Sunday, February 27, 2011

Team Ride: Drills and Skills

We all (well, most; Shelly and Jonell missed out on a great practice!) headed to LP Field and Shelby Park to see what sort of skills we all have. We did fun stuff like riding up and down curbs, starting fast to simulate racing, hitting wheels and throwing elbows (in a soft, grassy field, though I think only 1 or 2 of us needed that padding physically; mentally, however, it was good to know that safety net was there), fast pace-lining, sprinting, and simulated crit-riding (with a real crash, unfortunately, but thankfully Kat will be OK). My favorites were the sprinting and crit riding, but I definitely got the most out of the hitting wheels. I can't remember ever getting hit by someone nor hitting someone else, but it's bound to happen eventually, so knowing how to be prepared whether you're the one getting hit or the one hitting someone else is beneficial. I'm so grateful Todd takes the time to teach us the skills and that Lee and Kat and everyone else throw in their advice and experience too. I think we rode a total of 13 miles, but they were some of the best!

Here's what Team Belladium looks like when we ride in a field:

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