The end of another racing year

The National Closed Circuit Championships at Thruxton in October marked the end of racing for another year. A snorkel, flippers and a wetsuit would have been more appropriate attire than a skinsuit and slick tyres! Having driven down to Hampshire in what could best be described as biblical conditions it was little suprise to see the car park mostly under water. If it had been any other event to finish the season off I'd probably have called it a day by this point but this was the last chance to try and make the podium at a National Championship event.

By the time we'd unloaded the bike and registered both of us looked like we'd been through the spin cycle. Thankfully I'd packed plenty of clothes as just setting up left us wondering if this was actually a triathlon by stealth and swimming to the registration desk was the first competitor sift. With trainers and socks already soaked it was then the turn of the garages come warm up area to undergo a deluge - thankfully enough people were on hand to rescue the kit before it went floating across the track. It had crossed my mind more than once at this point to abort mission and divert to the nearest coffee shop, however not only had I worked too hard to keep my fitness up when most of my more sensible friends had finished racing several weeks previously but I don't like unfinished business. 

Car heater on overdrive drying the socks!

The rain eventually stopped and the sun even tried to come out; things were definitely looking up! The course was only waterlogged in a few places so still plenty of scope to seek out those racing lines. Eventually it was my turn to take to the start line... give it was the last race of the year there'd certainly be plenty of time to recover! The circuit rode better than it had previously done but perhaps I was ready for the block headwind up the drag on the back straight this time. I overtook a few people but it's really hard to gauge where you are in relation to anyone else and you can't see the entire track. I knew the power numbers I had to keep in mind to prevent blowing up and stuck to them, there wasn't anything left for a sprint finish so it must have been somewhere near! 

Trying out the tri spoke at Castle Combe 

All I could do now was wait and wait and wait... Due to an apparent mix up with the timing chips the results were partially published, leaving me to think I'd done enough to secure a bronze medal, until realisation dawned that there were loads of times missing! I was eventually given 5th - a significant improvement on the 11th of last year and although not the result I'd have liked it was the best I could do on the day. In some ways the result was disappointing but in others it was a relief to get to the end of a long season; eight months of racing was starting to take its toll and the thought of a week of no training was looking very appealing! 

Thanks to Harry Walker of Revolver Wheels for not only his ongoing support but the loan of one of only two tri spoke wheels that are hot off the press this year. Although the conditions weren't right for the tri spoke at Thruxton I've no doubt it'll come into its own next year! 

The race of all races; the UCI World Amateur TT Championships

'Good is not good when better is expected' Vin Scully

My A race; the main focus of 2016; that goal right on the limits of my hopes and dreams... whichever way I look at the World Champs, they were always going to demand the very best performance from me. They created that mixture of excitement (how often does a bike race take you to the other side of the world?) but also an intense drive within me, or will to win if you like, which fuelled and focused my training ever since their announcement 12 months before.

Getting into the spirit of the Championships

The preparation wasn't all plain sailing - the training turned out to be the 'easy' part! I've always been a fairly disciplined and focussed person. I was lucky enough to be brought up in the country with animals and Mum's motto was always - if you want the pony you can get up at 06:00am and look after it! And so I did! Over the years the early starts have migrated from looking after the animals, to running and more recently cycling. So, getting up at 05:00 to fit training in wasn't an alien concept to me but as I'm sure you can imagine there were often times when it felt like halfway through the night, it was raining or I just didn't feel like it. However, that rainbow jersey was always there, in the back of my mind, that carrot when I needed it, and one thing was for certain - lounging in bed was not going to help me win it! With the training nailed (well, planned and executed to the best of my ability), a recon trip earlier in the year to achieve not only qualification but some general familiarisation too, it seemed that things were progressing nicely...

Not quite the city centre course that was billed

...Until the unexpected announcement that the time trial course was actually to be relocated to Rottnest island! Bosh! That was left-field to say the least. The fact that the course would be totally different to the test event, which was billed as THE course for the world's obviously wasn't something that we could have prepared for. Rotto is 'only' 19km off mainland Perth but it's still a boat ride away and an expensive one at that. Whilst it creates a picture-perfect TT course, it is also completely different to not only the qualifiers but pretty much any other TT course I've ever ridden. The beautiful Indian ocean sparkles around almost every corner, but those corners are also able to catch you out, they're sharp, often switchback and their surface is gravelly and sandy tarmac. Not to mention the turns, which on every occasion come off a fast descent and the wind - four different directions as you circumnavigate the island. Just in case you were short on things that might catch you out, don't forget to keep your eyes peeled for the island inhabitants - the pint sized kangaroos known as quokkas!


Obviously, I didn't know half these things about the Rotto course before I got there. I had to make my decision on whether to go or not based on a 2D map and a rough calculation of how much extra this announcement was going to cost. The major blow was that my recon earlier in the year was now obsolete and my training hadn't focussed on hilly, technical TT courses (with an ocean view!). The irony is, I would have relished that sort of training if I'd known there was a need for it.





Rottnest Island - a real jewel in the Indian ocean

Anyway, fast forward an awful lot of indecision, initial failed attempts at trying to secure some sponsorship followed by a more successful than I'd imagined 'go fund me' page and I found myself in Perth once again. It's at this point that I would like to thank Richard and his team at the Fitness Warehouse and Paul of KStat Consulting as well as the many friends who backed me - your support was invaluable! The cool spring air and horizontal rain showers were somewhat of a shock to the system after what had been a pretty warm week or two in the UK. Having been pre-occupied with work, how to pack Percy (TT bike) and pretty much everything I needed into the bike box as my hold luggage AND keep it under 30kgs (yep, it was quite a challenge), had clearly meant that I had failed to check the weather properly. It didn't appear that shorts and short sleeve jerseys were going to cut it for the next fortnight!! Thankfully, some of the NZ team were staying in the same accommodation and had packed for an arctic expedition. I was kindly leant a warm jacket, which undoubtedly prevented me from going down with pneumonia!




One of the local quokka population

A recon of the course early on in the week alerted me to the findings mentioned above but also introduced me to another GB team member. Julia, who was to become my partner in crime for the Championships as well as a firm friend. We got lost on Rotto (even I have to admit that is pretty difficult), took apart and built our bikes countless times between us - for the transfers to and from the island and generally kept one another sane when the organisation appeared to be attempting to test our psyche to the limit!


Thankfully, after what can only be described as a boat ride from hell the day before the race - it was so windy that the boat was lurching frantically from side to side and raining that much that we were soaked within minutes of being outside - waking up to sunshine on race day was a true blessing. Despite the fact that we also woke to the announcement that the race schedule would be delayed by an hour, probably due to the weather the day before and the barge being delayed, the atmosphere was pretty relaxed. My start time of 10:43 had become 11:43, so not too much drama for me. My only concern was that the wind direction has a tendency to change around midday which would mean a greater time riding into a headwind. This would be an obvious disadvantage to someone, I just hoped it wasn't me!




Focus Face

After my usual warm up it was time to head over to the start. One last tense moment while the Commissaire popped Percy in the jig to check he was set up to UCI regulations... thankfully the gremlins hadn't visited overnight and tweaked his set up!! It was actually pretty warm stood in the queue for the start ramp; the rain and gales of yesterday had been replaced with 21 degrees of lovely WA sunshine. Eventually it was my turn; all of a sudden the ramp looks steeper and the clock seemed to be ticking down faster! Twenty seconds... all clipped in and ready to go, ten seconds and the Garmin is set to record the forthcoming torture, five seconds and the other commissaire has her hand in front of me ready to count me down 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... charge!!



And my campaign is underway..

A brief front wheel wobble and I'm off. Hurdle number one, get down the start ramp safely - tick! Hurdle number two, safely across both sets of railway lines (quite where they go on the island or what purpose they serve baffles me) - big tick! Up the first two inclines in the saddle and in the big ring - tick! Around the first technical section known as 'Jeannie's Lookout' without flying over the handlebars - massive tick and sense of relief! Catching the rider in front of me by 7km, who also happened to be the French national champion - panic! I was keenly aware of the non-drafting rule which meant that I couldn't get within 250m of her and had to pass with a 2m gap... easier said than done on a technical course on narrow 'roads' with plenty of sharp bends. In hindsight perhaps this was one of my downfalls - not being decisive enough and trying to get past as soon as I possibly could. Instead, I stayed back, waited for an appropriate point, which happened to be one of the descents where I knew that the bend was wide enough for me to make it even on a poor line. I had already lost time though and knew I had to make it up. There were two 90 degree right turns left, both off fast descents; I couldn't afford to get either of them wrong or I wouldn't be finishing at all. I erred on the side of caution and was cleanly through both - double tick!





Picking up some speed as it flattened out

The 'home run' of 6km had a flat but very narrow section of road with lots of tree roots and a generally poor surface. By this point I didn't even notice, the focus was the rider in front of me, who I was catching quickly. I passed her and knew I also needed to catch the rider in front of her before it narrowed even more. There was a third rider who I caught and we ended up going into the left hand turn parallel - it went straight into a climb before the final descent and 1.5km run in to the finish. My plan was always to get out the saddle here, blast up the hill and empty the legs completely in the last 1.5km. I left her in my wake as I wound up my surge to the finish. It was hurting, really hurting but it seemed to have gone quicker than I'd anticipated, or perhaps I'd lost track of time? I crossed the line, with mixed emotions - happy that it was over, I hadn't crashed or had any near misses but really disappointed that I'd caught and struggled to pass the French girl where I did and wasted precious seconds in the process.




Such a scenic course

Results were available online, so I logged on with baited breath to see how I'd done. 4th. The place that everyone dreads. At the sharp end of the field but not on the podium and certainly not commanding any rainbow stripes. I was absolutely gutted. One small part of me had hoped that I'd done enough to make the podium at least but it wasn't meant to be. The only consolation was that I had beaten all the Aussies in my category and I had actually ridden faster than the U34s so had I been just a little younger would actually have been crowned World Champion! I later found out that I was also the best placed of all the GB team in the TT, both male and female - however it did little to alleviate the disappointment. I did, however, come away with a lot of positives - I've learnt a lot, ridden a course of a lifetime and have a new focus - attempt to win those rainbow stripes next year!!




What an amazing recovery ride...

The World Champs marked the end of the season for many but not for me. With one race to go, it's time to regroup and get back to one last block of training to try and finish the year on a real high...

Blue ribbon weekends, a seeded ride and a series win

Great things never came from comfort zones...

I can't believe how fast the season is going, it really doesn't seem like much more than a few weeks ago that the RTTC National Championships were a distant focus - those big races somewhere near the end of the season! Now they've been and gone in a flash, as has the Castle Combe series finale. The conditions couldn't have been more different if they'd tried, it was like totally different seasons; the '25' being baking hot and the '10' being wet and windy and Castle Combe in the middle being pleasant.

The National 25 kicked off the first of the two RTTC blue ribbon events that I was riding, so a trip back down to Peterborough was required, in fact the course wasn't far away from the Tour of Cambridgeshire HQ. As we were driving down the M1 we noticed the warning on the gantry 'A1 closed further ahead', little did we realise that the diversion route for this traffic was to be part of the TT course... 

Having signed in at HQ and collected my numbers (back and arm numbers required at National Championships), we set off to drive the course. It took us at least 10 minutes to work out that we must've come out of HQ a different way as we'd not seen the start and were far from sure where we were but had seen a race sign on one of the (many) roundabouts and several photographers parked up. We knew we weren't a million miles away but quite where we were on the course was a bit of a mystery! Eventually we saw a small homemade sign in the grass just before one of the (lost count of how many by now) roundabouts indicating 'lap 1 - turn, lap 2 - straight on'... This must be the loop point then, so the start couldn't be far away. 

With the start eventually located, the course driven, and a few parking places eyed up it was time to get cracking. I know Summer is preciously short in the UK so we mustn't complain when we get a hot day, but at a sultry 28 degrees it was a bit too warm for racing for my liking! Paul adopted the umbrella trick to try and keep the worst of the sun off - which does make a welcome change from the rain but even so it was still humid and airless. It was so hot that a few of us cut our warm up routines short, some just rode steadily to the start and one of my friends was to be found rapidly shoving ice cubes down her front!! That seemed a pretty good shout at the time I must say! 

Eventually it was my turn to be counted down at the start. The first section was all about keeping on top of the gears and then attack the undulating section to the roundabout. This is perhaps a good point to mention the number of roundabouts given there was a ridiculous amount of them, I think it was 10 in total! After roundabout three was where the road surface was terribly leg sapping. Apparently it had recently been resurfaced, I wonder if the highways team knew what pain they were inadvertently inflicting?! However, all I could do was pedal hard and that is what I did, my minute woman was within reach and swiftly passed, I could also see my two minute woman up ahead, shortly after she was caught came the drag up to the turn point (roundabout number 5?!), on the exit of which I caught my three minute woman! It was now a lonely road ahead with literally nobody in sight, just the Tarmac and me and that wretched wind (of the weather variety). It was like pedalling treacle, I must have looked like a slow motion video to anyone watching. 

Roundabout number 4 was busy, all the traffic was coming off here for the diversion so a sneaky manoeuvre up the inside to avoid getting caught was called for. It was busy through the next two roundabouts but had quietened down by the third, which was the point at which we went back on ourselves to ride that loop again... Oh joy! Suffice to say it felt far harder the second time around! In fact I was feeling so hot that I was wishing one of the spectators would accidentally throw a bucket of water over me. The final run in to the finish could have been far better, I stayed down on the aero bars and misjudged my exit point; having to run very wide. I then thought that the line was just down the hill, but no it was half a mile further on... Bother, not what you need when you've wound the legs up to try and drain the last ounce of energy out of them about 400m too soon! 

Back at HQ I was very pleasantly surprised to see that I'd managed 13th place. Although that might not sound like much to celebrate there were plenty of quality riders behind me, including Clarry the world hour record holder and both the silver and bronze medalists from the World Amateur TT finals in Denmark last year. It seems I wasn't the only one to have suffered in the heat.

Definitely the motto for the 25... a very tough day

No sooner had the legs recovered from this then it was Castle Combe time again. As it was the finale and they'd foolishly said they had nothing better to do, my parents came along to support. Their last outing to support me involved a crazy train journey from Copenhagen at an obscenely early hour to get to Aalborg for the aforementioned Denmark TT. At least this time they only had a 45 minute drive, although I believe the scenic route may have been taken! Much to their relief, I was far easier to spot being in my Pro Vision Skinsuit (there were complaints that 'we all looked the same' in our GB kit in Denmark) and being a circuit TT if they missed me the first time around at least they had five more opportunities!! 

I needed a win to secure the series but I also had the thought of a course pb in the back of my mind. The conditions were hard to judge as the headwind had moved further around the track than it had been previously. I had the benefit of my minute woman being the lady that I thought would also be a close contender for the win. For the first time in the series I actually had a target other than my power numbers. There was no sign of her out on the track ahead of me, so she must have had a rocket propelled first lap! I was starting to panic, just a little, when half way around lap two I caught sight of her in the second chicane. I'd caught her by the bend up the start straight and could feel some relief. Now it was 'just' the challenge of riding as hard as I could for the remaining three laps. Knowing the series was at stake tonight, there was an element of caution through the chicanes, unlike the May race where it was an edge of the seat kind of night! I wound the last two laps up as much as I thought I could without blowing up before the finish, resulting in the last lap being my fastest ever by two seconds. Unbelievably I'd just missed a course pb and my own course record by 0.2 seconds!! The series was secured 4 - 0 so all in all a pretty good evening and a nice end to what has been a really good series hosted by DB Max and Kinetic One.

The picturesque Castle Combe village

Another week and another race... The second of the two RTTC National Championships, this time the '10' in Dorking, Surrey. Yes, that is quite a trek for a short event! Friends who had travelled down earlier in the week were posting photos on social media of the monsoon that they were looking at out of their motorhome window. We could only hope that the forecast was correct and it was due to clear by my start time. Courtesy of my 21:13 in Hull earlier in the Summer I was seeded 8th - an equally proud but scary thought given the calibre of riders who were going earlier in the field. In fact you could be forgiven for looking at the startlist and thinking that it wasn't a Time Trial at all but a National road race. Many of the names on there were from professional road teams who would never ordinarily ride a time trial outside of within a stage race. This made it all the more unpredictable, although (all things being equal), the top two were always going to be Hayley Simmonds and Anna Turvey.

The strongest field ever for the National 10

The start turned out to be literally a few hundred metres from Dorking Fire Station so with my Staffs Fire ID badge in hand I set off to ask the duty watch if we could park and warm up on the yard. Being the kind bunch that they are, nothing was too much trouble and we were soon warming up in one of the vehicle wash bays as the heavens had opened again. This was really handy and I'm very grateful to blue watch for their hospitality and kind offers of (what we do best in the Fire Service) cups of tea!!

The perfect warm up in the dry!

I had a massive 4 minute gap at the start as my 2 minute woman (and friend) was poorly so I knew I wasn't likely to see anyone out on the road at all. The weather stayed dry but was exceptionally windy. I lost all confidence in my front wheel at about a mile in as a massive gust of wind literally tried to snatch it from underneath me. It was almost a case of coming onto the base bars for stability but I just managed to hold tight. That answered the question of why we'd seen numerous juniors on the base bars when we drive the course earlier. It was heavy going on the way out, with a headwind and violent crosswinds taking it in turns to test us to the limit. The way back didn't feel much better as the few little drags seemed like mountains with the legs having already been battered in the other direction! 

Having a fight to keep my front wheel facing forwards!

And if I thought all this was hard work, the hardest race of all is yet to come - the World Amateur TT Championships back in Perth, Australia...

Shifting up a gear... taking on the 'Mighty V' for a lifetime best

"Focus all your effort on what is in your power to control" John Wooden

After the highs (and a couple of lows) in June, the start of July brought about the much anticipated trip to Hull to ride the famous V718 course. I'd purposely not ridden this course last year as I'd felt there was a lot more work to be done on the fundamental aspects to improve my riding and racing. Fast forward a year and I think it's fair to say I'm a much better rider (there's still lots to learn but I'm perhaps not quite the relative novice that I was twelve months ago).


Thankfully I'd allowed myself plenty of time to get there as given the  unpredictability of the motorway, or should that be predictability that there *will* be a delay, I was duly held up for 45 minutes on the M1. No panic, I'd allowed an extra two hours! Well, when you are as directionally challenged as me and often think that you know better than the satnav (when clearly you don't!) contingency time comes in handy.




Time trialling can play havoc with your mind if you're not careful!

I was feeling really positive about the task in hand, I knew it was a fast course, I didn't know anyone on the start sheet and I already had a good vibe as Mike from Team Swift, who was organising, had called me a few days previous telling me that I had been a reserve but was replacing #21. I was probably as excited as I was nervous but totally focussed on the task ahead. In my mind this was my one chance this season to ride my best time (no pressure?!!)


If I had a £5 for the amount of people that directly associate V718 with a fast time then I could probably afford to ride full time! Yes it is a 'fast course' however fast is relative, it is very wind dependent, traffic dependent and unfortunately you still have to pedal hard! It was a very warm evening and I was mindful of drinking plenty, especially having had a long drive up.




Pedal hard and then pedal some more

Eventually it was my turn on the start line, here goes... Shortly after the start you are headed straight down the slip road to join the dual carriageway, one of the fastest starts I've experienced. I was greeted by the sound of a lorry blasting his horn at me, incredulous at the idea that a cyclist would dream of coming on to the carriageway. Looking over my shoulder it was perhaps clear that he'd not noticed the 'race in progress' signs or was just feeling cantankerous, either way I certainly wasn't going to argue, a few seconds here could be made up later and I'd like to go home in one piece!


I got to the turn quicker than perhaps I had expected and was ready for the incline to the first of the roundabouts and no traffic - what a bonus! There was traffic on the second so back on to the base bars in case I needed a braking manoeuvre! I had my minute man in sights at the second of the roundabouts but he made a hastier exit than me and it took me another half a mile before I caught him. We'd had a little chat at the start as I'd noticed that he had travelled from Gloucestershire (where my family are now based) and he gave me an encouraging shout as I overtook.


Once I had passed him was the point at which I really had to dig deep, my legs were hurting, my lungs felt like they might burst at any second and that figure in the distance to chase was now chasing me! I started to tell myself that 'I would ride a fast time', this mantra got me to the finish. I'm sure I must have wasted valuable energy which should have translated into pedalling by the number of times that I repeated this to myself! I was so glad to see the finish! I was so relieved to have made the finish without blowing up that I had forgotten to stop my Garmin. I looked down and saw 22 minutes something... It was a while since I'd crossed the line and started to ride back nice and easy to HQ... looks like a definite PB...

1st female guaranteed...

A super fast time lurking down there!

After a long cool down by the time I got to HQ it was pretty full. There was still a few riders out on the course but the majority were already tucking into the impressive spread that Team Swift had been busy preparing. Savoury rolls, flapjack, cake, tea and coffee... A ham salad roll was just what I fancied along with a massive glass of squash - that's how tired I was, food and drink before results!! As I was originally a reserve rider I was tucked down in the bottom right hand corner on the results board. A lifetime best of 21:13 and also fast enough to place me firmly on the 'all time fastest female' list, WOW! With only a couple of riders yet to come in I was not only 1st female but also 1st overall at this point. All of a sudden the tiredness disappeared and I turned into the proverbial Cheshire cat!


People watching at this point was rather interesting. Nobody's gaze had reached the bottom corner where the reserves had come in and had attributed the win to someone on the main results. This is perhaps one of the attractions of time trialling for me - it's just you against the clock, you ride your socks off and then discuss it and any other random subject in a village hall over a cup of tea after. There's no fuss, no big crowds, rarely a prize presentation and in this case I went home feeling very happy but with most people in that room none the wiser than I'd just ridden myself onto the all time fastest female list or ridden one of the fastest times in the country this year and finished 3rd overall to boot! If that had been a road race... perhaps a different story!

It's official, new PB on CTT :-)

It didn't take long before I started to analyse my race and wonder... If that lorry had moved over, if I'd not dropped onto the base bars for those cars on the roundabout, if I'd squeezed out a few more watts... Could I have gone sub 21?!! Now, there's a challenge, although it might have to wait until next season now.

Races of truth on K33/10D in Alcester

Victory is sweetest when you've known defeat - Malcolm S Forbes

The season generally includes at least one or two trips down to Alcester/Harvington to race on K33/10D; a nice course two thirds of which is on single carriageway roads with the last third being a steady drag up the dual carriageway. As with most courses it rides differently depending on the direction of the wind and of course the traffic around on the day. It's generally a headwind in the first third with a crosswind thrown in for good measure if you're unlucky. 

My first race on this course this year was the Janet Kelly Memorial hosted by Beacon Roads Club back in May. It was a warm day but not baking hot. This year was the 38th running of the event and the trophy is awarded to the fastest female on the day. This was also a round of the Midland Women's Series so both points and a trophy were to be awarded and I was desperate for the points having not yet got any on the board due to being away for round 1 and round 2 being rained off. 

Previously won by the great Beryl Burton

Compared to my last race on this course last year, where I had to overtake a horse and cart and then 2 miles later almost went into the back of a car that suddenly decided to take a right turn with no prior warning other than slamming on the brakes, this was pretty uneventful. Slowing at all three roundabouts for traffic already on the carriageway and annoyingly almost coming to a stop at the last due to cars everywhere but that seems to be customary this year - hopefully it'll even out as the season goes on.

As I crossed the finish line, barely able to shout my number to the timekeeper, I caught up with a lady who'd finished a moment or so before me and didn't know how to find her way back to HQ. I rode back the scenic way with her, not fancying a return trip up the dual carriageway, even though it was shorter. She was delighted to have finally broken 30 minutes - it was nice to see genuine astonishment on her face that she'd done it. Meanwhile I wasn't entirely sure what I'd stopped my Garmin at, so I was riding back oblivious... Until I rode into the car park at HQ to be greeted with "it's a tie", cue blank look from me, "sorry what's a tie?" It transpired that both myself and Jessica Rhodes-Jones from the host club Beacon RCC had ridden 23:42 to win the trophy! We were almost a minute clear of 3rd placed rider Keri Parton from the RAF.

Jointly winning the Janet Kelly Memorial Trophy

My next visit to K33/10D was the weekend after ToC and following a week of being poorly so expectations were pretty low. This time it was for the Charlie Grieg Memorial TT. The way out felt REALLY hard, in fact so hard that I was actually considering spinning around at the first roundabout and riding back to the start. With the roundabout approaching there were decisions to be made... Of course I was going to carry on, I don't give in that easily!


It didn't get any easier, time trialling never does; you just go faster. I didn't dare look at my Garmin as I wasn't expecting anything too hot - 22:58! Wow, that's a course PB, in fact a season's best, perhaps that's why it was hurting quite so much and there was me attributing that to a week of pretty much being wiped out. If I was impressed with my time, then friend and fellow MWTTS series competitor Liz Powell, managed to pull a really impressive 22:22 out of the bag!

Podium at Charlie Grieg Memorial

The season has just got a whole lot faster all of a sudden! Things are definitely looking up for July :-)

The ups and downs of racing

Hit and miss on the form front...

The first weekend in June brought the trip down to Peterborough for the Tour of Cambridgeshire. We were very lucky to have support from Motiva in the form of a brand new VW transit van for the weekend. This made transporting Percy and both the road bikes and all the associated bits and bobs so much easier, especially as it wouldn't physically have all fitted in my car! Packing light for a weekend of time trialling and road racing was a test too far for me - well you never really know what the weather is going to do from one minute to the next let alone a few days!

Transport courtesy of Motiva - thanks very much

We'd booked into the Premier Inn which was as close to the Arena as we were going to get with some 4,000 cyclists attracted by the opportunity to 'qualify to win a rainbow jersey'. After the success of the inaugural event last year word had certainly spread far and wide for this year; although the Gran Fondo accounted for most of the surge in numbers, split between those interested in racing and those out for a nice spin on closed roads in the sportive. 

Turbo session anyone?

Despite being relegated to a different part of the Arena complex (having been upstaged by Bill Bailey), Tom Caldwell and his ToC team had done a good job of setting up a great turbo zone for us to warm up in and transit to the start ramp. Signing on and warming up had gone trouble free so all that was left was to ride hard and stay safe out on the course, the rest would have to take care of itself. 

Ready to roll...

Eventually it was my turn at the top of the start ramp, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Out the arena doors, out of the show ground and finally onto the open (well closed on this occasion!) roads. It seemed to start relatively ok but my legs felt like they were already tiring by the time I got to Bullock road, which was barely 3 miles into the course. It was just at this moment when I was glancing at my power meter to see if it agreed with my legs when my 30 second 'marker' came past me... Bother. Not only past me but up the climb like her bike was on fire (unfortunately, for me, it wasn't). Thankfully there were two other people for me to pass on the climb but this didn't help the fact that I recognised that empty feeling in my legs which is generally present far closer to the finish than the start. 

 

Digging in up the hill

There were a few more people to pass as the course went on, a group of three who appeared to have decided that it was a team time trial (and there's me worrying about catching and passing quickly in case the Moto commissaire thinks I'm making it a 4up TT). All too quickly I'm flying down the hill in the homeward direction at 60kph trying to engage my best aero tuck, at least it didn't matter what the power meter said at that point, it was all about energy conservation! The return leg from where the descent finished to the main road seemed to take an eternity. There was no doubt about it I was struggling; this most definitely wasn't the race plan, I should be winding it up now but clearly there was nothing to wind up. To say I was pleased to see the show ground was an understatement but I certainly wasn't very happy with the time on the digital display at the finish. 

Sometimes you think you've got everything under control and you've planned and prepared as well as you know how to but the universe has other ideas come race day. Yes I slept badly the night before, yes I was more nervous than normal but that shouldn't have had that much of an effect. As it happened I woke up feeling under par the next day, so much so that I decided I didn't want to contest the road race. This turned out to be a very wise decision because as the day went on the more unwell I felt. 

Paul had a cracking road race, despite having been unwell recently and barely ridden his bike for the preceding 10 weeks he 'took it steady' and finished 12th having been in the bunch sprint for 5th. He's a truly talented rider and if he'd felt more confident in his health and fitness I've no doubt he would have gone with the three rider break, thankfully he heeded my note of caution on the start line (no heroics)! Given I wasn't well enough to drive home that evening he also had the 'pleasure' of the 3 hour return journey with me trying my best to stay awake. 

Start of Paul's race

Unfortunately I missed round 3 of the Castle Combe series which was 3 days after ToC due to the virus that had wiped me out apparently overnight. This was disappointing on two counts - I didn't want to relinquish my series lead and secondly the forecast was for a perfect night which would mean fast times. Given my competitive nature and inability to give in I did consider going to race but that didn't seem so clever when I'd barely made it out of bed for the previous two days and certainly hadn't considered riding my bike! This was a theme that continued for most of the week and I started to wonder whether I needed to withdraw from my race the following Saturday. I was still wondering whether I should go or not two hours before it was time to leave...There's nothing like leaving it until the last minute! 

... To be continued...!!

Steady progress sums up the season so far... Part I

Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished but by what you should accomplish with your ability - John Wooden

Despite the lack of summery weather the season is well under way, in fact well on its way towards being finished for another year. Having been caught up in trying to organise #PathtoPerth and all its various and ever changing logistics I suddenly realised that I haven't mentioned what has actually been happening in the here and now!

I set myself some clear challenges and goals for this season; mostly focussed around being more disciplined - in terms of structured training and picking 'sensible' races and bringing my PBs down. Despite an early (almost pre-season) race in Perth at the start of March, I actually ended up almost being late to the party due to a change of bike. That is probably worthy of a post in itself, so for now I'll just say that 'Lucy' is retiring and we welcomed 'Percy' to the racing stable for 2016! Does anyone else name their bikes or am I alone in this?!

Lucy is sadly up for sale (a beautiful bike for someone)



Racing kicked off at Castle Combe Circuit in Wiltshire on April 20th with the first of a five series closed circuit TT series run by DB Max events and Kinetic One. Having really enjoyed the end of season TT at Thruxton circuit last year I actively sought out some other closed circuit events and came across this. Having ridden a couple of sighting laps before racing started I'd figured it was almost a course of two halves; divided nicely by the two chicanes. It really was fly through the first, carry your speed around the bottom bend and... straight into a pot of treacle for a fight with your front wheel for the back straight and incline! Nevertheless it was superb fun and I was really pleased to finish 1st female and get the series off to a great start - not bad for my first race with Percy!

Feeling fast through the chicane!

My campaign at the Midland Women's Series (MWTTS) was due to start at round 2 with the Diana Cooke Memorial TT on April 30th on K41/10 (Wolvey) but unbelievably it ended up being delayed then finally postponed as it rained, hailed and then rained some more and the course flooded. It was one of those bittersweet decisions as although keen to race most of us were drenched and cold having continued to warm up in the hope of the weather clearing. This theme continued as the same happened for round 2 of Castle Combe! The forecast was questionable but you never can tell and racing was still on as the journey south commenced, despite driving through some heavy showers it was looking vaguely hopeful, well until I saw what could only be described as a river running through Castle Combe village!

Track under water, anyone for a triathlon?



Round 2 was re-scheduled for the following week and thankfully the weather behaved. I felt more in tune with Percy and rode a better, more confident race. This culminated in another win, a further increase on my series lead and a top 10 (7th) place overall.

This was followed up by more weather-dictated racing that weekend with the Stone Wheeler's 'Spring 25' also being thwarted by heavy rain. The women's field were mostly set off near the start so our race was able to complete - with the exception of the final 2 - 3 miles being pretty horrendous but the men's race had to be abandoned for safety. I was yet to ride a 25 to power so this was somewhat of an experiment! I was boxed in by traffic at the first roundabout and ended up stopped and unclipped with time to make up. I'm not sure I recommend going through 10 miles in a PB and then realising that it's mostly uphill on the return leg!! It was starting to feel pretty hard and then the rain came down, my visor started to steam up and soon I was frantically trying to keep the white line in sight. My right arm was inexplicably throbbing and I couldn't see the Garmin (or anything really) to gauge where the finish line might be - was I even close?! Then the chequered board and timekeeper's car was on my inside - that must be it, oh well, so much for a sprint finish! Thankfully I did dip under the hour in 59:29 for 2nd but it wasn't the most pleasant experience or the best executed race plan!

The following weekend saw a return to MWTTS and the round that is practically on my doorstep; although I've somehow avoided riding it until this year! The weather was much warmer, I nearly found myself saying too warm... Given this is my local course I felt under some pressure to do well, which is daft really, having not ridden it in race conditions before. I went out hard but perhaps it was a good job I did as once again I got caught on the roundabout at the turn - a rather too decisive lorry pulled straight out in front of me - I certainly wasn't going to argue with him! I once again found myself with time to make up on tired legs. I managed to hang in there for 2nd female and another good time on what I thought was a tough course.

The season marches on... June onwards to be continued...



Teamwork personified

A day in the life of UCI women's team Liv-Plantur

It's almost unbelievable that the Women's Tour has come and gone again, a whole year has passed in the blink of an eye. Having been busy with my own training and racing, not to mention the full time job that funds the pedalling addiction, I was only able to dip in to two stages this year. However that was plenty to get a sense of the carnival atmosphere that once again accompanied the rolling roadshow that is Sweetspot's showcase of the world's best female cyclists.

Right up at the head of race convoy

I was lucky enough to spend the day right amongst the action on Stage 3 from Nottingham to Stoke, alongside Hans Timmerman DS of Liv-Plantur. Having the smallest, most eye catching race car in the convoy wasn't the only accolade that the team took away with them but it certainly attracted some attention out on the roads. 

The smallest, cutest race car?!

With Floortje Mackaij in the young riders jersey the team were also riding for the stage win with the Canadian Leah Kirchmann being the protected rider and Molly Weaver domestique extraordinaire. The stage ahead of them had a bit of everything;  picturesque country roads, open sprints and the rolling Staffordshire moorlands creating tough QoMs. Supporters had come out in their droves and the roads really were lined from Nottingham through to the finish in Stoke, with the sprints, QoMs and towns and villages being several deep. 

Many thousands had come out to watch

This was the first time I'd been in a race car where the riders were on radio, to state the obvious it was a much more interactive experience than perhaps I'd imagined. It's pretty exciting being in the race convoy, seeing the crowd support on the roadside, hearing the race unfold over race radio and being in the thick of the events as they unfolded. However it was a privilege to witness Hans at work as the stage got going.

On board 'HMS Liv-Plantur' with Hans

It was a masterclass in multi-tasking from start to finish. As if driving in the convoy wasn't enough, having an ear on race radio and the other on the radios on the team, an eye on the stage map annotated with every detail required was all brought together with team instructions. Hans was the perfect coach - providing clear and concise instructions alongside motivation and praise. No stone was left unturned and the commitment exhibited on the road was equally reflected inside the race car. To most of the supporters on the roadside I imagine the race cars are just a source of spare bikes and a vehicle to transport the team mechanic, however they are so much more than that; they really are the team control centres (more so for teams on radio). Plans have to be fluid as riders contest the sprints, QoMs, get brought down in crashes, form breaks or suffer a mechanical. There's certainly no time to be caught napping!

Stage Map

Three riders in the chasing break and a resultant second place for Leah in the sprint, just edged out by Marianne Vos as well as Floortje retaining the young rider jersey was undoubtedly a pretty good day in the office for Liv-Plantur. I was left with the overwhelming impression of a well oiled machine, where each part complemented the others to result in one solid unit. It was a privilege to observe and they're definitely a team to watch, particularly given the depth of talent. 

Starting the season Down Under... Fair Dinkum!

Time trialling Aussie style

After much deliberation the end of February saw a trip to Perth, yes the one over the other side of the world, not up in Scotland. A holiday? I hear you ask... Well, not in its truest definition anyway. For those of you who have been following my musings, you'll know that I set my sights on a podium position in this year's World Amateur Championships in Perth, to be held in September. Well, who doesn't dream of winning the much coveted rainbow stripes that designate a world champion...! 

The Australian qualifying round was billed as a test event for later in the year, so the part of me that likes to plan to the nth degree thought this was an ideal opportunity to start this process. How would travelling 22hours+ across the other side of the world affect me, just how hot does 38 degrees feel, can I be competitive against the Aussies on home turf? These were just some of the questions that I sought answers to, along with how technical was the course, did I have the right wheels/tyres, where was the most convenient place to stay etc?

From a chilly UK to a balmy Western Australia

It was quite a (pleasant) shock to leave the UK in wintry minus temperatures and to land 22 hours later (well, almost two days later) in a 'cool' according to the Aussies, 28 degrees evening sunshine. Given the stress of trying to check in at Birmingham Airport the day before, it felt like nothing short of a miracle that I'd safely landed in Perth with the precious cargo of an enormous bike box looking relatively unscathed. To anyone watching Paul and I carrying out the meticulous operation of identifying the absolute bare minimum that I needed to take, then carefully packing it tightly, weighing it and working out where it could safely be stashed in the bike box this might have seemed like overkill. However, when your luggage allowance is 30kg and the bike plus box weighs 22kg there is little room for error!!

It was weighed, weighed again and weighed some more, but the gremlins must have worked overtime that night as despite leaving with it weighing in at 30.2kg it had miraculously increased to 34kg on the check in scales in departures. Cue much stress as the Emirates team were adamant that it wasn't going on the plane at that weight unless we parted with an obscene amount of cash for excess luggage (at £50 per kg this wasn't something I was prepared to entertain)! Frantic unpacking and re-packing ensued, could I physically wear anything else?! Clearly this hurdle was overcome and soon forgotten (until hauling said cargo around at Perth airport) and ironically I went to bed that night listening to the sound of rain on the windows; thankfully this was shortlived and the only time the weather was suitably British!

Perth skyline from Elizabeth Quay

I'd soon adapted to Aussie time and set about getting 'Lucy' the TT bike set up, checking out where the event village and race HQ would be and most importantly the course; it was hard to picture it on a 2D map. I was last in Perth some 14 years ago and it had certainly grown in that time, in fact it was far bigger, busier and more cosmopolitan than I'd remembered. The TT course took in the newly developed Elizabeth Quay which was a stunning addition to the city. In fact it was that new a development that it was still frantically being finished in order to be properly showcased on race day!

The infamous pedestrian bridge, Elizabeth Quay

Wandering around, map in hand, I was admiring the Sydney harbour esque pedestrian bridge when the realisation dawned on me that this was the only way over the water and I would therefore be racing over this... Closer inspection revealed the surface was wooden slats; it's a good job it rarely rains in Perth in Summer or I might be in for a swim! I'd been warned that the course builder was renound for designing highly technical TT courses and this was certainly proof of that - multi surfaces (Tarmac, cobbles, wooden bridge), 90 degree turns, big pavements to jump down, hairpin turns... Everything that a TT tends not to be in the UK! Add into the mix the Fremantle Doctor; the sea breeze that blows almost without fail every afternoon and it was certainly going to be a challenge (definitely entertaining for the spectators).

Fabulous cycle paths & quiet roads once out of the city

I soon learnt that Elizabeth Quay was a mecca for runners and if I wanted to get a feel for that part of the course I needed to be there before 05:30; thankfully I've always been a morning person and this wasn't a holiday after all... Although to my horror it was actually a cyclist that sent me flying across the cobbles one morning! Thankfully nothing other than injured pride and more importantly I broke Lucy's fall so the worst of the damage was a scuffed saddle.

Elizabeth Quay by night

Temperatures soared come race day, I was glad I'd booked an undercover trainer to warm up on but was still melting within minutes. I decided in this instance that perhaps less was more and tried to find some shade while waiting to be called to the start ramp. Finally it was my turn and just at the moment when I was due to leave the ramp the Garmin turned itself off... Arrrrghhh!! Major stress but too late to do anything other than start pedalling and wait until I could re-start it. Focus, focus, focus. I knew I had to be careful not to overcook the first section just because it was flat, I made the hairpin turn unscathed, back down on the aero bars again... The next hurdle was the 90 degree left which took us into the Elizabeth Quay development with the cobbles, twists and turns and the infamous bridge. The race wouldn't be won here for sure but it could easily be lost. To say I was relieved to bounce down the curb stone back onto the road was an understatement.


The rest of the course was head down and pedal hard, territory I'm much more familiar with! It was hard going into the wind, harder than it had been on my recce rides. My minute woman came past me, I couldn't respond, I tried not to let it worry me but I knew I had to dig in. The turn to head back, which I'd assumed circumnavigated the roundabout actually turned straight back on itself which caught me by surprise. However, there was no time to contemplate this, there was only 10 minutes of riding left; 10 minutes to make up some time! The finish crept up on me sooner than I thought; you might think this is a good thing but not today, I could have done with another 500m. I knew I hadn't done enough on the day, the crosswind and headwind had taken a lot out of my legs and I was lacking the 'top end' that I would normally have come mid racing season.

How I felt after the TT...!

However, taking the positives, 5th place probably isn't too bad for someone who's had to do most of her training in the garage whilst sheltering from rain, hail and snowstorms over the winter! I could quite get used to wall to wall sunshine, lovely cycle paths and far reaching views of the glistening Indian Ocean on my training rides! 

Awards and Rewards

Spring has finally sprung!

It seems to have been a long time coming this year, but finally the clocks have changed - BST has been welcomed with open arms and the lighter evenings are already being enjoyed. The shorts have yet to make an appearance in the UK but there is plenty of time yet!

In between training hard over the winter months - mostly on the direct drive trainer in the garage - we've been to a few cycling events. Paul and I were flattered to be invited as Guests of honour to the Kidsgrove Wheeler's Annual Dinner and Prize Presentation evening at the end of January. We were given a very warm welcome by the club and after a lovely dinner at The Borough Arms (Newcastle under Lyme) I got to present some truly unique trophies. If you are of a creative disposition and have the odd chain, cassette, in fact an entire rear mech at your disposal then what are you waiting for...?! Many thanks to Paul Bragg MBE for not only the kind invitation but for convincing me that I could actually think of something interesting to say after dinner... Or at least I hope I did?!

Trophies & medals aplenty for the Kidsgrove Wheelers

Fast-forward to the end of February and the annual Stafford Sports Awards evening. I had received a letter at the end of last year to say that I had been shortlisted in the category of 'Female Sports Performer of the Year' and as one of the finalists had been invited to the dinner and presentation evening at Stafford County Showground. I was truly blown away by this and I certainly wasn't prepared for the sense of occasion or the sheer volume of people present on the evening. It was really well organised by SPORT Stafford with support from StaffordshireNewsletter and Stafford Borough Council. Thank you so much to everyone who was kind enough to nominate me, its much appreciated.

It is easy to get consumed by your own sport, and ultimately given the majority of us are just amateurs, training is squeezed around working full time and life in general. I was quite surprised by the depth of sporting talent in the area - Joe Clarke, a local canoeist who is on the GB squad and will be travelling to Rio for his first Olympics, Sarah Norbury; a GB sailor who is on the Olympic Podium Potential Programme for 2020/2024, Ian Marsden; a master of not one but four sports (former GB power lifter before his spinal injury, hand cycling, rifle shooting and more recently Para canoeing) - who is also on the cusp of a place in the GB squad for Rio. Not forgetting the coaches who give up endless free time, in fact a lifetime in the cases of Andrew Neave (Canoe slalom) and George Singh (football & distance running) who were both honoured with sharing the 'Special Contribution to Sport Award'. It was humbling to hear just how much two people had given to their chosen sports. Sarah Norbury was the deserved winner of the female category and it was a lovely evening shared with both sets of parents.

 It would appear that great things happen in threes as after the Sports Awards I flew out to Western Australia, landing with the bike in 28 degrees evening autumn sunshine. That, however, is for another post...!