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...!



 





Watt's Occurring?

Powering through the cold snap!

There's nothing like a touch of proper wintry weather to focus the mind! Just a couple of weeks ago, in the run up to Christmas I was muttering that it would be nice if the weather was more festive i.e. cold and/or snowy... now I'm longing for sunnier and warmer days. However, it has snapped me out of 'base mode', where I realise I was starting to become far too comfortable (well other than my perpetually cold - and often wet - feet given the amount of rain we've had) riding around the country lanes being a dream boat for a few hours at a time.

Flooded or frozen - the most common options on the roads lately.

 

Turbo time has reared its ugly head! The laser-like focus has once again returned to the single most important data point for me as a time triallist and indeed any serious cyclist - functional threshold power (FTP). Your FTP represents the flat-out aerobic power than you can sustain for an hour. (Any sports science lab will be able to carry out a controlled FTP test for you, or otherwise, as long as you have a power meter it's 'just' a case of riding a time trial effort for 20 minutes on uninterrupted road and multiplying the average power by 0.95).

The importance of knowing your FTP? It enables the accurate setting of your training zones, from the lowest level of active recovery through to maximal sprint power. Anyway, with the 'sciency' bit out of the way, it's safe to say that the FTP has taken a bit of a dip, nay a full on nose-dive and there is plenty of work to be done! The input (heart rate) and output (power) are not quite dove-tailing together yet... in other words there are plenty of high heart rates for a relatively low power output.

Follow the blue line!

In other news, I've also plucked up the courage to take to the track at the recently built Derby Arena. I have to say this took me completely outside my comfort zone to begin with! For someone who trains solo for the majority of the time (it's difficult to do structured sessions within a group), riding a fixed wheel track bike (don't stop pedalling, ever...), sharing a banked space with other riders in close proximity and learning new skills was definitely information overload. Whilst I certainly wouldn't call myself proficient - yet, I do think that my pedalling efficiency and bike handling skills have improved and of course the constant 28 degrees inside the velodrome make it all the more attractive. Perhaps Track league will be an addition to the racing calendar at some point in the future...

And on that note, when the turbo is feeling torturous, I'll leave you with the following thought -

Whether you think you can or think you can't - you're right (Henry Ford)

Dream. Believe. Achieve.

So, you might be forgiven for thinking  that this blog is a recital of what I've been up to on the bike. Perhaps, logically that's what you might expect from something that 'purports' to give you cycling related insight, or just random musings.

You can do anything if you put your mind to it. Well ok, there are some limits there - singing and dancing are definitely out of bounds for me! I'm sure you get the gist though - if you have a burning desire to do something, you can generally figure out a way to do it.

I'm sure I'm not the only person who 'dreams big' - am I?! However, we've already established through previous posts, that I spend quite a lot of time on the bike (see the bike theme didn't stay away for long did it!) and that definitely feeds a wandering mind. For me the bike has given me the confidence to chase those dreams.

I doubt I'm alone in the 'start a new diet', 'become a better person', 'break some annoying habits', 'change your life around' stakes. Given a lot of the same bad habits and insecurities keep re-surfacing there's probably a lot of failed fresh starts every Monday and a few less failed epic fresh starts every new year. Next year will be the mega breakthrough, and given I really believe in this, there's every chance that 2016 will start with a bang!

 

Anyway, without further deviation, if you take one thing away from my ramblings - you are in charge of you... You are in charge of your performance - whether that is on your bike, at work or life in general. It's reasonable to  expect that you'll get faster, stronger, fitter year on year, so don't be afraid to focus on the process rather than the end results. Go and ride your bike, feel the wind in your hair (or your wheels), let your mind wander and believe...

 

Be passionate about your pursuit of micro-goals, dedicate your efforts not just with the following months in mind but the hours, days and weeks that will get you there. Dreaming big is great but focus too far in front and you won't see what's already around you. Try not to dream so big that it's a lifetime mission to achieve it and by the time you get there you've forgotten what you were actually chasing!

 

Until next time...