Season Wrap Up

The ferry ride over to the Blackberry crit. It's fun to ride over with the other racers.

Race bikes on their way to the crit.

I missed a bunch of posts and now I'm forgetting what all happened. I got really busy and had a hard time keeping up with everything.

I raced a final Friday night track and a criterium in Bremerton. I rode down to the Blackberry crit in Bremerton. It poured rain all morning but let up just enough for me to get to the ferry. The ferry ride was 1 hour. Then I raced for 50 minutes, rode back to the ferry for another 1-hour boat ride, then a 30 minute ride home. I brought three changes of clothes in my bag so I wouldn't have to sit around in wet clothes. The racing was fun and hard. I really like the blackberry course.

The last night of track we finished with a Madison race. We had six women's teams. I talked to one of my friends in the crowd afterwards and she said she had never seen a women's madison on a friday night. She didn't realize she was seeing the very first one ever! My partner Michelle and I were very happy - we stayed close and didn't get lapped and didn't miss any exchanges. Yea! We also had a tempo race where I got some points on the first sprint. It was hard with so many fast racers in the field.

I'm looking forward to more fast racing next year.

Last week we had our "meet the team ride" where new riders ride with us to see if they want to join the team. I'll be losing some key teammates next season so I"m really looking for new riders to join the team and train with. It's fun to ride with new racers because they have the excitement for racing. Maybe some of them will do track.... Any other track riders out there want to join me?

Rain Out! Marymoor Velodrome :(

Free hot dogs!

We tried to race on Friday. We went out to the track and waited until they called the race due to rain. For a while it seemed like it was letting up and the track would dry but it was not to be. The racers all sat around the edge and watched the track but it didn't help it dry.

I finally got to have a hot dog that I had been craving all season. It is always too late after we are done racing to get one from the hot-dog-mobile aka "carameas' sweet treats".
Then they opened the beer garden and gave out free drinks to the racers. I hope it doesn't rain next week!

Devon is not 18 so could not come inside the protective fencing.


The racers hung out to socialize.

Our loyal fans taking shelter in the bike storage area while eating a hot dog.

Seward Park Summer Criterium

Last Sunday we had the Seward Park crit. I raced with three teammates; Leina, Annette and Michele. It had been two weeks since I rode a geared bike but I made sure to remember shift each lap around. When I came around the top corner I found that my track spin really helped out because instead of pushing a big gear I just spun the legs faster to make up the gap after the corner.

This was the first time Leina had done this race and at one point I saw who I thought was her coming around the top corner in a big gear so I yelled "use a smaller gear" to help her. But it wasn't Leina - it was Annette who answered back "yeah, I know". We were just talking about how those two are easy to confuse. I think it will be handy to have a decoy out there for Annette next year.

I was able to keep up with the group until the last lap I was really tired by then. I came off the group but felt good about the race in general. Annette won and I think Leina was in the top 10.

Racing Between the Raindrops!

Friday was almost canceled about three or four times. It just didn't look like it was going to happen. I warmed up earlier than I usually do because I thought it would start raining before warm up was over and then I wouldn't get a ride in at all. Sure enough at 6pm it started raining lightly. But not for very long, and soon the bravest riders ventured out on the track again. We got through the first Keirin and I made it past the first round to the final. I was lined up second and got the motor before the first rider. Later though, I found out that the first rider's holder was wearing cleats and when he went to push her he went backwards instead of her going forwards!

After the next race it started sprinkling again so they ran the kids races on the apron (the flat part of the track). Then they called us out for our final. I didn't think the track was dry enough and I was super nervous. It was fine but I couldn't match the pace even though I was on Amara's wheel.

The next race was the miss-and-out. I rode hard at the front and kept the pace high. Then when I was tired I moved onto a wheel but stayed in the sprinter's lane. This seemed like a good move but my legs were too tired to advance.

It started sprinkling again and there was another delay. I thought for sure racing was canceled and was getting ready to go home. But then they called the riders out to race again. It was a weird night! We raced our last scratch race and I was tired. There was a break and I tried to chase but got tired quickly and ended up off the back. I worked with Carrie and caught back on just before the finish but my legs were done at that point.

It looked like rain would cancel racing before it was over. There were a few stray drops but racing continued. During the mens 3's race they kept on hinting that the race might be called at any time but they were able to finish and Mark raced the last race of the night. The race finished and not more than twenty seconds it started really raining. The racers quickly got off the track and it was soaked less than a minute later. Racing would have been canceled for sure that time if it hadn't just finished!

Friday Night!

There was a good crowd last friday. I raced Mark's Cane Creek wheels and they made me feel much faster. We did a point-a-lap, a miss-and-out, and a points race. The point-a-lap and miss-and-out were average for me. The points race I tried to be on a good wheel during the race. I was partially successful. I'd be on the right wheel for a while but then would find myself on the wrong wheel and I'd have to sprint around when there was an acceleration. It is so much easier to be on the good wheel. For the last sprint I found myself on the train of about 5 good wheels. I managed to move up just a bit to get 4th on the final sprint! Nothing spectacular but I felt a little bit of improvement! One of my friends showed up just as they announced my name - perfect timing!

Mark raced his own hand built wheels but goofed up his gears and realized he did the first two races in an 86 inch gear. This is what they put beginners in! His legs were really going fast. He figured it out before the Madison. He had fun racing with a brand new partner. Then we all went out to unwind at Celtic Bayou.

Monday Night Madison

We had fun at Monday Night Madison again. This time it was just me and Michelle and the guys. We missed having Devon but we still had a good time. We got some practice riding in traffic too. I managed to screw a few things up and get between an exchange. Once was because we got out of order on relief. It makes more sense after you've done it wrong! The mistakes help us figure things out and ride more confidently. We almost got some points from the guys but not quite this time.

Cold Friday at Marymoor

Last night was cold at the track. It was nice at the start but the evening went a little long and it was chilly by the end.

The women had a 8-lap scratch race, a keirin, and a points race. The 8-lap was a fast warmup and I was in too big of a gear so it was tough to deal with the repeat accelerations. I had a bigger gear than usual for the next race the keirin. Annette gave me some good advice for strategy and it would have worked but I just needed to be a little stronger! The big gear was a good choice though. I geared down for the last race the points but my legs were tired and I came off the group a couple of times. Annette gave me some good workout ideas to build my leg strength though for next time.

It was so cold by the last race that I put on my wool sweater underneath my skin suit. I wasn't shivering at the start but three laps into the race I was way too hot. Next time I'll have to wear a coat and take it off right before the start.