TS Beginners race at Western Speedway Monday the 14th
Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 11:28 am
Big thanks to all the TS'rs who came out to race and help last night in warm sunny conditions. Big contrast to the race two weeks ago in freezing rain and wind!
The 25 racers included TS members Deb, Andrea, Paula, Candace, Morgan, Wendy, Leah, Vanessa, Ritchie, Alison, and Clare T, the youngest at 12. The groups were lead by TS Women's Cat 4 Clinic coaches Jenn Erlendsen, Amy Dearden, and Glenowyn Carlson.
Juniors Brenna P and David B were key volunteers last night. David rode out, brought his camera, did all the one-day license sales, rode the first half of the races as a coach, stopped and photo'd the finishes, and is typing up the results. Brenna did all the registrations and number handout, reconciled the money and the entries, totaled the cash box, and rode with the groups and coached. And I mean actively coached: she and two other junior women from VAC were talking in a circle with their group of new riders long after the race finished, discussing skills, tactics and race scenarios. Very cool to see the juniors passing it along.
Other members volunteering were Michael Lawless (motor pacer, coach, class clown), Janice Meek (lap cards and bell), Paul Christopher (pack rider and coach) Simon (pack rider and coach), Heidi Taylor (lap cards), and Josh Erickson who brought a bunch of ProCity riders including three women new to racing and several men (Jamie, Tom, Alex, am I forgetting anyone?) who all rode as pack coaches.
Members of other clubs volunteering were VAC's Sophie De Boever (pack rider and coach, neutral lap leader), Taryn Cote (pack rider and coach), National team triathlete Andrew McCartney (pack rider and coach), and the ProCity riders above. And there were others I've forgotten, but I hope I to get reminded here.
The program was a 10 lap (each lap about 700 metres) pack warm-up to calm the jitters. Then we split the group into a and b, and had a 5 lap race for each with a neutral first lap. Then we we split each group again and did a team pursuit to work on pace lining and communication. In the A's, The Back Straight Girls won, but the home straight team wanted a rematch which, alas, they did not win. Credit for throwing it down again though.
We finished with a 15 lap race for the each of the two groups. The B's had a break that stayed away and a pack that stayed together. A's had several strong attacks, but it all came back together for the finish and a Protour worthy bunch finish. (Results posted later).
This emailed thanks seemed to be what all the riders were saying:
The 25 racers included TS members Deb, Andrea, Paula, Candace, Morgan, Wendy, Leah, Vanessa, Ritchie, Alison, and Clare T, the youngest at 12. The groups were lead by TS Women's Cat 4 Clinic coaches Jenn Erlendsen, Amy Dearden, and Glenowyn Carlson.
Juniors Brenna P and David B were key volunteers last night. David rode out, brought his camera, did all the one-day license sales, rode the first half of the races as a coach, stopped and photo'd the finishes, and is typing up the results. Brenna did all the registrations and number handout, reconciled the money and the entries, totaled the cash box, and rode with the groups and coached. And I mean actively coached: she and two other junior women from VAC were talking in a circle with their group of new riders long after the race finished, discussing skills, tactics and race scenarios. Very cool to see the juniors passing it along.
Other members volunteering were Michael Lawless (motor pacer, coach, class clown), Janice Meek (lap cards and bell), Paul Christopher (pack rider and coach) Simon (pack rider and coach), Heidi Taylor (lap cards), and Josh Erickson who brought a bunch of ProCity riders including three women new to racing and several men (Jamie, Tom, Alex, am I forgetting anyone?) who all rode as pack coaches.
Members of other clubs volunteering were VAC's Sophie De Boever (pack rider and coach, neutral lap leader), Taryn Cote (pack rider and coach), National team triathlete Andrew McCartney (pack rider and coach), and the ProCity riders above. And there were others I've forgotten, but I hope I to get reminded here.
The program was a 10 lap (each lap about 700 metres) pack warm-up to calm the jitters. Then we split the group into a and b, and had a 5 lap race for each with a neutral first lap. Then we we split each group again and did a team pursuit to work on pace lining and communication. In the A's, The Back Straight Girls won, but the home straight team wanted a rematch which, alas, they did not win. Credit for throwing it down again though.
We finished with a 15 lap race for the each of the two groups. The B's had a break that stayed away and a pack that stayed together. A's had several strong attacks, but it all came back together for the finish and a Protour worthy bunch finish. (Results posted later).
This emailed thanks seemed to be what all the riders were saying:
One glitch was that some riders seemed to think the session was only open to women in the Cat 4 clinic. It's not, these races are open! The Cat 4 clinic group is just using the western races as part of their development towards the goal of the Bastion Square Cat 4 women's race.From: Paula Shaw [mailto:paulashaw@shaw.ca]
Sent: Monday, May 14, 2012 10:11 PM
Subject: THANKS!!
HI Coaches,
I just want to say what a blast I had tonight!! Thank you guys (in the non-gendered sense of the word) so much for organizing tonight and the women’s clinic in general. It has been a real hoot.. and tonight was so so so so much fun (as Matteo would say).
Now to be able to fall asleep.. that’s the hard part…
Paula