I wasn’t really looking forward to the weekend which has just passed – two full days of watching people I have never heard of cycling in circles in Manchester! My friend Liz advised me to focus on the bulging lycra-clad thighs – good advice, but I still took along some background IL reading just in case (that’s the only reference to IL in this post!).
I have to admit I was very pleasantly surprised, because I really did enjoy the weekend! Why? Well, first of all, I could see everything – the Velodrome is not huge and wherever you are you have a good view of the action, even if you’re a shortie like me. Next, this is the first sporting venue I’ve been to where the PA system worked effectively, so I could hear too. Hearing was important – music seems to be an integral part of cycling and the choice of tracks added an extra dimension to the experience [Mission Impossible theme for the guy trying to beat Chris Hoy, Ninja’s for the Japanese Kierin race, Sweet Caroline when the girl was disqualified for leaning on an opponent – sing it to yourself!]
The cycling itself was also much more exciting than I had expected, especially as GB kept winning gold medals and the women’s team even managed to create a new world record. I have learned a new vocabulary of madisons, kierins, derneys, team pursuits, sling shots, repechage and more and I have to say that the bulging lycra was also worth it. However, I’m sharing bulging muscle with you instead – this is Sir Chris Hoy preparing for one of his events.
Much more fun than reading about information literacy all weekend! You might see a few more cycling photos adorning the blog over the next few weeks.