Race reports from riders and mentors

When Bonnie Bourque first told me about the Women's Cycling Challenge, I thought it was a really cool idea, and felt it would really help get more women out on the track. However, I never for one moment thought I would be eligible to actually win anything -- I come in dead last in just about every race I enter!! So, I pretty much forgot about it, and just went out to the track every chance I got and trained and raced.

Fast forward to the end of June -- one of my friends happened to comment to me, "Congratulations, Renee!! You're the leader for the Women's Cycling Challenge!!" Come again? That's preposterous! Again, I just ignored it.

Until Julia Cross sent out her monthly newsletter for the Ladies Only Training Sessions -- there it was in black and white -- RENEE ZAJAC is the Series Leader for the Women's Cycling Challenge on the Track!! This time, I actually went to the WCC website and checked it out. Unbelievably, it was true -- the track series points were being given out for participation, not for performance, and so I guess while I may lose every race I enter, apparently no one in Southern California can lose more races more consistently than me!!

But what was even more wonderful than seeing my name at the top of the list with all those points, was the long list of 38 women who had raced the track this year!! Last year, most of the time it was just me and one other person -- sometimes Julia, sometimes Tara, sometimes Cathy Keeley or Lisa Tonello. And looking down the list of names, it was like, "WOW!!" I see these women racing with me all the time now -- routinely having 6 or more ladies show up to race. In fact, we now have so many women racing now that we can have a field of beginner/intermediates, AND a field of Pro 1/2 Women up there racing with the men (and kicking some serious cycling butt, too). This is the REAL victory of the Women's Cycling Challenge.

I really felt kind of funny getting this award -- after all, I'm so awful on the track. But then, I looked at the Series Leader jersey, and what it says -- "Ignite the PASSION!!" There's no question I have a lot of passion for the track. And when you have that much passion and excitement for something, you will light that spark in someone else. And then they begin to burn with passion, and they ignite that passion in someone else -- and the next thing you know, there's an out of control wildfire sweeping through Southern California of women getting excited about track, hunting down bikes, coming out to train, showing up to race.

So, I'm proud that my passion, zeal, dedication, determination, and love for the track has helped to get more women into this wonderful, exciting sport. Igniting the passion is what it's all about!!

Renee