August 24, 2010 by vavavelo
Last week four women showed up for the Peace Coffee Two-Day Grind. Instead of allowing myself to think I would spend two nights being mercilessly lapped, I focused on the opportunity to hang in there as long as possible and challenge my endurance. Besides, my teammate leant me her fancy wheelset. I wanted to do it justice.
The first night presented a keirin and a 30-lap points race. I took fourth in both, but did not trail horrendously. I pushed hard and held on as long as possible. I allowed myself to enjoy the pain of testing my body and felt satisfied with the efforts. Night two, however, brought the magic.
This season I have participated in a couple of handicap races. Despite being given the furthest starting position, I always end up eating someone’s dust within moments of the gun. I dread this race. On the second day of “the Grind,” it was our first number. I decided to harness whatever power lurked deep within my mind and muscles after a summer of dedicated training and unleash it. Something had to happen.
My teammate ran down to the infield to be my holder and give me a little pep talk. For once in my life my nerves fled the scene when the pressure was on. My muscles engaged. I looked straight down the track, inhaled and allowed my body and mind to focus only on that after which I hungered. And when the gun went off I grunted and muscled my standing start into a standing sprint.
Pedaling hard, I dared not look over my shoulder. I saw nothing but the blur of the track. I felt only the increasing burn in the lower half of my body. One lap down and no sign of the pack. I could hear the announcer giving the play-by-play. Two laps down. I heard him say they were still 20 meters back. It couldn’t be. People were screaming my name. “Go Jeni. Go! Go! Go!” I heard my teammate yell.
My legs ached, but I pushed harder. “You have nothing to lose by working through the pain,” I told myself. “You will be disappointed if you leave anything.” I feared they were just behind me ready to pounce. Only 250 meters to go. I would pedal until my legs gave out. I stood to sprint to the finish, waiting for the pack to fly by. They didn’t. This couldn’t be happening. The announcer called my name out in the same sentence as the word “wins.” Really?
I won. I won? I won! I had imagined what winning might feel like, but I’d never ever imagined actually pulling it off on the track, on the road or anywhere else my two wheels go.
I made a fist and pulled it in “yes.” As the doubtful thoughts crept in, I silenced them. Handicap or not, small field or not, I’d earned this one, and I would enjoy it.
Posted in Track Cycling | Tagged NSC Velodrome, Racing, Track Cycling, Two-Day Grind | Leave a Comment »
August 22, 2010 by vavavelo
I love riding in all forms. The velodrome, however, sets the stage for most of my developmental milestones. The “track,” in all its sadistic glory, challenges me week after week. It beats me down, then taunts me, “Hey lady, you’re older, chubbier and slower than anyone else out here. You’ll never catch those chicks. You thought you could become an ‘athlete’ after years of being a slug? Yeah, good luck with that.” Each time I set foot into that afzelia wood arena, I battle my own insecurities … in front of an audience … and while wearing spandex.
Something changed in the past three weeks.
It started with a snowball race. August 5. You see, riding the track is a “zen” experience for me. Pedaling in circles as I warm up heightens my awareness. All I feel is my feet making circles. All I hear is the sound of wheels whirring. Thoughts float in and out of my head without much consequence. On this night, something drifted in and stuck, “I am the element of surprise.” Sounds crazy, but there it was. I let it linger. I repeated it a few times, and then I visualized a move from practice earlier that week. When the neutral lap turned into the race, I went up toward the boards and around the pack, swooped down and pedaled like hell. My heart pounded. One lap. No one passed me. Two laps. Again! Then they came. I headed up track and fell back on a wheel knowing my portion of the race was over, but I beamed from ear to ear as they other girls racked up points into the double digits. I earned three measly points, but they were mine.
The next week, another female racer convinced me to come out to the state timed events. Due to lack of participation, I ended up earning a gold medal in the team pursuit and a silver in the team sprint. I participated in two individual events as well. I scoffed, saying I collected medals I hadn’t earned, but I was reminded that something can be said for dedication. And while the medals didn’t hold a lot of meaning outside of showing up to collect them, I felt faster that day. And I knew “just showing up” would eventually lead to little victories I felt I had earned.
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August 22, 2010 by vavavelo
I know. I know. I failed to update my blog this summer. Between work, training, marriage, a house and life’s other demands, I could not muster the creative energy to sit down and fulfill my mission of chronicling my cycling endeavors. I hope to go back in time and chronicle a few things in coming weeks. Too much was left behind. Once you start cycling it seems every ride, race or trip to the shop provides a “first” or a lesson. And the past few weeks have been rich.
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