Cross club training Sept 21 Margaret Jenkins
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 9:07 am
Thanks to TSr Mike Peters who secured the school grounds for an crossclub training race last night. Mike pitched it to the new principal as a good fit for the school bike club. The previous supportive principal has moved on, so nothing was guaranteed this year. But, she said yes, and the course was set up early for the elementary kids to use, and they sold lemonade and accepted donations for their club.
More TS involvement:
In the race, David had no flats (!) but fell (three times?) on the wood chip corner going into basketball court. One of the great things about cross is learning to listen to the feedback from your tires as you change surfaces. I found that corner faster and safe on the grass, a longer but firmer route. I think David will now too. More experienced Brenna rode her 'dry' tires (nearly smooth centre, knobby edges), and said she could feel the knobs biting in the corners if she pushed the bike over far enough. That's subtle, but a great appreciation for the grip limits of bike tires and lean. That's applicable to any kind of cycling.
In the Get Back up Again category, David stopped for a bit after the falls, but then jumped back in, and seeing arch track rival Malcolm coming up behind, stepped it up and held him off for the last lap. Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
Finally, many, many thanks to Drew Mackenzie, who fell badly at Starcrossed, bruised his kidneys to the point of internal bleeding and a night in hospital Sunday, but 2 days later still dragged out the 4 or 5 hockey bags of tape and stakes and set up an excellent course, long enough that most people didn't even get lapped. Other key helpers included local Bissell pro Rob Britton, suggesting Victoria has elites that sure don't act like it.
The cross club needs places for training. I'd encourage any parent who thinks their school might host a cross evening contact Drew (crossclub'at'gmail.com) and Mike Peters (mike'at'pacificmusic.net) and ask for a recommendation to give their principal. The TS junior team will volunteer to coach at a clinic too.
More TS involvement:
- TSr Glenowyn Jones is the head coach of the bike club.
Parent Hugh Hart served lemonade while his son Griffin was killing it on the course.
Five TS junior race team members (Alex, Duncan, Brenna, Evan, and David) came early to ride with the kids.
In the race, David had no flats (!) but fell (three times?) on the wood chip corner going into basketball court. One of the great things about cross is learning to listen to the feedback from your tires as you change surfaces. I found that corner faster and safe on the grass, a longer but firmer route. I think David will now too. More experienced Brenna rode her 'dry' tires (nearly smooth centre, knobby edges), and said she could feel the knobs biting in the corners if she pushed the bike over far enough. That's subtle, but a great appreciation for the grip limits of bike tires and lean. That's applicable to any kind of cycling.
In the Get Back up Again category, David stopped for a bit after the falls, but then jumped back in, and seeing arch track rival Malcolm coming up behind, stepped it up and held him off for the last lap. Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
Finally, many, many thanks to Drew Mackenzie, who fell badly at Starcrossed, bruised his kidneys to the point of internal bleeding and a night in hospital Sunday, but 2 days later still dragged out the 4 or 5 hockey bags of tape and stakes and set up an excellent course, long enough that most people didn't even get lapped. Other key helpers included local Bissell pro Rob Britton, suggesting Victoria has elites that sure don't act like it.
The cross club needs places for training. I'd encourage any parent who thinks their school might host a cross evening contact Drew (crossclub'at'gmail.com) and Mike Peters (mike'at'pacificmusic.net) and ask for a recommendation to give their principal. The TS junior team will volunteer to coach at a clinic too.
