The afternoon would bring the Preston Street Crits and Anna Sierra was going to race the 100m dash.  Derek had her practice sprinting down our street, shifting gears and stomping on her pedals so that she'd be ready for the madness that is piles of kids riding together.  Jasper thought about racing too, but changed his mind and decided he would cheer his sister on instead.  He's a good cheerer, that Jasper.

We arrived in Little Italy just as a men's race was in full swing.  Jasper and I cheered on the blur of super fast riders while Derek helped Anna Sierra register for her race.  I love watching crits.  The riders zoom past you over and over again, so there's lots of opportunity to cheer.   Sometimes they even fly by enough times that you can find your friends and cheer them on by name. 

It takes a lot of courage to ride crits.  You have to know how to corner.  You have to know how to ride shoulder to shoulder while going super fast.  And you have to stay focused even if there's a crash.  It's a lot of wheels and a lot of speed and a little bit of magic.

There were more kids' races to choose from than I remember this event having in the past.  As well as an under 5 sprint and a 6 and 7 year old sprint, kids could choose to race from 2-6 laps of the full crit course.   There were lots of fit girls and boys on awesome looking road bikes, mostly wearing the Ottawa Bicycling Club team kit, milling about and waiting to ride while we waited for Anna Sierra's race. 

Jasper and I lined up at the finish line and Derek joined all the other parents discussing last minute race strategy with their kids.  The first race was the little dudes.  Some were on run-bikes, some were on trikes and training wheels and a few were on two-wheelers.  Everyone finished the race with a smile and got a medal for their efforts.

After a briefing from their coach, the bigger kids took off.  I meant to take pictures of her glorious moment, but I got so excited when I saw Anna Sierra riding that I just cheered.  She's a fantastic little rider and gives it her all, but I think her super light Opus Nix, with its quick, easy and smooth shifting, helped too.

Pulling ahead of the kids beside her, Anna Sierra was first across the finish.  We all ran out to hug her and just kept on grinning while she accepted her trophy.

There's something special about a trophy, but there's something even more special about seeing that glint of fierce determination in your kid's eyes when they ride right past you, full of confidence and on top of their game. 

Happy riding!

Kathleen