Day 3 (Wed, 7/16) of Summer Slam at the LA Velo Center saw the Elite Women’s Keirin Final come up with some different results than the previous race one week ago. The Keirin can be the quirkiest but often the most exciting event in track (probably why it is still the most popular betting sport in Japan). If you’re looking for all the elements that make track cycling a great spectator sport – power, speed, and smarts, consider watching a keirin tournament, with moto-pacing, from beginning to end.
Experience counts in this race. How much power (wattage) can you produce for how long? When do you launch your sprint? How long can you sustain your speed? What have you seen before, or know, about your competitors? When is the time and place to “push the envelope?”
Sometimes it’s a hunch. Sometimes it’s planned. And sometimes it’s crazy, and you find your way through. And from all of those experiences, if you are focused, you push the envelope, and you get smarter. In Week Two, some of the tactics, luck, and ultimately the results, changed for some in this highly competitive field of international elite women.
And McKenna is right there, pushing the envelope, which means exploring and extending the limits of what’s possible every day, whether it is training and competing on the velodrome, managing her T1D, or reaching for LA28!
