My arms ached, I was sucking wind and leg cramps and a sore butt were no doubt in my immediate future.
I’d never felt better.
Overcoming one’s fear in the presence of two Olympians will do that for you.
One of a dozen journalists accepting the offer to ride with Curt Harnett and Steve Bauer at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre this morning, I’ll admit to having a healthy dose of anxiety heading onto the track.
That only intensified as the instructions were given and a few practice loops were completed.
Now it was time to venture beyond the safety zone — or bunny hill in skiing terms — and actually ride the track.
Cue the panic.
Yup, I’ll readily admit that even the slight incline along the bottom half of the velodrome had me more than a little concerned.
OK, truth be told, I was terrified.
Having barely grasped the basic stopping technique of a bike with no brakes only minutes earlier, it just didn’t seem possible that I could ever make my way to the right of the thick blue line that — to my mind — separated control and chaos.
That line did eventually get crossed a couple of times — but only after numerous loops around the track, and only for a few seconds on the less intimidating straights where one doesn’t have to go all out to stay upright.
So to say I’d actually ‘ridden’ the track was, to say the least, a bit of a stretch.
Then our Olympic coaches stepped in.
Recognizing that I just needed a good push to shake that fear loose, Harnett and Bauer took me under their collective wing.
With our two-hour riding window coming to a close, the duo both said, ‘OK Steve, we ready to do this?’
Kind of hard to say no to a pair of Canada’s athletic heroes, even when they did ask twice if I felt comfortable with the challenge ahead.
Having just built up a small amount of (dare I say it) courage on the straights, I placed my faith in Bauer and Harnett’s hands and decided to go for broke.
Abandoning the frequent tendency to coast — a definite no-no in track cycling — I slipped behind Bauer, with Harnett close behind me reminding me ‘OK, you got to keep up with Steve.’
Topping out around 25 to 30 km/h, your out-of-shape sports scribe finally gained enough speed for us to take to the track for a full lap without risk of a tumble.
And man did it feel cool.
Slowing down a bit, I wobbled on the first bank, but avoided that mistake the second time and was actually feeling somewhat confident and more than a little proud of myself as our loop ended.
And let me tell you, shaking hands with guys like Bauer and Harnett and hearing ‘Good job’ from them is nothing short of amazing.
You can tell they get a genuine enjoyment from sharing their love of cycling with the public and/or media, which made the experience even more special.
At one point during the session Harnett stressed the importance of positive thinking, that fear and negativity only serve to ‘tighten up’ a rider and lead to problems.
Boy do I have a newfound understanding — and appreciation — for that.
Having never played sports at a truly competitive level, I’d only heard stories of the positive influence good coaching can have on an athlete.
Today I got that. Just for a few moments.
With that said, thanks so much Curt and Steve. You offered me a real appreciation for your sport and an experience I won’t soon forget.
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Detail Link :
http://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/5347081-just-spinning-his-wheels-milton-champion-sports-editor-rides-the-velodrome-track/