my first trip to the velodrome and David Hasselhoff

Last night I got to go to Hellyer Velodrome and watch my husband race. Instead of parking me in the stands as a spectator, where it turns out I would have gotten gassed with laundry chemicals anyway, I got to be his pit crew and hang around on the grass in the infield. There I learned that:

• Hellyer's infield is all grass. At least some of the infield at most tracks is paved so racers can warm up without a trainer.
• People who are extremely sensitive to grass should not warm up on a trainer on the grass.
• The velodrome acts as a bowl that holds exhaust fumes from the motorcycle they use to get racers up to speed for the Kierans, so people who are exhaust sensitive should get the heck out of the infield for those or wear a mask, even if there is a 15 mph (24 km/h) breeze.
• After the sun goes down around here, three layers on top and long pants are not quite enough to keep you warm. Next time, I'm going for four or five.

And as an interesting follow-up to yesterday's post, bathrooms'll kill you! Although maybe that only happens if you're David Hasselhoff and are shaving in a gym bathroom at a hotel in London. (Note: David Hasselhoff is not dead. I just like announcing that things'll kill you.)