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Ladies Only Track Session
02.7.09
Saturday
START TIME: 3pm
Ladies Only Track Sessions (LOTS) are coming back to the Encino Velodrome.
Through the upcoming winter LOTS has reserved the following dates and times at the Encino Velodrome:
Sat Nov 15th 3-4PM
Sat Jan 17th 3-4PM
Sat Feb 7th 3-4PM
Please Note: Encino's dismissal times are open ended and can be flexible however the start times are firm! Please plan to arrive at least
30 minutes early so we can start early or on time!
ATTENTION LADIES: Ever wanted to give track cycling a try but not quite sure how to get started?
If so, check out the Ladies Only Track Sessions (LOTS) at the Encino Velodrome. The girls-only program has grown quite the
reputation for providing women with opportunities to see what track cycling's all about whether they're experienced cyclists or not.
LOTS teaches women the basic skills needed to ride on the track. Often, participants even have the chance to learn from the world's
best. For instance â€" several reigning masters world champs have been on hand to share their experiences at this season's
sessions. Last year, attendees received instruction from elite riders like keirin world champ Jennie Reed.
The program only started a year and a half ago but has become so popular that its reach extends well beyond Southern California. Two
ladies fly in from Arizona for the monthly sessions while another group of women drive over eight hours from Northern California to
attend a session once a month. Several more women have plans to attend sessions from out of state.
Located in the San Fernando Valley, the Encino Velodrome is a banked racing track that could easily intimidate a newcomer, but the
LOTS program is designed to make both experienced and inexperienced women feel comfortable.
"We definitely try to make everyone feel safe and welcome regardless of their background in or knowledge of the sport" says LOTS
Session Director Julia Cross.
Participants are free to get a feel for the discipline at their own pace, whether it takes three laps or three years to ride at the top of the
track. Many of the women that attend LOTS sessions are road cyclists, mountain bikers, bike messengers or athletes in other sports
while others have no athletic background whatsoever. Each session usually sees about eight to ten newcomers who are simply curious
about riding on the track.
Take for instance the pair of moms that decided to give it a shot after several Saturdays on the velodrome infield where they watched
their kids play volleyball. Wearing tennis shoes and gym shorts, they were fitted with rental bikes and borrowed helmets for their first
time on two wheels since grade school. Two sessions later, they were riding on the blue line and their children are now enrolled in five-
time Olympian Connie Paraskevin's junior track development program.
If you observe a LOTS session, you'll likely see women in t-shirts and blue jeans mixed with women in expensive cycling gear. Some
bring their own track bikes while others are supplied with rentals from LOTS wrencher John Walsh.
"I learned a long time ago that a bike won't make an eagle out of a turkey" Cross says. "If women learn to love cycling for cycling, the
clothing and equipment will take care of itself. But I definitely believe that the heart is where the sport must begin."
With a background as a marathon runner and road cyclist, Cross got her first taste of track cycling two years ago and it only took her
six months to see the need for a program like LOTS. Disappointed to see so few women at open training sessions and even fewer at
local track events, she approached Roger Young about setting aside some time on the track just for the ladies.
"If nearly 10,000 women can run the L.A. Marathon each year, then I knew there had to be plenty of fit women out there who weren't on
the track simply because they didn't know about the track,†she said.
Although plenty of critics told her that women don't ride on the track and nobody would show up - the first session held in October of
2006 drew 40 participants, 30 of which had never ridden on the track before. The following month's session attracted 60 women.
"My original goal for the LOTS program was to have four free instructional training sessions that would attract a maximum number of
women to the track to allow them to experience track racing," the program's founder explained. "Once we began to realize the impact
those first four sessions had, we knew we had to continue and grow the program as far into the future as we could see."
A year and a half after its start, the program continues to attract women to the velodrome once a month with an average of 30 ladies
attending each session this winter. Of the more than 200 women that have attended LOTS sessions, 20% of them are now training
regularly while 10% race regularly.
So what does the program's future look like? Cross, who just passed the exam for her Level 3 coaching license, says there's LOTS in
store. The plan is for LOTS to become its own legal entity, opening the door to additional funding through sponsorship funding that will
pave the way for more training sessions, clinics, and camps as well as a quality coaching staff and women's specific track products.
"All of this will give the LOTS program the opportunity to become portable and will allow us to expand further into the community and to
our sister tracks in California and beyond" she explained.
LOTS OF INTEREST? HERE'S SOME MORE INFORMATION:
WHERE: Encino Velodrome at 17301 Oxnard St., Encino, CA 91416.
WHEN: Through the upcoming winter LOTS has reserved the following dates and times at the Encino Velodrome:
Sat Nov 15th 3-4PM
Sat Jan 17th 3-4PM
Sat Feb 7th 3-4PM
WHAT TO EXPECT: During the first hour, new riders will take an hour-long New Rider Certification Class while ladies with previous
track cycling experience may begin riding immediately. During the second hour, new and experienced riders come together for
coaching and mentoring.
COST: The cost is $10 per session and includes the one-time new rider certification class, track session fee, and a rental bike if
needed.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more, please contact LOTS Session Director Julia Cross at julia(at)crossins.com, or visit her
blog at http://zippydsnail.blogspot.com
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