Tuesday, September 18, 2007

These are the game faces of track racing at the velodrome in Redmond, Washington. Each Friday night during the summer there are bicycle races here, on a 400 meter oval sponsored by Group Health. Redmond is the “bicycle capital of America” according to the sign and it is fitting that some of the best track racers in America hail from here. These are seriously unbalanced individuals who train to win. We are here tonight because son-in-law Nick is racing.

I didn’t know that track bikes have only one gear: fast. I also didn’t know that the racers clip in to the pedals with special shoes. Once clipped-in, riders either go or they fall over. At the start, above, each rider is clipped-in and holding the rail for support as the starter gets ready to launch the race.

And the race is on, above. Sometimes the race is for a given number of laps. Sometimes, the last rider is eliminated each lap, until a winner emerges. There are sprints. Points races. The mind boggles at the variations ... but one thing remains constant ... the expenditure of calories mediated by training, in pursuit of victory!

And there is always a victory!

Posted by Digital Quixote in • Out and About
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