OH Canada!!!

Someone mentioned yesterday it's been raining 22 consecutive days in the PNW. I wonder what our record is? But that didn't matter this weekend because my friend Kele and I ventured up to B.C. to race the track. Yes - Canada's only indoor velodrome. We got up early Friday evening so she could put some time in with her pursuit bars - she leaves today for LA for a World Cup qualifier. Good luck Kele! It took us a while to sort out gears though and she has an old custom bike of Jennie Reed's that has oddly shaped drop outs - some gears fit, some don't. Needless to say after a warm up, several flying efforts and then timing Kele's flying 2K - we finally left the drome at 9:30pm. We were hooked up with great host housing - two of the nicest people ever! The next morning we woke up and the day started out with sprints. This time I qualified for the 1/4 finals - and I am getting a little faster. But I was quickly ousted in the match sprints and rep. Oh well - sprinting is not my specialty. The endurance events were in the afternoon - a 40 lap scratch race and 80 lap points race. The scratch race went really well - a true test to see how the legs and engine are running at this time of year. I remember being on the back stretch, thinking to myself that my legs didn't feel attached to my body and were floating below. When the final move came - I was able to respond and blow by a guy who obviously had an issue with racing women. Those are great moments. The points race - well, let's just say it didn't go well because I wasn't aggressive. It was as though I told myself my goal was just to finish with the pack instead of going for each sprint and seeing what would happen. Nothing ventured - nothing gained. Sunday started with Kierin heats - I gave them my all. But to no avail. Kierin's are super fun - it'd be cool to hone the skillz. It's a throw down race - and reminds me most of boxing (my previous competitive sport). The snowball race went similar to the points race - I rode at the back. But my husband was there to pick me up - tell me what I needed to do and I got right back in. The next feature scratch race I rode with much more aggression - bridging gaps, pulling hard, splintering the pack - making the field respond to my moves instead of being the responder. And you know what? It was WAY more fun to do that. Suddenly I was in contention for a podium spot - and broke through a mental block that plagued my previous efforts. That type of riding style will catapult my fitness and tactics - everything ventured - everything gained.