Sunday July 5, 2009 Velodrome Clinic

Today's clinic at the San Diego Velodrome was fun. And a little scary. I've never been on a fixed gear bike before. (Well, since my Schwinn Stingray). Lots of casual actions don't apply like coasting and breaking. Toe clips (loaner bikes thanks to San Diego Velodrome) instead of clip-ins. Add that with a banked oval track and you've go a lot of non-track riders like me a little worried. I was concerned that I was going to slip off the track on a corner and take a whole bunch of people down during my first lap. But after a couple of loops, I started to feel comfortable and the clinic started to be fun. I've found that one of the great things about the opportunity to participate in the Scott & BR Cycling Team contest is the chance to do things out of my comfort zone. And it seems that that's what my fellow contestants and the other riders are doing - pushing the envelope a little bit. Getting out there and experiencing life. And that's the opportunity that the Challenged Athletes Foundation is giving to their athletes. The opportunity to get out there and participate.

We had a lot of fun cheering each other on in the track races the velodrome coach organized for us. Also, I had a lot of fun talking with my fellow contestants and other QCMDC riders during the time between races.

My nephew Matthew turned 9 years old today. Uncle Rob and Aunt Evelyn bought him a mountain bike for his birthday; his first "big boy's bike." After a little bit of a wobbly start, he started riding and having a ball. Kind of like his uncle this morning.