ITS TRACK TIME FOR MARIANNE

Hellyer Velodrome Track Races Sunday May 17, 2009 One more meet (omnium?) catered toward us beginner women. I must say the track directors and mentors are doing all they can to foster our interest and new skills! There were the various men's categories also. As most of you experienced this weekend. It was DARN hot. The heat radiated from the concrete bowl we were in. Luckily, there were tents we could retreat under. There were about 12 of us in 4 races. The first race was Win and Out, then a Scratch race, next a Miss and Out, and finally a Points race. The longest of these races was 15 laps (3 mi). In the second race we were all bunched up until the final 1/3 of the lap where some jostling went on and one lady went down . . .HARD. Remember, no brakes, no coasting so when you go down you go straight into the track. It looked like she went face first and there was lots of blood. It streaked the track which made it rather ominous for the rest of the races. Miraculously now one else went down. She was unconscious for about 10 minutes When the ambulance took her off to the hospital she was conscious. .(Latest news is she 's transferred out of ICU for head trauma (also a broken collar bone) and is doing well). Sooo, we went back out there and they gave us 3 laps to decide that race, yep, just over ½ mile. I went out early, having the memory of the previous race on my mind and trying to break things up and, not surprisingly, most passed me at the finish line. The next race was the Miss and Out. The last wheel of each lap gets eliminated. I was boxed in at the bottom of the track at the end of the first lap so out I was the first one eliminated : (. The next race was a longer race and I went early again towards the end and was JUST nipped at the end for third place. After adding up the points for all the events, Carol got 6th place and I got 7th. The organizers were very generous and we all received wine, Clif bars, coffee, and socks. One gal got a free bike fitting too.

Be safe out there, Marianne