Thursday 21 July 2016

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.



Tuesday 19 July 2016

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 :-)




Monday 18 July 2016

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...!!







Thursday 14 July 2016

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...



Tuesday 5 July 2016

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. 




Friday 1 July 2016

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! 









It's time... to face the demons After a bit of a hiatus in having anything much to write (that might be of vague interest to anyone), ou...