Kierin Night

This past Tuesday the stars aligned and there was a Kierin and a Madison at the track. It drew quite a crowd. Most of the other teams were taking team photos, so we decided to get in on that. Unfortunately, we were found out and scolded out of the frame(s), so we took our own. How tough! If you can't tell, I'm the second from the left in the top row... just saying! I got mistaken for one of my male teammates from behind earlier that night. Not sure how to feel about that.



Here it's a little easier to tell, as I'm the one wearing the bikini top stuffed with $80 in 20s. Aren't I outrageous? But really, someone hands you that much cash in prize money and the high road's closed for construction; what can you do?



The only race I did that night was the Kierin. Below is a photo of a Kierin starting- everyone rushes to get behind the motor as is goes by slowly (and then it ramps up the speed when people catch the draft behind it). We've got an excellent driver at Kenosha!



I got 'stuck' with first wheel behind the motorpacer. No one was going for it, so I took it rather than get stuck in the back. I believe Beth, the girl who's my competition, grabbed my wheel and was sitting second back. Now, 1st wheel isn't a great position, because you have no choice but to lead out the final lap unless you want to give up the ground you have. The motor didn't ramp up the speed too much, either, because he didn't want to drop any girls off the back. So neither Beth nor I got tired, and I was stuck with pulling her around the last lap.

I played it as well as I could come up with. I accelerated slightly in turns one and two, and along the back stretch I took it pretty easy. I chose a pace that would be slow enough for me to keep my strength, but fast enough that anyone would think twice about coming around me (because it was a little early, and I would fight for the lead). I was also hoping someone would try to come around from a few back, and box Beth in.

I kicked it in in turns three and four, holding Beth off until right after turn four. Then she edged out in front of me, and I just got tense and wasn't feeling it. Ugh. I hate being used. Just after finishing, I was pretty happy that I'd gotten second and a pretty good purse. Then, of course, I started beating myself up about my decisions and playing the 'should have' game. Bitterness, thy name is Katy. I won't go through all of the things I could have done, because it would take all night and doesn't do any good.

I think I'll race with the men from now on. The women's races always play out the same way. It's me vs. Beth, she uses my wheel (or so it seems) and then tries to get around me- sometimes she can, sometimes she can't. No one wants to do any work (and yeah, I don't either if no one else will). I'm getting tired of it, and my nerves can't handle it. It seems to me like everyone is watching to see which one of us will win, to determine the fastest. Is that the case? Uh, probably not. But that's what I'm watching to see. I don't think of it as having a bad night when I lose, I think of myself as slower, not as smart with strategy. When I win, I think about the next time I'll fail.

Yeah, I'm going to race with the men from now on.