Wednesday 13 December 2017

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...

With snow on the ground and just 12 days to go, the festive season is well and truly upon us.

However, if you're like me you may well still have some Christmas shopping to do! I love Christmas-time for that small chance of snow, the Christmas lights, bringing the Christmas tree in and decorating it with the (long standing and) extra ornaments that have been purchased from travels throughout the year. It's a magical time of year for those of us who are lucky enough to be surrounded by loved ones and friends, equally it's a time when many of us remember loved ones who are no longer with us.

Wintry wonderland of South Staffordshire
I must confess I am a bit of a traditionalist, I'm not keen on the commercialism of Christmas, carols playing in stores in November or Christmas stock appearing on shelves in October! Our family tradition has pretty much been the 12 days of Christmas; with the tree rarely coming into the house more than two weeks before 'the big day'. 'Bruce the Spruce' is currently sat in the garden under 2ft of snow, so the current debate is whether he actually stays outside this year given the house is marginally warmer than outside...!


Frozen mill pond
Anyway, whether you're in need of last minute present inspiration for the cyclist in your life, or just fancy treating yourself, we have a few ideas to share with you:

Socks are a staple at any time of year but especially at Christmas! We love the range of socks from Seriously silly socks based in High Peak; they have some fabulously crazy designs, including some cycling themed options and you can even build your own gift box. The exclusive bamboo organic crew socks feel warmer than standard cottons in Winter and cooler in Summer due to it's fibre construction, and are a bargain at just £5 a pair! With same day shipping if you order by 2pm and free UK delivery you can't go far wrong. So, that's a pair for you and a pair for your cycling mad friend...! Furthermore, we have a pair of men's and a pair of women's cycling themed socks to give away* to two lucky readers, so have a look on Facebook and Twitter (@FionaSPrew) for the post that you need to comment on.

GlovesQ36.5 Be Love 0 glove will keep the winter at bay for your hands. An experiment in extreme light weight thermal technologies (best used above 0 degrees) from the iconic Q36.5 who are known for their use of proprietary high-quality fabrics developed specifically for use in cycling clothing combined with the radically essentialist cut and styling of garments. The full range is available from Swinnerton Cycles with the Be Love 0 Glove priced at £79.99 - your hands will thank you!


Unisex Be Love 0 Glove

Base layer, the latest addition to the Stoke based  Pro Vision Custom Clothing range is the Graffiti long sleeve base layer (also available as a sleeveless vest). It delivers superior moisture management and light weight insulation for all year round activities. Long sleeves are ideal for those cooler days (and essential for the UK wintry weather just now)! Priced at £30 it's a bargain. Equally, if you are looking for something really unique for next season, why not get in touch with Steve, Ben or Jason about designing bespoke custom kit to your exact requirements...

Graffiti Long sleeve base layer
Happy Shopping!

*We have one pair of women's and one pair of men's socks to give away! Simply comment on the post on social media to be entered into the prize draw, please ensure you state whether you would like men's or women's socks if you are the winner.

T&C's: closes Sunday 17th December 2017 at 21:00 GMT, the winner will be chosen at random and notified by direct messages. UK entrants only. This promotion is in no way endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. Full T&Cs: http://bit.ly/2zamA1M






Monday 6 November 2017

Give it a rest!

Train hard, recover harder

As an amateur cyclist with a full time job, as the majority of us are, we are not likely to have covered anywhere near the training distance or hours that the pro riders have this year. However, that doesn't make it any less important for us to embrace that natural break at the end of the racing season. You could say it's more important for the amateur athlete as there is likely to be less opportunity for rest and recuperation whilst juggling the demands of work, family life and training.


Scheduling an end of season break and some quality downtime to relax and refocus, to re-charge the batteries both physiologically and psychologically is key. As we've mentioned before it's an opportunity to take stock and make a plan for the forthcoming season but most importantly it's about giving your body and mind a break.






The term 'end-of-season break' and its associated focus will look different for each of us. I noticed that those who ended their racing season early, for whatever reason, or whose season barely got going, were very quick to start planning for next year.


"What are you going to target next year?" "I'm going to ride this event/qualifier..." "I'm going to ride X time for X distance at X event..." "I'm going to smash my 10/25/50 TT PB" were all statements tripping off tongues akin to choosing a dessert off a menu (it is the off season after all!!). This made me take a step back and reflect as although, naturally, I had given the 2018 season some passing thought (it's only natural to come away from a race or a training session having analysed things you could/should have done better), I hadn't put those main targets in place or set any stretch goals, or even any serious goals. I started to question my commitment. Was my lack of planning, or more specifically, my lack of a desire to plan a sign that I was lacking motivation and enthusiasm - that inner drive that enables you to give your best?


After much soul-searching, I believe that I just needed a little more time to mentally recover from this year. I came across a great quote from Michelangelo Buonarroti that summed this up for me


"If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all".



There's nothing wrong with some downtime after the relentless pursuit of success. I'm viewing my end-of-season break as not just the physical ten days that I had off the bike but that time since, which has been fairly liberating in terms of 'just riding' without that constant observation of power/heart rate, that minutei of detail for every ride. Don't get me wrong, this is what we thrive off as athletes; seeing those structured sessions and discipline pay off, riding a structured session when everyone else is off for a cafe ride... I've ridden to and from work on a number of occasions, where my diary has allowed, had a couple of longer weekend rides but nothing to write home about. I've been up and out of the door in the dark and cold at 05:30an in order to ride to work and/or squeeze some miles into a busy day so clearly my motivation to ride is just as strong as ever, I've just not honed in on my goals for next year... yet!






I've decided that when the time is right,  I'll think seriously about next season, after all there is plenty of unfinished business where those stripes are concerned, but in the meantime I'm just riding for enjoyment. A tempo session this morning certainly served to remind me that it doesn't take long to de-train but equally that riding 'hard' (yep, I have to admit that tempo felt a little like sweetspot at times) is enjoyable. Perhaps I am addicted to that structure and pushing myself to be the best I can be after all. 


We are only human, with our own barometer for coping, when we've pushed it to the absolute limit it is going to take longer to return to 'business as usual'. So don't feel pressured to be going full gas in the relentless pursuit of 2018 goals already; use your down-time wisely as it's impossible to be on top of your game 365 days a year... Taking time to reflect and really dial in your goals will be far more effective than racing (no pun intended) headlong into an ill thought out plan that you then feel tied to. 

Thursday 12 October 2017

Season Round-up

'Podium Perfection' according to the local newspaper!

Another racing year done and dusted; it's been brilliant but I'm glad of the opportunity to take a break and reflect. In the early part of the year I couldn't get my immune system to the point where I was going more than two weeks without having a cold or some sort of virus to string any training together. The combination of this, along with a stressful house-move right before Christmas, culminated in me throwing my toys out of the pram and saying 'that's it, I'm going to sell the bikes...' A statement that I've been reminded of several times throughout the year!! Clearly my love for the process was greater than the short period of adversity I was experiencing at the time. I really am a believer that setbacks make you stronger and in this case they certainly did. I found myself appreciating when training started to go well and didn't take hitting the power numbers or a weekly mileage goal for granted. The smaller, more incidental parts of training suddenly had a greater focus. I put the end goal to one side and focussed on nailing the training (the process that was going to get me there) - clearly this is something that I should have been doing all along!


Express & Star article, October 2017


Despite being full of cold and feeling under the weather, The Tour of Ayrshire marked a turning point for me. It was my first win in a UCI qualifying event which got the season off to a fantastic start. However, for me, I had executed my race plan to the letter (control the power for the first half, knowing I was feeling unwell and then try to ramp up the second half) and kept the belief that I could actually do this. Not once did my mind wander - for those of you who know me well, I can be easily distracted, especially in a Time Trial when the going gets tough!


UCI World Amateur Championships silver - proudest moment of the year
The Di2 battery played it's little part in ensuring that my ability to deal with adversity hadn't switched off. Not content with spontaneously discharging (on more than one occasion), we then had the 'make a bid for freedom' and leap clearly off the frame incident! If I get the choice I'd rather not repeat the episode of getting off and running up the hill that is too steep to grind up when the only gear that I have is my biggest. However, all of these 'moments' have enabled me to prove to myself that digging in when I absolutely need to isn't a problem. Of course they were all frustrating, especially when you can see what you know started out as a great ride slowly starting to fall apart with every pedal stroke. However, you appreciate the next race or training ride when you do have a full range of gears all the more.


Fifteen races later and I managed to land a podium position in all of them (seven wins, four seconds and four thirds). Contrary to popular belief this wasn't because I targeted races where I thought I would do well, rather I selected a variety of courses that would be good preparation for the UCI Worlds. Fifteen races is far fewer than I did last year, again this was to enable me to keep putting in big blocks of training rather than get caught in the perpetual cycle of tapering and racing because 'every race is important'. Ultimately I saw my fitness tumble last year as I raced more and more. This isn't such an issue in road racing where the distances are longer, or perhaps in Time trialling where you're riding a variety of distances - as long as you can recover from those race efforts.


Thanks to Photographybysimon.com for capturing some great memories
Key results from this year:


Silver AG medal: World Amateur TT Championships, France
2017 Women's National TT Champion, TLI Cycling
Series Title: DB Max/Kinetic One Castle Combe Closed Circuit Champs (CR in events 2,3&5)
Win: Tour of Ayrshire Chrono, UCI GF Series Qualifier 2017
2nd: Tour of Cambridgeshire Chrono, UCI GF Series Qualifier 2017
2nd: Chrono Tre Valli Varesine (Italy), UCI GF Series Qualifier 2018
Win: Midland Women's TT Series (4 events)
Win: Charlie Grieg Memorial 10TT




Whilst I might pedal the bike, some days better than others, the support network I am lucky enough to have around me is nothing short of fabulous. Swinnerton Cycles, Revolver Wheels, Pro Vision Clothing, TORQ Fitness, NoPinz, and not forgetting the sponsors that have supported the race team this year - BlackMamba Gloves, GJC Furniture & Tanita Europe. Paul of Empowered Performance has done a stirling job with my coaching and managed to achieve almost the perfect race preparation for me - not an easy task!  It has all come together to provide a great platform to build on for 2018 and beyond.


I'm really grateful to everyone for their support, patience and interest - let's get the 2018 show ready for the road!








Monday 2 October 2017

Performance...

... Responsibilities and key indicators

Given it's nearing the end of the road season for many, it seems a reasonable time to consider reflecting back on the season in general terms.

Did you achieve the goals that you set out at the beginning of the year? How did training and racing pan out for you? Perhaps you exceeded your own expectations or just coped really well when faced with adversity. Either way, there is undoubtedly plenty to reflect on with lessons that can be learned for next year and successes carried forward as solid foundations to build on.

A recent article written about triathlon made me think of cycling similarities and no doubt there are cross-overs to others sports as well. It discussed Appearance vs. Performance and the fact that many triathletes would appear to be more focussed on their appearance than their performance and in so doing are obsessed with their body and their weight and therefore with nutrition. You might say that many sportspeople fit into this category; many of us are obsessed about something!


A useful fact to remember!
This article and a recent Power feature in Cycling Monthly raises the pertinent topic of Performance and Performance Goals; just what is our focus and how easily do we get carried away?! The ultimate question might therefore be are we being as efficient as we can be with what we have available?

That same article in Cycling Monthly had some staggering statistics in terms of power meters. Bryan Taylor, president of Power Meter brand Verve Cycling, had shared some data that he had collated from those taking part in the Haute Route (marketed as one of the toughest cyclo-sportives in the world).


  • Less than 50% of those riding were coached
  • However, more than 50% of the riders had a power meter
  • Less than half of those with a power meter had done an FTP test and some didn't know what FTP was

Perhaps of most surprise was the revelation that some hadn't done anything with the data generated from their power meter - it was merely used as a 'live feed', they had never uploaded it to study in more detail. Although power meters are becoming far more affordable, they are still an expensive accessory for the sole use of glancing at an occasional live number.

If riding with power helps to pace a ride in real time then you might say that there is nothing wrong with that... However, arguably to understand using power for pacing, this would be best preceded by an FTP test and at least some data tracking. There is far more to riding with power than just fixing a power meter to your bike! Perhaps this is one of the biggest areas where performance gains can be made - really understanding your power numbers and what they mean. Whether you are coached or self-coached there is individual responsibility to delve into those numbers and read around the subject.

Bryan makes a very valid point that "averages are not good enough for anything in life and certainly not for measuring your power".

In time trialling it is probably the opposite; it can be very easy to get hung up on the power numbers and data analysis and we often need to remind ourselves that it's good to ride on feel sometimes. It's important to have some balance amongst all the numbers and structure and schedule some sessions where the main objective isn't to be fixated on the power numbers displaying on your handlebars!

If you have made the investment in the technology, whether that is power, a training package etc. then don't forget that it will only ever be as a good as it's operator/user. You need to know why you are using it, what you are looking for and how to integrate this into your training programme. Otherwise employing the services of a good, understanding coach who is prepared to help you get to grips with the basics is essential.


Measure, Don't Guess
The concept of performance goals and ultimately performance is often driven by spending money. People will part with lots of hard earned cash to shave a few grams off their bike, or buy yet another wheel or wheel combination because it's faster than what they already have. Often with some application and determination far greater rewards can be reaped by honing in on the basics - sleep, appropriate fuel for the training you're doing, good hydration and intelligent training.

By intelligent training I mean not blindly following a programme because you've paid for it but listening to your body, looking at your data and mapping progress or lack of against both your wider goals and what you are doing to get there. Question yourself or your coach if things aren't going as you had envisaged, don't be an idle passenger in the journey towards your own goals. We spend far more time in the process than what we are working towards, if the process isn't right (or enjoyable), then it is unlikely that the outcome will be either.

So, are you firmly in the driving seat? Pen and paper, iPad or any other device at the ready to capture your thoughts and reflections? Great! Perhaps make some notes, in two columns:


  • Things that went well
  • Things that didn't go so well


You may then find you can further subdivide this list:


  • Things that I can solve
  • Things that I need some assistance with

Or even:


  • Performance I can purchase with money
  • Performance that I need to create from within myself

You can probably attach some learning points to these or reinforce what clearly worked for you for future use.

What can YOU improve upon and what do you WANT or NEED help with? These might be subtly different in that you might WANT to improve upon your position but should this be a priority and in order to ride a more aerodynamic position, do you NEED better flexibility or core strength first? You may be better served by spending time on your body rather than money on equipment. It is very easy to get carried away with all the bells and whistles!

Would you be better working on the basics, such as quality structured training to improve your power and eating the right foods to reduce your weight before starting to look for those marginal gains. A good analogy is baking a cake. Do you really need to worry about the icing on the top if you don't have any eggs in the mixing bowl?

Map these areas for improvement against your next season goals and you should be on the way to working out what is realistic... Look to nail the basics in world class fashion!





Wednesday 6 September 2017

Championnats du Monde Part II

The day of reckoning...

... The moment of truth to eclipse all others; race day at the Worlds! It was set to be another baking hot day in Albi so I was really glad that the women's field were off first. It wasn't cool but it certainly wasn't the high 30's that would be reached by lunchtime to mid-afternoon. I didn't envy my male counterparts who would have to contend with that too.

Each country had been allocated a trackside garage to warm-up in, so having arrived early it was a case of claim the spot most likely to be in the shade for the next couple of hours. In some respects it was just like any other race with familiar faces passing by, except a lot of those faces were from friends made the other side of the world or back in Denmark in 2015. Amanda & Andrew had flown in from Perth to race for Australia, Lori from NZ, Emily from Canada (it was a treat to catch up with Emily for longer as we were sharing the gite) and many other UK friends - some we see on a regular basis, whilst others ride a totally different race circuit all year.

Trackside garages for each Country
I have my own little warm-up routine which I stuck to, albeit we had decided to tweak it somewhat to account for the heat. I prefer to set up somewhere quiet, away from potential distraction and try and find that flow state nice and early on. The shortened routine was over in a flash and it was time to head down to the start for another bike check. The UCI Commissaires were waiting with their jigs, thankfully it was as straightforward as it had been the previous day; Percy got the thumbs up! They were also checking for motors using an iPad - fortunately (or unfortunately!) none such assistance detected on Percy! All that remained was to stand in the queue for the start ramp and try to keep cool...

5 second countdown...
Eventually it was my turn to hit the ramp and head out onto the Circuit d'Albi. The road surface where the track joined the main road was particularly rough for the first mile or so but I'd picked what I thought would be the best line during my recon. This clearly hadn't factored in the fact that going over the speed bump at full throttle would literally throw me out of the saddle though! Thankfully no damage done and rhythm was gathered once more. The first part of the course was fairly straightforward, a couple of turns but nothing requiring much attention. One of the Moto Commissaires came alongside me around mile 3 - 4 and appeared to be having a good study - I was on my own, pedalling hard, so I just carried on doing just that! I had sight of my '30 second woman' and knew it was just a case of biding my time and ensuring that I was ready to overtake in an appropriate place (bearing in mind the UCI rules of not coming within 25m of a following rider and overtaking with a 2m wide gap). That place was the small climb at roughly halfway. I'd ridden this three times, had studied the GPX file with Paul countless times and felt quite familiar with how best to ride this section.

With the rider in front of me dispatched as soon as we made the turn onto the hill I was able to press on. I then had sight of one of the Australian riders in front of me, she was my 'minute woman'. The hill appeared to have taken some of her energy so I wasted no time in passing her hoping that would give me a clear run towards the descent into Rouffiac. It had indeed and the perfect situation had arisen - a totally clear run down the hill and into the 90 degree left hand turn at the bottom. It was between the top of the climb and the descent that there was a time check. If times were displayed on the roadside I hadn't noticed but I later learnt that the commentary was going mad back at the Circuit as I had gone through the first half in the new fastest time. However, the commentary wasn't translated into English so Paul was hearing my name a lot but wasn't certain whether I'd crashed or was in the lead!!

Circuit D'Albi

In terms of sighting other competitors it was a lonely ride in the second half of the course, with just a runner or two out, one of which was a little ill positioned on my line for the sharp off camber right hander. I'm not sure what was most disconcerting, him being in the way or the ambulance parked ready to rescue any casualties of said turn! With this last technical section negotiated it was full gas towards the finish. Except I was beginning to fatigue. Pushing harder and harder on the pedals and feeling that I was going nowhere fast. I knew I just had to dig in, reminding myself that of course being at the sharp end was going to hurt but if, if I could make that podium it would all be worthwhile. I had pins and needles in my right arm from the infamous pot-hole incident and they were worsening, so much so I rode the final roundabout like a total novice and cursed myself in the process.

The headwind on the final road section and into the circuit really wasn't welcome but there was only two or three more minutes to endure, maybe less if I could muster some more power from somewhere. Eventually the final chicane was in sight, rounded and the finishing straight being attacked with what little I had left. The finish marshal tried to take my bike off me but I hadn't the energy to stand up. I just about made the conveniently positioned chair and Esther, who I had met at the qualifiers earlier in the year was kind enough to tip some water over me! Paul followed five minutes later with the news that I was in the lead... I couldn't believe it! I knew I couldn't get too excited as there were some strong riders to come, the last of which was the defending World Champion from Sweden. She'd had a commanding ride in Perth and I expected nothing less a year later.

When silver feels as good as Gold! 
Yep, she'd successfully defended her title. However, I knew that I'd given that course the best I had to give on that day, so I was absolutely thrilled to have come away with a Silver medal, especially as less than a week before I was having serious doubts as to whether my back/neck would actually be up to riding.

It looks like I'm the most pleased with that result... 
The culmination of many months of hard work, perseverance & determination
With many happy memories of Albi that was another World Champs over. In some ways it's a strange feeling; so many months focused on this one goal and it's over so quickly - clearly not as quickly as I'd have liked it to be, otherwise there might have been a gold medal! However, that does leave one nice big goal out there for another year...!

Making memories on the Circuit D'Albi


Tuesday 15 August 2017

Championnats du Monde Part I

Dealing with adversity prior to the gran depart for Albi, Midi-Pyrenees






You know that feeling when you've been preparing for something for so long and then all of a sudden it's crept up on you... Yep, that is just how I felt in the final run up to the World Amateur/Masters Championships! Just to keep me on my toes that little bit more I had an altercation with a pot hole the weekend before we were due to leave. Although initially thinking I'd come away unscathed within half an hour it transpired that I'd evidently 'upset something' in my upper back/neck. I struggled to complete the remainder of the ride home, even with Paul pushing me up the hills! I have to confess that my immediate thoughts weren't all that positive and went along the lines of why now, I can't not be at my best for the Championships! However, such negative thinking was not going to make anything better - some rest, ice and an emergency appointment at The Lilleshall Clinic were all much more positive approaches!


Fast forward a few days... I was still struggling and in quite a lot of pain, hadn't been able to ride my bike but had secured an appointment with Gill at Lilleshall. I'm not entirely sure she was aware of the weight of expectation placed on her shoulders as I walked in! Thankfully after much crunching & even more discomfort it looked like any damage was purely musculoskeletal and would hopefully be overcome with continued rest and stretching. I hadn't lost hope yet I just had to keep a positive mindset, be patient and not dwell on the fact that the final week of training had slipped away. All the hard work had been done; I couldn't add to my fitness now but I could easily throw it all away by trying to train whilst injured.


Firstly, thanks to NoPinz for designing a fabulous skinsuit designed specially for the team heading to Albi. I'm particularly proud to say that I've been fortunate enough to receive some support from, GymGearBlack Mamba Gloves and Pro Vision Clothing, as well as the unwavering and constant support from Swinnerton Cycles throughout the year - if it wasn't for their goodwill, patience and expertise, there would have been more than one situation this year where I wouldn't have been able to race. Discharging Di2 batteries, a punctured tub two days before a major race, chain ring swapping... you name it it's never any trouble and thank you doesn't come close. Alan and Jenny Matthews of Fortress Distribution/Black Mamba Gloves & Richard Lambert of GymGear thank you for believing in me enough to sponsor my race kit, it really is much appreciated. Steve, Ben and Jason at ProVision thank you for the fabulous off the bike kit - it turned a few heads!

Kit Sponsors GymGear & BlackMambaGloves

Harry from Revolver Wheels kindly added a special touch to my Asymm Disc and 60 front for the occasion and both have shiny new tubs on (hopefully this will help to prevent any punctures on the day, fingers and toes crossed).

Spot the GBR decals from Harry
Accommodation was booked a while ago; a lovely gite in the Florentin countryside about 10km outside of Albi shared with some friends also travelling from the UK and a Canadian friend who I met at the Championships in Australia last year (who also happens to be defending World Champion)! This was our bolt hole, training hub and place of quiet contemplation for ten days; it was far enough out of the hub of Albi but close enough to easily recce the course and attend the rider briefings etc. You'd think there weren't any supermarkets within a 100 mile radius given the pre-emptive shopping that I'd done, however I think it's important to try and keep as similar a diet as I would back home, until after racing has finished at least. Clair - you did brilliantly in finding this place!
Welcome gifts from Francois at the gite

Having eventually arrived and settled in to the stunning gite in Florentin attention turned to getting our bearings, finding race HQ, the course and all the other important race related tasks.

Circuit D'Albi taken over by the UCI
Permanence was set up in the expo centre at the famous Circuit D'Albi race track, which was a hive of activity three days prior to the Championships starting - testament to not just the size of the event but all the work, by volunteers, which goes on behind the scenes. The TT course was already signed, so this made an initial recon easier, although we were grateful of the GPX file as a key directional sign was missing!


Initial thoughts on the course were positive - it was a reflection of what the UCI have presented at the last two World Championships - a challenging course but with something for everyone. By this I mean it wasn't a straight power course or a climbers paradise! It had technical elements; a short climb, a nice descent with a 90 degree left at the bottom, a tight off-camber right hand bend, some mildly undulating sections and a couple of turns with road furniture. There was plenty to keep your interest with the three technical elements to think through and the climb and associated descent - not paying close attention on these sections could easily prematurely end your race! After my first ride around I was feeling positive. The surface where we were to leave the circuit and join the main road wasn't the best but given this would be the same experience for everyone it would be about picking the best line.


After a couple of recon rides, on both the road and TT bike, it was time to take advantage of an early opportunity to have my UCI legal set up checked. This is always a nerve-wracking moment, even when I know that 'Percy' is 100% UCI legal and nothing has been altered since he was checked at the Worlds last year...


UCI Commissaires reporting they are happy with my set up (still on training wheels here)
There were plenty of people who were having to make fairly major adjustments. This always comes as a surprise as it is the one thing that you can check many months in advance in preparation. Indeed in our case it is check, check and check again! The relief when the Commissaires both indicated that they were happy was tangible, not only had Percy passed, I had 19mm clearance at the front (mostly to prevent any discrepancy between our measuring and their jig).


Now the focus was on race day...




















Monday 14 August 2017

Breaking records...

... and puncturing tubs at Castle Combe

Between April and August the contest for the best race series has to go to the DB Max/Kinetic one TT series at Castle Combe Circuit in Wiltshire. It has everything you look for in an event - excellent chip timing, friendly organisers which in turn creates a great atmosphere, a beautiful racing surface and this year some largely brilliant weather! Given this was my second year riding the series it was also nice to see the friends I'd made last year, as the series is generally the furthest south I travel to race on a regular basis, it's mostly the only time I see this group of racing friends. 

The 5 race series starts in April and this was to be my first outing of the year. There is always plenty of nerves associated with that first race - how has the winter training really gone, have I forgotten how to pace myself, how much will it hurt...? You get the picture! All of those emotions seem a long time ago now, although as the tempo increases towards the business end of the season the pacing question comes to the forefront once more - to what extent and how early can I actually put the hammer down and hold it?!

Round 1 in April unfortunately became a DNS as this was the start of my Di2 woes. I arrived at the circuit to find that my battery had discharged itself. This threw me into all kinds of disarray given it was totally unexpected (and I like to plan to the nth degree). I went to ride my usual recce laps in the one gear that I had (mid cassette, big ring) which was ok for riding relatively easy but I knew I would be spinning out for much of the downhill/tailwind and grinding on the other sections. The warm up wasn't going to be easy either as I could hardly keep jumping on and off the turbo to alter the resistance accordingly! Thus, regrettably I decided to withdraw and drive home. This turned out to be a fine weather night and my course record (CR) was broken - just to add insult to injury.

Nice little set up by the track
Round 2 fell a few days after Round 2 of the Midlands Women's series (A10/19), where despite trying to shake off the cold that I'd caught in Ayr I'd had what is still my best '10' of the season. Sometimes a couple of races in close succession work well for me and other times they don't! Thankfully this was one of the former occasions and in producing my best 10 minutes of power, I took the win and reclaimed my course record, shaving a substantial 17 seconds off it. 

Powering towards the chicane
Round 3 fell in mid June and followed a few days after my win at the Charlie Grieg Memorial 10TT. It was a beautifully sunny evening and the wind was set to drop so I was hopeful that I might be able to make a further dent in my CR. June is generally a busy month of racing with the Janet Kelly Memorial, ToC, and Charlie Grieg Memorial all within the same three week period. With my focus purely on putting out even power laps it was mission accomplished as I dipped under 23 minutes for the first time on this circuit to take the CR down to 22:53. This was accompanied by a new peak heart rate as well as a 20 minute power pb! I have to admit that I was really pleased with this ride amidst so much racing, where inevitably training suffers.

Fish aren't the only things that come battered - my legs were here!
Round 4 in July came off the back of a three week training block (I was due to race on V718 in Yorkshire the week before but it was cancelled due to roadworks). My mission was a hat trick of CR's as I had designs on a mid 22 by the end of the series. Unfortunately the weather conditions weren't quite as favourable as they had been but more unfortunately there was quite a lot of debris on the track and I managed to puncture the tub on my disc on lap 3. By lap 5 it was pancake flat! I just slipped back over the 23 minute mark, had I not punctured I think it would have been close for another CR! However, I still banked a 10 minute power pb and the win so it was a good workout. Not forgetting the enjoyment factor - there is something about riding as fast as you can around that circuit, it flows really well, even when there is a huge head/cross wind hitting you as you leave the first chicane.

Paul came as well, finishing 1st road bike
August seems to have come around far too quickly and marks Round 5, the last of the 2017 series. This is really quite a depressing thought as to me the end of the Castle Combe races is synonymous with the end of Summer! This event also doubled up as the South West Team Championships, which was more for fun than a serious event on the calendar as composite teams were eligible. A few of us 'regulars' entered as a team with Caitlin, Jon, Ben and myself teaming up as 'Rule #5' (see the Velominati Rules). Ben had an absolutely storming ride to take the individual men's win in 19:51, Caitlin won the junior women's category and I broke my CR once again - only for Rachael Elliot (Drag2Zero) to come along and lower it further for the win! Jon, however had a terrible attack of cramp and had to pull up. Sometimes bike racing just doesn't go to plan!

Jon looking happier after R4 where he'd won V40
Despite having to withdraw from Round 1, three wins from rounds 2 - 4 and a strong 2nd place in the final round meant that I had secured the win for the women in the 2017 series and had come so close to being undefeated for a second year running. Rachael has certainly set a target for the CR in 2018!

Focused on the job in hand
Thanks to DB Max, and Rich Lewton Photography for an excellent series and brilliant action shots. 

Friday 11 August 2017

TLI Cycling National Championships... grit & determination

The Chronicles of a Di2 battery cont'd

The trials and tribulations of the randomly discharging Di2 battery had all but been forgotten. I have a spare battery and the battery is now religiously charged the night before a race, not stored on 'Percy' any more and generally treated with much caution and suspicion! This seems to have worked well given there hasn't been any further problems to date... Cue the fact that they might be about to rear their ugly head again at some point soon.


Anyway, the TLI Cycling National TT Championships - a date that has been on my racing calendar since their announcement earlier on in the year and one of my A races. They have a tendency to clash with the RTTC National 25 Championships, which I rode in preference last year. On reflection I did this because I felt that I should! Cycling Time Trials is the TT governing body and their 10, 25 & 50 Nationals are classed as the blue ribbon events - if you want to get noticed you need to be on the podium there! Thus I conformed to the norm and duly rode the National 25 last year (see blog post). I didn't have any team obligations to do this and even though I had a good ride (on a baking hot day with traffic and roundabouts aplenty), I later regretted not doing what I perhaps really wanted to do. Does that make sense?!


The locals!


Thus this year there was no question, a trip to the New Forest was on the cards and I really wanted the opportunity to try and win the National stripes. The start times were early on Sunday morning, so an overnight stay was in order to save getting up at 04:00 and hoping that traffic was clear on the route. We found a lovely B&B right by Race HQ which couldn't have been better. Arriving nice and early on Saturday morning, I was able to have a pre-race spin around the course, identify any hazards, familiarise myself with the best line and gauge my gears (the irony of this will become apparent)! Having satisfied myself with this we had a quiet afternoon, firstly at The Lavender Farm just down the road - the gardens were spectacular, then having a little mooch around Lyndhurst.


Beautiful location for quiet contemplation


After a great night's sleep (which is always a bonus somewhere strange) and a lovely breakfast, it was time to warm up. Vanessa has kindly allowed us to set the turbo up in the garden, so it was lovely and peaceful, away from the hubbub. I like to just get my head down and follow my structured routine without the distraction of everyone else around me, so this was perfect! My legs have been notoriously sore this year and on many occasions haven't felt great in the warm-up at all. I was hesitating to think that they actually felt good, wow, could we actually have nailed the preparation for an A race perfectly...? I didn't dare dwell on this, I was just pleased that they weren't a distraction.


Great warm up setting


I headed off to the start, armed and ready for what I knew was going to be a tough course. The cattle grid shortly after the start was the first obstacle to tick off on my invisible list and then appeared to go as smoothly as it could, or so I thought. I quickly got down to business as I knew that the first little technical section could easily be where the race was won or lost. It rode much better on Percy, at speed than I thought it would and I was through before I'd had time to think about it. Onto the grippy section where it was gently climbing, rolling, climbing a bit more steeply before a nice sweeping downhill around a left hand bend. I carried lots more speed down here than I had envisaged so quickly had to readjust my weight to ensure I stayed on the inside of the white lines! So far so good until click, click, CLICK... No, nothing! Quick, try the other shifter... click, click, more frantic pressing... NOTHING!


My first thought was that the battery must have discharged. Unlikely but not impossible given its history. Clearly there wasn't anything I could do about this so it was head down and pedal hard time! Unfortunately I was in the big ride in my 11 sprocket, my biggest gear, so no easy pedalling here. I tried to harness my frustration and disappointment into pedalling hard whilst intermittently pressing the buttons in the hope that my gears would start working again just as quickly as they had stopped! Encircling the roundabout to head back towards the start the realisation that the descent I had just tried to capitalise on needed to be climbed, this wasn't going to be easy. I decided to get off before the road went up to see if I had a loose connection - any time lost doing this would be gained three fold if I could make my gears work! To my surprise the battery had completely disappeared and the mount was loose on the frame. Clearly I was in for a tough final 7 miles of the course and the sooner I got this underway the sooner it would be over.


One of the many quotes at The Lavender Farm that resonated


It was like a race of attrition in terms of cadence, 50, 40, 30... somehow I just had to keep the pedals turning. I was on the base bars, out of the saddle doing my best to keep moving. I caught the rider in front but knew as soon as the road went up again he'd come past. I had half an eye on my power meter knowing that with the shear effort to turn the pedals I was emptying my legs and not so much my lungs. I passed the start and knew that I had to give the following downhill section everything I had before the left hand turn and return section into a block headwind. Again my cadence was down in the 50's and after the second left hand turn 40's. I was battling into a headwind on uneven tarmac, wrestling with the base bars to try and keep any respectable motion going. As if this wasn't taxing enough the short, steep hill just before the finish was looming, not just literally but also like a big black cloud in my head as I realised I wouldn't make it up in the only gear I had. The road kicked up half a mile before the hill and I knew I was slowing already. The only thing for it was to keep the pedals turning for as long as I possibly could and then get off and run... Yes, seriously, it was this or give up right there on the side of the road! I don't quit so running it was. I think the spectators must have thought I was mad, after all with a full range of gears it would have been no trouble at all! No time to dwell on their opinions though, I had a race to salvage!


Getting back on as fast as I could and desperately trying to get moving again I dug for one final effort, 500m to the finish line. Almost as soon as I had crossed it the adrenaline disappeared and the realisation that of all the days for this to happen it would be my A race. The day I had worked so hard for, tapered for, even felt ready for and it had all gone, just like that in what I can only assume was the vibration of the cattle grids. The disappointment was palpable, I'd let myself down, Paul down and most of all I'd wasted all that form that I'd worked so hard to build. However, I had finished and in so doing had given it my absolute best, I'd dug deep and deeper again.


I could therefore not contain my surprise to see that I had actually, somehow, done enough to still secure the Ladies Championship. Wow, nightmare to fairy tale in 5 minutes.


Fairy tale ending
Thank you Glenn and your merry band of helpers for organising a great event, you even managed to secure the sunshine in between a couple of very showery days!







Sunday 6 August 2017

National Emergency Services Championships

The battle between the blue lights for the TT stripes!

Every year there is a National Championships for those working within the Emergency Services (either current career or retired) over 10 and 25 miles as well as a road race. Both are pretty hotly contested as it is often the same faces you see battling it out for Police, Fire or Ambulance as it is at the RTTC Championships in their club colours.


This year it was a long trip north to Ponteland after the relatively locally hosted Championships by Leicestershire FRS in 2016. Given the event fell amongst a busy period of racing I opted just to ride the 10TT as I had been racing down at Castle Combe on the Wednesday evening, just three days earlier (the 10TT is held on the Saturday afternoon and the 25TT on Sunday morning). Yes, it was a long way to go to ride 10 miles but it was important to me to represent the Fire Service as often we are under represented compared to our Police colleagues. I'm also keeping my eye on my main season goals this year, which are the TLI Cycling National TT and the World Amateur TT - both in August. Thus I stuck with the plan despite later thinking that I should have stayed and ridden the 25 on Sunday - whilst hindsight is a wonderful thing I know that it would have come back to bite me having already learned the lesson that too many races in a short period of time doesn't work well for me!


Ponteland appeared to be a really pretty little town with a couple of nice looking pubs, plenty of flowers and a decent sized leisure centre (with a lovely cricket field) which was our race HQ. The course was certainly rolling; one of those where it was difficult to find a rhythm and the surface wasn't the best but I've certainly ridden far worse this year! There were very few females in the field, which was a shame, so we were dotted throughout the men's field - this always makes attempting to catch your minute man interesting, if nigh on impossible! Having said that I had a junior in front of me, as the event also doubled up as a GS Metro Open 10, and I did manage the catch and the overtake by mile 3. However, I was also caught by my minute man by mile 4!


Not feeling particularly aero!
As seems to be a common occurrence since I started racing, my main competition was Liz Powell who rides for Mike Vaughn Cycles but on this occasion was riding for the Police. Liz has been National Emergency Services Champion for the past two years and was clear favourite to successfully defend this title for a third year running. Despite giving it everything I'd got the best I had on the day was good enough for silver, some 20 seconds adrift of Liz. However, I was some 2 minutes clear of Lisa representing Essex Police in bronze medal position.


Lovely glass trophy - Runner up 10TT
I do think that I am a rider that benefits from course familiarity. Riding a course in preparation for a race isn't always possible but you do get a better fell for it than just by driving around it. I would certainly take a different approach to this particular course if presented with the opportunity of racing on it again. Having said that weather conditions and traffic often alter your approach and race plan at the last minute so much to my disappoint it's not always possible to plan to the nth degree!


Our trip north also presented the opportunity to finally meet Harry Walker aka the man behind my wheels 'Mr. Revolver'! Harry lives locally and kindly came along to support. There will be more about Harry coming up in a future post so stay tuned...


Harry of Revolver Wheels

Friday 4 August 2017

A flexible approach to training...

...Rucksack intervals at dawn!

Balancing full-time work with serious training is a little like a constant lesson in juggling different balls - each one is important in its own way, some you can take risks with whilst others are more fragile and need to be treated with greater respect. For the majority of us the competing priority of work will always win; ultimately that's what pays the bills! I've historically been a 'lazy exerciser' a term I came across earlier this year describing those of us who will think nothing of going out for a four hour training ride but won't ride 15 minutes to work. Does that ring any bells with anyone?! Moving further away from work has opened up, in my mind, the option of riding to work and it feeling worthwhile. The most straightforward route is approximately 48km and a variety of extended routes can make it anything up to 65km each way, so worth the effort! Being a morning person and appreciating the quiet roads and wildlife that is often still abundant at dawn its a great way to start the day, even if that isn't my initial reaction at the annoying sound that turns out to be the 04:45 alarm! Yes, I can confirm that there are two 4 o'clocks in one day!!



Sunrise - just one of the benefits of getting up so early!
I started out by including an easy fasted ride to work once a week just to spin the legs and wake up the metabolism; encouraging fat burning efficiency has to be a good thing, right? It's a good thing until you realise that whilst you might be accustomed to a fasted 60 minutes, going a little further is a bit of a shock to the system! Thankfully we have a very accommodating chef at work and I have been rescued with a prompt bowl of porridge on several occasions. In fact I think Steve is an emergency service within an emergency service!


On the mornings where I had a structured, quality session to do I had been getting up equally early, having something light to eat, to fuel the session, and then running around like a mad hatter trying not to be late for work. It eventually dawned on me that given I much prefer to do these structured sessions on the road than the turbo that perhaps I could trial using my commute in a more constructive way. Having taken some extra work clothes and supplies in ahead of my experiment, I was left with a smaller rucksack - quality power sessions are hard enough without any assistance from unwieldy luggage! It was great! I was travelling faster so arrived at work quicker and with the satisfaction that I've done my hard session for the day and with the bonus of not having been caught in any traffic. Unfortunately I am not office based everyday and frequently need my car but I can clearly see the financial benefits of being able to actively commute even some of a journey on a regular basis would soon add up. Equally arriving at my desk as awake and ready to attack the day as humanly possible is also a bonus.



The way home has sometimes been an excuse for a sneaky refuel at The Artisan!
The benefits are equal at the end of the day as well, it's been a really nice way to unwind and leave any stresses of the day behind. On a few occasions I've not been convinced about my ability to actually make it home without pedaling squares but I think that's been mostly in my head - a hard session and a sedentary day are a great recipe for DOMS! I have often stopped off at 'The Artisan' in Eccleshall which has been a great excuse to refuel for a longer ride home and an opportunity to catch up with owners and friends David & Wendy briefly. Being social is often one of the balls that gets overlooked (friends and family often have to work around my racing schedule) so the importance of doing this when the opportunity arises is appreciated.


Balancing structure with free-rides opens your eyes to the surrounding countryside

I'm sure I'm not alone in finding it difficult to keep the respective priorities in balance. One of the things I hear most frequently at work is 'I don't have time (for exercise)'. A statement which is all too often proffered as an excuse for a regime being more miss than hit. I find turning this around and replying 'so exercise isn't important to you...' a useful catalyst for focusing the mind on what actually is important. Although I might be extremely disciplined in terms of fitting structured training into not just my day but my week, this is often at the expense of other vital ingredients, namely sleep. It goes without saying that in order to sustain such an early start to the day it needs to be accompanied by an equally early night. Waking up earlier and earlier without replenishing those hours is something I'm still working on - ideas on the back of a post card would be gratefully received! Equally it's not easy to strike a balance with all the other demands on leisure time - a rest day is a day off the bike but it is still likely to include mowing the lawn, working on the house, digging the garden etc. Our garden is a work in progress and attempting to create some structure to what will eventually become flower beds is great for mental relaxation but my hamstrings are not so enthused!

















Tuesday 1 August 2017

The Ovo Energy Women's Tour is in town!

When you're based in the cycling mecca that is Staffordshire and near Stoke on Trent in particular it is easy to get complacent where pro cycling is concerned. We definitely seem to host our fair share of both high profile and high octane racing; having hosted a round of the Tour Series for a number of years and have had either or both The Women's Tour and The Tour of Britain pass through every year in the four years I've been here.



This year saw Stage 2 start and finish in Stoke, which was a real bonus. To add to this already exciting stage I was fortunate to be spending it in the car with Bo Handberg Madsen, DS of the Danish Team VeloCONCEPT Women and Brian Hogild, Mechanic. I love being able to get in the thick of the action, living and breathing the race moves with the team! That may sound a daft thing to say given the convoy is often some way back from the race but with the benefit of race radio, constant updates and communication between the riders and the DS it is actually pretty exciting. Stage 2 was perhaps set to be even more interesting following the unbelievable victory from a 50km solo attack by Polish rider Kasia Niewiadoma of WM3 Pro Cycling, who by all accounts had even surprised herself! Not only did she win the stage but also took the accolade of having created the first breakaway to stay away in the history of The Women's Tour. Unsurprisingly she had created a lot of media attention, although having had a string of excellent results throughout the Spring (plenty of strong 2nd and 3rd places), she was clearly coming into The Tour in very good form. With a teammate of the calibre of Marianne Vos no doubt she had been well prepared on what to expect.

Kasia Niewiadoma giving her account on her solo victory
The VeloCONCEPT women were somewhat depleted following crashes the day before, which had put out Doris Schweizer and Camilla Mollebro Pedersen with concussion, leaving Shani Bloch-Davidov, Christina Siggaard (who was 6th on GC) and Sara Penton to fight for team honours. Clearly she'd rather have been racing but it was lovely to chat to Doris about life on the team, her year to date, achievements and aspirations. Thanks for taking the time to answer my daft questions Doris!


The VeloCONCEPT mobile, race car 1
In comparison to the previous day Stage 2 was a pretty calm race. I deserted Herman who was in the second car going to the feed station about one third of the way in to the stage and was swept up by Bo in the race car. Bo quickly filled me in on what had been happening; a few attacks but nothing major! As with all good DS's Bo was excellent at communicating with the team over the radio - encouraging, motivating, passing on information, telling them when to push on and when to ease up and let others do the work. It really is a lesson in multi-tasking; not only do you need the skills of a rally driver, the co-ordination of a co-driver but also the capacity to provide insightful information on the radio as well as awareness of the riders and other race vehicles around you! I was exhausted just listening.
Bo multi-tasking - to the peloton for drinks
Stage 2 included some pretty grippy climbs, heading from Rocester to Cheadle, out to Ipstones (QoM 1) and up Gunn Hill (QoM 2) the climbing was relentless. The latter climbs served to really split the peloton apart with riders really struggling and many falling back into the race convoy. By Gunn Hill there were three groups on the road, we had riders in the second and third groups but with the first group having a sizeable lead at this stage in the day the instructions were not to drive the pace but to sit in and ride a high cadence to prepare for the following day.

Regular training roads for us
Stage 3 had some fairly significant climbs as well so the importance of conserving energy going into the middle day was at the forefront of the recovery strategy. The stage was won by Amy Pieters with Hannah Barnes in 2nd. Top placing for TVW was Sara in 39th; a great ride by all accounts considering the climbing.
Our riders were in groups 2 & 3 on the road, so we were hanging back


Another year and another Women's Tour stage come and gone. Many thanks to Bo and all the team at VeloCONCEPT women for making me feel so welcome and giving me an insight into their racing lives; it was much appreciated.


Sara & Christina (R) - new shoes definitely got christened!

















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