“The danger lies in refusing to face the fear, in not daring to come to grips with it. If you fail anywhere along the line it will take away your confidence. You must make yourself succeed every time. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

 

You would think that after a zooming boat ride on the Menai Strait in Beaumaris, Wales…

 

the craziness of coasteering…

 

 

and flying like a human jet on Europe’s longest zipline over an old water-filled slate quarry…

 

 

 

that riding a bike in a circle wouldn’t be a big deal.

 

 

But can you tell from that photo that the bike has no brakes? And really skinny wheels that would slip and fall off that wooden track? Can you also see that the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome arena slopes up at a 42 degree angle at the very top of the circuit?

My hands haven’t done the fear-sweat thing since the height of my horrible adolescent angst – when almost everything created some sort of perspirational response –  including my fear of having to shake someone’s hand where they would discover I was a dripping mess.

So imagine my surprise to find I was channeling my sweaty-13-year old self?

The lovely man explained that we were to ride around on the flat a few times to get comfortable. Then we were to move into the cote d’azure and stay in it for a time or two while building speed. He cautioned us to keep our upper body relaxed. Do not lean in or out of the curve. Then he said, “I will stand on the black line and you are to go above and around me and then back down into the blue zone as you come around the steeper ends.”

He went on to explain that he would keep standing on the track and would continue to step up higher and higher until we were staying above the dark blue line all the way around (including those aforementioned much steeper banks at each end).

Clearly he was nuts. There was no way I was doing that. I would simply stay in the light blue zone. Who would really know?

Once I had clipped in, pushed off from the guard rail and started around the track, my hands went into full slime mode. If there had been a recording of my self-talk, it would have gone something like this: Relax. Breathe Colleen. Remember what he said about gripping too tight. Relax! Your hands won’t slip off. Oh my God, he’s moved up the circuit. Just go around. Quit screaming! You’re probably scaring everyone.  Quit trying to stop, the pedals keep going and you are seriously going to snap your knees if you try to stop. Just commit to it. Worry about stopping at the end! It’s okay. You won’t die. Relax!! Oh my God, he’s moved higher. I’m above the red line. My hands ARE slipping. Quit screaming! I’m above the blue line. Shit. Oh. Shit. Go, just go. RELAX!

Faster and faster, round and round, my entire body shaking and then, wahoo!  I’d done it. I’d completed the circuit, staying above the dark blue line the entire time.

Velodrome Queen Alert!

It was beyond exhilarating.  I didn’t splat off the track and die. Eventually my body quit vibrating and my heart returned to a semi-normal thumping, along with my new respect and appreciation for what those athletes can do.

I will be tuned in to the 2014 Commonwealth Games to watch those cyclists hanging off those curves. I’ll pay particular attention to those painted lines.

But for now?

I’m back in London.  I think the biggest excitement for tonight’s agenda will be a bath and a nice cuppa tea.

 

 

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