The weight of expectation

Some days I am my own worst enemy. I am sure that there are very few athletes that wouldn’t be able to relate to that. Sometimes you will set the expectation on your performance so high that the journey to the result is well below capability. These are the most frustrating days and this weekend I had one. It is one thing to be physically underdone, but to work against yourself is the toughest reality to face. The final result may not have ended up being any different, but you know that you didn’t give yourself the best opportunity to ensure that it was the best you could have done.

It is necessary to have goals and to have determination and the confidence to back yourself. It is the ability to balance these factors without creating unrealistic expectations that make a successful athlete. It is when the balance is out that weight of expectation becomes too much.

NSW Points Race Champs may not have gone my way, but I know where things went wrong and am determined to overcome that and come back to the boards flying! In the meantime, I will accept the bronze and be grateful, given how I feel I performed, that I achieved any sort of result.

ENOUGH WITH THE RAIN ALREADY!!!

But a good opportunity for a product review!

Jet Black Fluid Turbo Trainer 2010 model

Last year I told you about the JetBlack Trainer that I had. Due to a design issue and a piece being lost, which rendered it unusable, I got the 2010 HydroGel Fluid Trainer. Since it has been raining continuously on the Eastern Seaboard of Australia for the last week, I have had ample opportunity to really critique this machine (we have been in drought for the rest of the year so I haven’t really needed it!!)

In a nutshell I can tell you that this trainer is awesome! The information from the website is pretty accurate (although I can’t vouch for the numbers provided). I hope that you find my comments on the points in the product information helpful. If you have any other questions, please flick me an email and I will see if I can answer it.

(NB: This is in no way a paid assessment of the trainer, nor do I have any commercial interest in JetBlack or other sponsorship arrangement- although JetBlack if your reading this...!!)

• Fluid Trainer with HydroGel Roller

• New Roller with Special HYDROGEL Composition creating a new type of contact between your bike and the trainer

• HYDROGEL Roller for increased tire grip, giving ultimate 'on road' feel while training indoors, with no slippage at the roller

This contact is great. The feel is a little bit tacky initially and the first 5 minutes may take a little bit of grinding to get through as the viscosity of the gel improves, but once you are off and going, it runs really well.

The ‘on road’ feel is not quite there- maybe I am just used to riding on rougher roads! But the ride is pretty smooth. The claim of no slippage at the roller is true enough, providing you have the “extra cap-bit” screwed down on to the base to ensure that the screw for the roller can’t come undone as I have had happen a couple of times- not the end of the world, just means you will at first slip and then have no resistance!

• Reduces Noise By 55% and Tire Wear by 25-30% - great for indoor training at home

• Super quiet and smooth

The noise is definitely reduced compared to the 2009 model and other trainers I have used. I haven’t done any active noise measurements so can’t really say if it is 55%, but it is pretty quite. The only caveat to this is that the first 5 or so minutes can be a bit noisier as the gel warms up. Once you are into a good rhythm it is relatively silent. There is still a little bit of a hum but if you have things set properly nothing that your ipod won’t drown out!

As for tyre wear, that is pretty well reduced, again no actual measurements to verify this claim. Like all trainers there is a bit of squaring that happens over time, but if you are only on there for a short time and infrequently you may not notice it. I have a spare wheel that I use with an older tyre that I don’t use on the road. I can tell you that the wear is less than on the 2009 model that I had.

• New CNC'ed head for more efficient cooling

I am not entirely sure what this means, but the unit has stayed pretty cool and has never been notably hot to the touch when I have finished the session.

• Smooth progressive resistance - Trainer automatically adjusts resistance when you change gears or increase speed. Adjustment levers are a thing of the past!

This is really very true and is awesome. The resistance is so efficient that I rarely need to use the big chain ring and can get through a wide vairety of different sessions using just the rear cassette.

• Fluid Trainers increase pedalling performance by helping you develop a circular pedal action

The smoothness of the roller and hydrofluid is what makes this happen. As already noted the first 5 or so minutes can be a bit tough, but once things are running the rear wheel always runs smoothly. Still doesn’t mean you can be lazy with your pedalling, but makes it easier to not be in squares if the equipment is not working against you!

• Progressive resistance 5 watts to 900 watts

I no longer have an SRM but I would be really interested to see how this claim and the callibration on the box actually measure up.

• Dual retention system for solid, precise wheel alignment & stability

The unit is super stable and can handle intense short sprint efforts (although if you are a track sprinter you might be looking at something else anyway). I have never had any problems with wheel alignment, and don’t expect to with the adjustment mechanism and width of the roller.

One additional comment, make sure you pick up a riser block from your LBS when you take one of these home; I think they now come with one, but double check as you will need it.

All up I think I would say 4.25/5 for this unit. It is excellent value for money. It is stable, it is reasonably quite, once the fluid is warmed up it is smooth and the resistance is great. The only problems I have found are the initial warm-up phase (but that passes) and the roller unscrewing (but that is rectified by tightening the extra cap, which is what it is for!).

Full Steam Ahead!

Wow, we've been back for a touch over 3 weeks already! Training has been full on and I have to say I am mighty pleased with how well things have come back up!

I do enjoy this time of the year, usually! The nights are long enough to get loads of bike time after work, it is not so hot that you need fresh bidons every 30 minutes and the pollen has buggered off! Tuesday night track racing is in full swing and the boys are providing some excellent competition! Wednesday night crit racing is on and as always is a good mid-week hit out! And if it will kindly stop raining the weekends are perfect for time in the hills!

There are some important races for me coming up and it is all building well for nationals- both road (January) and track (February). And I will have some exciting news later in the week!

All I can say is bring it on!

(I know that someone has been photographing Tuesday nights, I am not sure who... stay tuned and I might find some photos!)

It's so much easier if you use your head!

Wagga Wagga Golden Wheel
13-14 November

Knowing that I was somewhat underdone and still on antibiotics, a double header racing weekend was going to a big ask. I was prepared for that mentally and as agreed with Brian, if it got too much then I would call it a day.

The story of the weekend was consistently finishing in the place just off the podium! Whilst this is frustrating, it is in no way disappointing given the state I was in. In fact, despite the lack of results, it was technically some of the best and smartest racing I have ever done! Which is more of a confidence boost than most results would have been (although the $ would have been good!)

The weather gods were kind to me on Saturday and just when I was really starting to feel my lack of endurance (I had made it through 4 events, including some pretty harsh marks- thanks Baz!) the heavens opened! That was the end of day 1.

Day 2 was equally as ominous but the weather gods weren't playing nice for anyone. Even with a re-jigged program, I only got one race in before we were all drenched! There was no Golden Wheel result nor a Rules Club Wheel Race this year. But we will all be back in February to finish what was started and this time I will have my head and my legs working together...

Back to Reality

3 weeks after setting off overseas we found ourselves heading home. This timeframe also meant that I had about 6 days of bike cramming to be ready to race at my favourite race of all time- the Wagga Golden Wheel Track Carnival! Surely 3 weeks off, which included 7 days trekking at altitude just meant I was going to be super fresh to race, right?!

The first ride back was like slipping on an old pair of slippers and I was so glad to be back on my bike. It was looking good for a good impromptu prep for racing on the weekend, until things went pair shaped.

A ride from work to BundaDome, all of 3 km, with a HR pushing high E3 suggested something wasn’t quite right and I was dutifully sent home from the track with no racing. Wednesday and things were no better. In fact they were worse with the gastro infection that I had had when we were in Phuket, and that had started to simmer away before we got home came back with a vengeance. Couple that with a mild chest infection and it was off to the doctor for me.

Being a microbiologist, I had a fair idea what was going on. The most important part of the conversation with the Dr, after he had prescribed some god-awful broad spectrum antibiotics, was “Can I race my bike on the weekend?” “If your lungs and gut are up to it.” That was enough for me. I was going to race in Wagga (besides the accommodation was booked).

The drugs did their thing. My legs did their thing on Thursday at the track and I wasn’t as shabby as I thought I would be. An easy roll around with MiffyG on Friday morning and I was itching for the weekend!!

Going off in the offy

The impetus for this trip was Tom and Sab’s wedding. With one being Danish and the other Indian, they wanted somewhere in between for family and friends to travel and the solution was Phuket. More specifically Katathani Beach Resort. This place was fantastic. Whilst I am not normally a sucker for 5 star resorts, for a couple of days of sitting around and doing nothing except relax and drink mojitos, Katathani was fantastic! From there it was on to Nepal for some trekking and immersion in Kathmandu. Rather than bore you with words, here are some pictures; enjoy!

The bride, looking stunning, escorted by her brother; Happy couple during the vows; yes there was an elephant involved, and ice swans!!!

Photos from Nepal

Big waterfalls, steep stone stairs, big mountains, temples with Buddha eyes and monkeys. Oh, Nepal you are country full of juxtaposition and amazement

(More photos are available here)

M.I.A.

I know it has been a long time between posts. But there was a period of time that I was merely going through the motions of riding my bike, trying to keep my head above what was going on at work. Consequently there wasn't much to say.

To get out of this rut, I went and got a new job. One that is far more rewarding and enjoyable and far less stressful. I will post a story on the effects of stress on training soon as it was an "interesting" experience.

Shortly after starting said new job, I went on holidays. Annual break time- woohoo! Good friends of ours were getting married in Phuket so we made the most of being half way to anywhere from Australia and went to Nepal for 2 weeks. All up, away for 3 weeks and despite getting sick, twice, it was an awesome experience. More on that in a later post.

Now we are back. The Wagga Golden Wheel track carnival- my favourite race of all time- has been and been washed out! I will post on that soon! And it is full steam ahead in preparation for the Nationals season!

Promise to be back soon with some interesting tales for you!

I don't feel like dancin'

ACT ITT Championships
22 August 2010

Knowing that there wasn't going to be a lot of competition, coupled with some bad news about my grandmother a few days earlier, I wasn't really that motivated for this. But, sometimes you just have to do these things!

Despite finding myself a little distracted and not fully engaged with the actual race, I still posted a pretty tidy time for the 30km course, and finished on top of the podium. With the race not coming as naturally as it normally does, I used this an opportunity to focus on some technical aspects, which in the long term will be beneficial and in the short term, made me concentrate on the job at hand.

It was nice to be able to tick off one of my goals from the start of the year. Sometimes, even when you don't feel like dancing you should give it a bit of a wiggle just in case... ;)

Third day's a charm

Day 3- Criterium, Geelong Botanic Gardens

Waking to rain, and a forecast of more rain and increasing wind, part of me was keen to race, another part keen to just call it a weekend and start heading home. However, since conditions were no where near as horrific as the weather that resulted in the final day of this even being cancelled last year, we were racing.

A plan was hatched with the other girls from Canberra, although conditions would prove that the plan wouldn't be enough.

The course was perfect for me- tiny bit technical, power climb for each lap, fast front straight and a windy back straight that would mean position position position! 30 laps were to be completed, with sprints every even lap. I made a decision early that I wasn't interested in an intermediate sprint, saving everything for the end.

Sunshining

Weather conditions were amazing: we started in sunshine with standing water (quite deep in places), wind, stronger wind, gusting wind, raining and then pouring and then the sun was out again. Oh how I love Geelong weather!!

Cats and dogs
(I promise this is the same race!!! And that my socks are actually white!)

The race itself was without incident. I rode position well and overall I was happy that I rode a smart, strong race. However, I ran out of gears in the final sprint- it was slightly down hill, with an incredible tailwind and a fast moving bunch of about 25 girls! I was on the perfect wheel, and am disappointed to not have been able to capitalise on that, finishing 16th in the wash up. On the upside, I am satisfied with how the race went technically.

Unfortunately as you may have heard, an over eager photographer stepped in to the path of the oncoming bunch bringing down a number of girls (more info here). There were a number of serious injuries and I wish all the girls involved a very speedy recovery.

Big thanks to: Glenn and Brent for all your support over the weekend; my half way houses in Wodonga and Albury; Geelong bed friend; and Brian for coaching excellence.

And your resilience?

Day Two- 96km Road Race around Anakie and its delightful surrounds

Keen to make amends for yesterday's disappointment, I had convinced the inner climber we were going to have a cracking day over what was going to be a challenging course. There were 4 KOMs each lap, and after driving over the course there had been a scrounge for anything bigger than a 25, we were all convinced we needed something like a 27!
The start of the race was a gradual false flat before heading up hill, the first QOM was 5kms in!!

A bit small, sorry, but you get the idea! Twice around, and throw in some strong gusting head/head-cross wind!!

At the 3km mark I was in perfect position for the start of the climb, tucked near the front of the buncbh out of the wind and ready to climb. Then, disaster! As I moved down the gears I threw my chain off!!

OK, staying calm, I jumped off (after getting out of the way) and put it back on.
Go to ride away... off again!! Arghhh!
A little more irate, jump off, put it back on. At this stage, the bunch was still going past, so I wasn't too panicked.
But, repeat this about 5 times and the bunch was no longer still going past. Luckily that meant neutral spares could get to me.
Spotto, cause of the problem. The joining link on my chain had started to come apart- may not have been fully clamped when it was put on earlier in the week. Easy to fix- take a neutral spares bike.

Onto the small-medium shimano bike I got, and up the hill like a rocket. I was probably in denial about how far away the peloton actual was! At the top of the hill I had to stop again to put the seat down about 3cm!! Then to get tucked in behind the sag wagon to find a bunch.

For the next 20km I was with a small group of girls who had been dropped on the first climb. It was nice to have company and the opportunity to have a break from the wind!! About 10km from the end of the lap, I accidentally rode away from this group. I was kind of keen to see how well I was climbing and to feel like I had challenged myself, so decided not to wait for them. To my frustration I climbed really well over all the parts of the course that I was most worried about, and spent the rest of the lap wondering what might have been.

I decided to call it a day at the end of 1 lap, I was about 12 minutes down on the bunch and was desperate for a good crit on Sunday!

Turns out that the panic over gears was completely unnecessary, the parts that I wanted a 27 for, I actually went over on a 23!!! Thanks for the bike, Shimano! It wasn't bad, it just wasn't mine (which is a straight small)!! :p Big thanks to Brent Miller for getting my bike sorted so I could front up on Sunday! And Glenn for witnessing my tantrum and making me do the lap!

How's your tenacity?

Geelong Tour / Victorian Road Titles
13-15 August
Portarlington, Anakie & Geelong

First up- 20km ITT along the waterfront in Portarlington.
Feeling pretty confident with my form coming in to this weekend, I was pumped and eager to race. Unfortunately, I let myself down and made the classic time trialing mistake of going out too hard and dying on the way back. I can honestly say that I have never fallen victim to this evil before today, and I will be doing my damnedest to ensure it doesn't happen again.

There was a cracking tailwind for the outward 10km and I got a bit carried away trying to take advantage of that. Obviously it was going to be a headwind for the return leg, but somehow I just didn't factor that in. Despite Glenn's constant encouragement from the follow car, I had nothing to give in the final 7km.

On paper, it probably wasn't that bad- I finished in 7th, 37 sec down on first place and with an average speed over 40 kph. Most people would be satisfied with that. But, I know I could have/should have / would have been better! What I can be happy with is that I was mentally able to dig very deep to get to the end in a respectable time. My body was screaming at me to just stop, but I was able to rise above that and get to the end. (it may not have been very far past the end, but I got there!)

Thanks Glenn for follow car and disc, Brent for mechanical attention and Brian for wheels and keeping me on track!

Dear Weather Gods,

It is Tour of Geelong time again.
Please don't let this happen again this year.
And please, let the wind be favourable for me in the ITT tomorrow!

That is all for now!
Cheers!

Oops, I did it again

NSW ITT Titles.
Somersby, NSW
Sunday 25 July 2010

About this time last year, this happened. It was time to see whether I could do it again.

Due to work on the Calga course, we were on a new course for this year’s edition. On the profile, it looked to be a cracker- no major climbs and overall downhill. Despite a head cold at the start of the week, I had had an excellent lead up to this event and was feeling reasonably confident. We took a drive over the course on Saturday afternoon and identified that whist there wasn’t any difficult climbs there were a few places that dragged a bit and would require some time out of the saddle.

Race day dawned and revealed perfect TT weather- sunny, but not too hot and no wind. Well, there was no wind while I warmed up but it picked up a little before I started, although in the end it was not enough to trouble me.

The race went according to plan, and was largely a blur! I descended like a demon and took all the technical parts perfectly. The only thing I would have liked to have been better was my climbing, whilst it wasn’t bad, I just didn’t dance as well as I could have over the crests.

If you haven’t figured it out, I successfully defended my title, taking the gold by over a minute! It was a super fast ride, with my average speed well over 40 kph, with maximum speed over 70 kph (yes, I may have been speeding on some parts of the course!!)

After such a cracking ride, the only thing I have to complain about is the traffic on the road! For various reasons I wish the roads had of been closed, or at the very least that there had been more traffic controllers. Please, NSW Cycling if you are reading, you have to do something about that!

Special thanks to Mick and all the guys at Onya Bike Belco and Civic for the tireless support and keeping me decked out, Brian (coach) for excellent guidance, Glenn (ACTAS) for generous equipment loans and Soigny/Mechanic/all-round good guy, Matt! You guys are awesome!!

Coming to a blog near you

Stay tuned for...

DBR Tour Day 3

When sport meets politics

and
Oops I did it again

When Cycling Meets Politics...

I know a lot of you would have seen this, but who can get tired of Clarke and Dawe?! For my overseas readers, it is election time in, in case you couldn’t tell!! :p

Click Here

DBR Women and Juniors' Tour- Day 3

Road Race #2: SFP to Uriarra Homestead to Coppins Crossing to Camp Sturt and back to SFP ~80 km
Sunday morning 4th July 2010

The final stage of the tour started in very thick fog and hence very limited visibility and it stayed that way for about two thirds of the race. Needless to say the descents into Uriarra Crossing were with trepidation by the bunch!Coupled with the alertness required to navigate the fog, today’s stage was all about position, position, position. Unfortunately, I lapsed a little on this one.

On the way back from the homestead I found myself in a position that I wasn’t happy with, much too far from the front of the bunch. This in turn meant I was too far at the back of the bunch when the split happened up the three sisters. And, the chase was on. Luckily the chase group formed quickly and (mostly) everyone was prepared to work hard. We chased hard and at times it looked promising that we might get there. But, that was not to be. In the end our chase group came in about 2 ½ minutes behind the front bunch.

In the final wash up I was 16th overall, a little lower than I was hoping, but still a result that I am pretty happy with. It was a tough weekend, but I am definitely seeing some major improvements in my climbing and overall tour racing, so I really can’t complain.

Next up, defense of my NSW ITT title, bring it on!

DBR Women and Juniors' Tour- Day 2 cont

Criterium
Saturday 3rd July 2010 Afternoon

Prior to the start of the afternoon stage, Brian and I discussed the weather. It would seem that it had been around 0 celcius when we had started the morning stage! Wow, I thought it was warmer than that, but then I am kind of used to training in -5 celcius. We then discussed what the mercury was doing then, at 2pm. It had made it to double digits... it was 10C!!! That settled it, short sleeves it was!

The crit went something like this: pace on, pace off, pace on, pace off, pace on, pace off. It was clear very early on that no one was going to be allowed to get away and so long as you were in a decent spot in the bunch you would get sucked along when the attack was chased. Apart for rolling through my turns accordingly early, I ventured to the front in the second part of the race and tried to lift the speed. I wasn't trying to get away, just to try and flick a few people off the back and thin things out a little.

Pretty sure any effect I, and the others who had tried a similar thing, had was eroded when 2 local roos ventured onto the track with 2 laps to go. Race neutralised until Skippy and friend were out of the way! Anyone dagged previously, back in the bunch. Hmmm. Oh well, that is racing in the bush capital!

As anticipated, it was a bunch sprint. Unfortunately thanks to Skippy I was not in the best position and to do a fair bit of moving through the bunch before the last half lap. In the end, I started my sprint from where I wanted, but just ran out of legs before the finish to roll across in 7th.

It really is all about position, position, position. Never satisified unless there is a posium involved, but I can't be disappointed as I rode the race I planned to race and ticked all the pre-race boxes.

DBR Women and Juniors' Tour- Day 2

Stage 2- 37km Road Race
Saturday 3rd July 2010 Morning

A nice covering of fog was in order for the start of the day, though it had largely lifted by the time we started. A short road stage in the morning had the potential to be fast and furious but with a crit in the afternoon I think most people were content to sit back and wait for someone else to do something.

The first half of the race was pretty uneventful. We were all still largely together after the first u-bolt and heading into Coppins Crossing. Unfortunately this is where I realised that I hadn't adjusted my brakes and that they weren't as responsive as I would have liked for a technical descent into Coppins Crossing in the bunch. I let myself drift to the back of the bunch where I would be a little more comfortable and would have a little more time to react.

At some point after the second u-bolt Amy Cure and Jo Hogan slipped off the front and left the bunch to chase. But in a strange twist they decided not to follow the lead car when it turned right to head for the finishe and instead went left. They ended up coming in about 4 minutes after the bunch.

As for myself, I chased hard and ended up finishing with a small group of others, 24 seconds down. And, the first thing I did when I was done was adjust my brakes!

DBR Women and Juniors' Tour- Day 1

Stage 1: 15km ITT
Friday 2 July 2010


The weather on Friday had been so promising. It was still and the sun was out. The weather man had forecast showers, but they weren't due until late. I figured with a start time of 2:10 I would be safe from rain. How wrong I was. 2 minutes into my warm, I was scrambling to get my bike under cover and wondering if my long sleeve skinnie was going to be enough!

Little did I know that this was just the start of the weather consideration for the weekend!!

But, this weather is all part of the fun of living here and despite it all, I wasn't too troubled by it.

By the time I started it was raining proper and trying to snow. I opted to go with bare legs and a good covering of goanna oil. And I am pleased to say that worked a treat.

I had one of those rides that just felt awesome. If you are a cyclist, and in particular a time trialist, you will understand that. It was one of those rides where the pain is pure pleasure and you get to tick all the boxes. In hindsight there are things that might have been done a little better, but at the time, it all felt right.

I was one of the earlier starters so it was a long wait to find out what the final result was. There were time checks coming from the turn around, but as it is a course that I generally negatively split I wasn't being mentioned much. I was pretty much all packed up and ready to head off when the preliminary results went out- 2nd overall to Amy Cure and 1st elite female! Not a result I was expecting, but happy to take that! However, that was a preliminary result and it wasn't quite right... they had forgotten Jo Hogan who had slotted between myself and Amy. Still on the podium, so not complaining at all!

That was all the motivation I needed to get through the rest of the weekend!

Don't die wondering

McDonald's Classic Criterium Wagga Wagga NSW, 13 June 2010

I really like the crit circuit around Wagga CBD. A little bit technical, a little bit undulating and if you can get away the potential to not be seen around some of the corners!

After the handicap the day before, there seemed to be a few tired legs around the place. The race was set to be 30 minutes plus 3 laps, with intermediate sprints at 10 and 20 minutes. After the first 5 minutes I decided that I wouldn't contest the intermediate sprints and would save myself for the final sprint.

The race was without incident, although with such disparity in the skills and speed of the mixed bunch it was imperative to keep alert. On the whole, it was a pretty easy crit as far as they go. I made the mistake of not setting the clock on my computer so I wasn't sure how long we had been going/how long to go, so was hesitant to try and get away for a solo win or at least a solid attack to mix things up. In the end I waited patiently in the bunch for the final lap.

Unfortunately I forgot to pack my sprinter reflexes and when the guys next to me started to organise their 2 man train I didn't react. In fact I waited much too long to launch my sprint, despite being in excellent position in the final corners, and in the end I ran out of course before I made my way up the podium places :( In the end I finished 6th- off the podium and out of the prizemoney!

So many what if type questions... Next time I will remember to pack the sprinter and then I won't die wondering!

Handicap by name... Handicap by nature?

McDonald's Classic- 83km Handicap
Wagga Wagga NSW, 12 June 2010

Again reminded why I really dislike handicaps! They are an absolute gamble- a result very much depends on the rest of the people in the bunch and the days that you are good won't necessarily be reflected at the end of the day.

The McDonald's Classic Handicap was one of those days that could have been so much more. Right from the gun the bunch was a shambles. Everyone was looking at each other as if it was the final 5km and waiting for someone else to make a move. For neither love nor money would a paceline get organised. And the men certainly didn't want to listen to the lone female in the bunch! Needless to say, the bunch blew itself apart within the first 10km!!

That left 73km to go... in the wash up after the hill that killed my bunch, I was in the second group with, I think, 3 further ahead. We chased hard and I think in the end we got back together. It is hard to tell, I found out later that the bunch ahead of us also disintegrated in about the same place as mine. The chase went on until we were caught at about the 35km mark. Making the most of the increased bunch size I took the opportunity to feed, but then we turned into the cross wind... cue a number of us getting flicked off the back of the bunch.

And so it went on. Chasing in small bunches, chasing solo, and ending in a small bunch. The biggest frustration of the day was that I felt awesome on the bike. I went over the "hills" like they were flat and was generally having a good day, I just didn't have anyone sharing that with me. I think that is probably the biggest handicap of these races...

Mini break

I guess you could consider 3 days in a row of the bike a mini-break! My brother got married on the weekend so we headed on up to Queensland (sans bike) for his wedding. It was a lot of fun and I am definitely refreshed and ready to hit the road!

Here are couple of shots of the couple and my super-cute nieces :)



My brother and his girls! (l to r: Janika (bridesmaid, Phil's god daughter), Kylie, Gracey (niece 2) and CJ (flowergirl, niece 1)

Happy couple :D

CJ after we convinced her to smile!!

Sometimes I feel like this!

There is a little bit of content at the start that might upset some...

I know it is advertising, but I actually find this little mouse kind of inspiring :)

Are you faster than...

A triathlete... well, yes. But, I am not faster than myself!!

Vikings ran an autumn time trial series over the same brutal course that we had been using over summer. It was billed as Cyclists vs Triathletes with the intention of increasing numbers at races. I am not sure how successful this aspect was, but it was a nice idea.

I managed to make it to 2 of the 3 races, but as much as I hate to say it, they were somewhat disappointing appearances. The first one out, the inner scientist took over over analysing and holding me back at different parts of the race. The time that week wasn't completely disgraceful, but it was slower than my best times over this course.

My next appearance was at the last installment and unfortunately this happened to be the weekend after the ill-fated Canberra Tour weekend and I was still not 100% recovered from my illness. Needless to say that the time posted this time around was a long off my best. I will also add that rolling away at 8:30 am in late autumn is fraught with peril- the fog from the top of the 3rd sister to the turn around was so thick I couldn't see more than a couple of metres in front of me and for safety's sake washed off a lot of speed on the fastest part of the course.

But, it is not all doom and gloom. I did win the series and laid claim to being faster than a triathlete (is that really something to be proud of??) My name is now engraved on the trophy for the series (I hope the time isn't, I am really unimpressed with it. Maybe they will take my time from pre-Nationals!!) And to top it off I scored a gift voucher to one of the local bike shops. Really can't complain, but... well, the whole over-achiever thing strikes again!

Thanks to Vikings CC for a fun series and TLC cycles for supporting the initiative.

Such a fine line

Canberra Tour
Friday 30 April- Sunday 2 May

This weekend, of all weekends, I lost the battle of the work-bike balance. With no indicators prior, I can only assume that the stress of the last couple of weeks at work finally caught up with me :(

I raced on Friday and even though I was about 4 minutes down (who was responsible for having us finish at the top of Honeysuckle Creek?!!) I was really really happy with how things had gone on the day. I had had some very specific personal goals to achieve and I ticked all the boxes. I was totally geed for Saturday's stage.

The profile for Friday's stage- what a nice way to finish a race!!

I did all the right things for recovery. Had a lovely evening relaxing with Davina, her Dad and Matt. And got to bed in time to ensure a good night's sleep. It all came undone at about 630 on Saturday morning when I woke up feeling like I was swallowing razor blades my throat was so sore, a resting HR that was through the roof and swollen glands. A phone call to Brian confirmed that I was not to get on a bike. Hello cold, goodbye racing weekend.

I know it wasn't an event that was well suited to me, but I was really looking forward to the challenge of the weekend and learning as much as I could from it. C'est la vie, that is about all I can say.

Well done to all the girls who raced so well. Jo Hogan for taking an impressive win, Lisa Jacobs in second and Bron Ryan in 3rd. Bec Domange has a good write up as well. To the guys that I fed in Saturday's stage, I hope that you achieved what you were aiming for.

Time to rest up and come back bigger and better (figuratively, not literally!)

Almost, Dr...

A quick update on this post.
Today I got word that the examiners had approved my thesis WOOOHOOOO! :D

Some minor changes are needed, but I reckon I can have them done by the 31 May in order to make it to July graduation!

Thank you to everyone who has supported me in achieving this.

How many false starts are you allowed?

A couple of club races, a couple of results that I am less than impressed with. :(

One of them was because of a low level virus that was wearing me down, and that sucked, especially when on race day I was actually feeling pretty good. Others were my own doing. Sometimes the analytical scientist in me won't let the cyclist in me just do its job.
These are perfect reminders that cycling is about so much more than just the legs...

We all know the phrase "Shut up legs", I think mine will have to be "Shut up brain".

(I have no idea what this DVD is about, I just wanted the image. Maybe it would be useful!!)

The wheels on the bike go round and round...

The last few weeks have been all about clocking up the kilometres. Most of these have been solo, "secret training" kilometres. Consequently, many things have been observed.

• Goulburn, home of the Big Merino, is not far enough away and the kilometres need to be rounded up. :|
  

• Yass is a perfect distance away. However, it is all uphill on the way home, starting with the hill in the way out. :)

• People who do not know how to ride in a bunch should NOT suck my wheel! Further more, I HATE WHEELSUCKING SUPER COMMUTERS!! :v
  

• I have a very good relationship with my mp3 player, but some tunes are better for the road than others. :) From the current playlist:

• Anthrax- good
• Presets- good
• Peaches- good
• Mr Bungle- not so good (I love all things Mike Paton, but Mr Bungle is a little too erratic for good pedalling tempo, although for this purpose it is better than Fantomas).
  

• I dislike people tossing their rubbish out the window of their car. We are all familiar with the "bogan droppings" (broken glass bottles in the bike lane), but is it necessary to toss a cigarette butt out the window, particularly when I am there? And, did you know that it was clean up Australia when you committed aforementioned crime? :@

• The number of people with complete disregard for red lights, both bikes and cars, is unbelievable! Just STOP! xo
  

• The guys and girls at OnyaBike Belco are fantastically awesome. I am incredibly grateful for all their support! :D

• At the end of the day I love riding my bike! :D

Just like the textbook says

Club Crit Champs, 17.2.2010

When things go as planned and the objective achieved, it makes for a very satisfying ride.

It was club champs night out at Stromlo Forest Park. Being back into the full swing of training for 2 days, I was hoping to get to the end of the race, with a distant thought of defending my Vikings Crit Champ title from 2009.

The race was scheduled to be about 23 minutes plus 2 laps, although that was shortened due to the brown snake taking up residence on the 2nd last corner (credit to Brian and his broom for keeping it off the track while racing happened). The pace was reasonably high, but still comfortable. Bron (Ryan) was attacking regularly but the other girls weren't letting anything get away despite my trying to stop them. At one point, I attacked and Bron came with and we thought that we might have got away with it, but no. sigh.

It was apparent to me that it wasn't worth me trying to go up the road, so I found myself a nice safe spot to be in the bunch and pretended to be a sprinter trying to avoid the front. With about 2 minutes of time remaining, the plan was hatched. Bron would attack once more, and knowing that the bunch wasn't going to let that happen and she would be back with us, she would lead me out.

Two laps to go, away went Bron, and for just a little while, it looked like she might have got a way with it. But the others decided that wasn't right and went and got her. Coming through for the bell, I had myself nicely attached to Bron's wheel and away we went. I can't really tell you what was going on behind me, but from where I was sitting it, the only person who could have stuffed up a podium finish was me!

Being the awesome time trialer that she is, Bron did a fantastic job winding me up to speed. At one point I was actually worried that I wouldn't be able to hold the wheel after my recent time off, but there was nothing to worry about there (thankfully!). I stepped off Bron's wheel as we came out of the last corner, just like the textbook would say, and lit it up from there.

As for what happened next...

That is gold, if you can't tell.

Thanks Bron, you're a star!

NB...

The following three posts should be read from the bottom up... Shake, Rattle and Roll... and then they will make sense :)

Just realising the date :)

But only the original, I don't want to know about any of this remake stuff!!

Roll

I hate being injured. I am very impatient and at the moment, and especially since I can't, I really really want to ride my bicycle at the moment! Here is a brief run down of things...

Monday
Thought I was OK to ride to work. About 6km into the 16km ride, I realised this was a bad idea. Everything hurt, my ribs and my knee especially. I left my bike at work and caught the bus home at the end of the day.

Tuesday
As a result of the pain I was in, I went to the Dr to get things checked. No ligament damage to my knee, most likely it is soft tissue and will take a little while to settle. That is a very impreesive bruise covering the knee though! As for the ribs, there was a suspected fracture so it was off for Xrays. And, the worst part, no bike! At least until the end of the week- BOO!!

I managed to get Xrays that afternoon as well, now to wait.

Wednesday
I hate it when I have to catch the bus to work! Xray results, all clear- woohoo- but it hurt to do that!

Thursday & Friday- feeling better.

Saturday- Managed 30 minutes on the wind trainer.

Sunday- 45 minutes on the wind trainer. Better than yesterday.

Monday- Rode to and from work. Almost better! Still some pain when I am out of the saddle and pushing a bigger gear, but it wasn't unbearable. On the way home it was better still

Tuesday- Cut a lap around the lake. Better again!

I seem to have bounced very well! Man, am I lucky!! There are still a few easy days to get through before we can really ramp things up, but that is much better than the possible 6 weeks that might have resulted had there been a fracture.

On the up side, this has all been managed with the guidance of my new coach, Brian (Simpson)- thanks!

Bring on the weekend!! (and 100% functioning limbs!)

Rattle

In the process of developing some bike love after an interesting couple of weeks, I went off to do a CORC advanced mountain bike course for ladies. Ahh, to the darkside I went!

By way of background, in the last 12 months, I have ridden my mountain bike about 4 times, including two dirt crits in the last two weeks. Thus, I was perfectly prepared for this course!!

Anyway, off I went. I got through the first few things, no dramas and was having a whole lot of fun. Then our instructor extrodinaire, Mick, decided it was time that we tackled something a bit more challenging. About 2/3 of the way down the world champs 4X track at Stromlo Forest Park, there is a pile of rocks packed with dirt, about 2 metres high. (All measurements are purely subjective and I am not making any claim to accuracy!!). After a couple of poor attempts to go over this, I finally nailed it. Not satisified with ticking this off the list, I went back for seconds...

I had a good run to the top and I was ready to go down the other side. The trick with this pile of rocks, is that there is one good line down. On this attempt, I didn't find this line! My front wheel got stuck! Instinctively I grabbed a fistful of front brake! Before I knew over the handlebars I went and heading head first towards the rocks and dirt below! Maybe a fall of about 3 feet, maybe more, maybe less.

Growing up riding horses I instinctively protected my head and didn't stick my hands out, thus saving my wrists and my face from getting cut up. However, this move left my ribs and lateral knee clearly exposed to the rocks. Bruised, winded and missing a bit of bark, I lay on the ground for a little while before heading off for morning tea!

I rode through the rest of the day, perhaps foolishly, but I was having fun and where necessary I sat things out.

CORC put on a fansastic day and everyone got a lot out of it. Thanks everyone!

As for me, my ribs and my knee hurts! No sneezing, coughing, laughing, squating or kneeling!

Shake

My time as an NTID athlete has come to an end. I won't go into all the details, let's just say it is time for me to evolve separately. Unlike other products of NTID, like Bridie O'Donnell, I wouldn't say that I graduated with high distinction, but I would like to think that I have come through with at least a credit average.

The opportunity that was presented to me through the NTID program was fantastic and I will be forever grateful for the experience. Sincere thanks to: Tammie Ebert, senior co-ordinator of NTID, Josh Sear, Tammie's assistant, and the Australian Sports Commission for their generous support and encouragement throughout the last couple of years. Concurrent with this support, I would also like to acknowledge the support of the ACT Academy Support, specifically Glenn Doney and the Strength and Conditioning coaches, Dean and Dave, you guys have been invaluable.

And last, but by no means not least, Pothole, who has been my coach for the last couple of years, it has been an awesome journey, with some amazing triumphs and development. We both agree, it is time for fresh eyes and a new approach. Thanks mate!

Now, it is time to look to the future. There are a few too many what ifs for me to just walk away from this, and probably a little bit too much passion as well! I am looking forward to what lies ahead and seeing what I can achieve next.

PS: Thanks to those close to me who have listened, advised and supported me during this time- you all know who you are :)

Have you got a spare $10?

I reckon you probably do. If you bought your lunch today instead of packing something and bringing it in from home, you have a spare $10*.

A friend of mine, and fellow cyclist, is raising money for leukaemia. Those of you in Australia have probably heard of the World's Greatest Shave. See here for more details. Sarah, who currently has a rather nice head of hair, will be shaving it all off in memory of her friend Lisa who lost her battle with leukaemia.

Sarah (right) with lots of hair.
(Photographed here with India Faehndrich at India's wedding)

Here is Sarah's blurb about this important cause:

Please sponsor me! I am taking part in the Leukaemia Foundation's World's Greatest Shave 2010 because I hope that my involvement will help people who are suffering leukaemia at this moment and give them and their families the support they may need to help pull them through their long and tough treatment. A friend and I had a goal to raise $10,000 for the foundation this March, however she recently lost her battle with the disease. She had many goals. This one, I believe I can achieve in her memory. The funds we raise will help the Leukaemia Foundation to provide practical care and support to patients and families living with leukaemias, lymphomas, myeloma and related blood disorders. I think it is really important that we understand how significantly the families can be impacted by tragedy and that ultimately cancer heavily effects all involved. Therefore, we must do all we can to help find a cure and in the mean time, support those fighting.

Still not convinced... swing by the Facebook group: In memory of Lisa

Now, just get out your credit card and go donate here**

Thanks for your cash and thanks for reading, it means a lot to Sarah and anyone who has been affected by leukaemia and associated crap-house blood diseases.

*My peasant uni friends, you may reduce this amount to $3.70 (the amount for a pie and sauce from the ANU bakery).
**Australian residents, $2 and over is tax deductible.

Buninyong- home of the AORCC and...

a polite way to say b#%@$*d.

National TT Championships
6 January 2010

The course used to determine the Australian TT Champ is brutal. The start climbs for ~2.5km, not too steep, but just dragging, dragging, dragging, then it undulates predominantly downhill, then it undulates predominantly uphill, with some extra leg zap before the final very very fast 5km downhill run to the finish. It is 28km, it is exposed and the wind likes to blow, and the roads are rough and dead in many places. But, when the adrenaline is pumping and you have gone over those things in your head for the weeks before hand, race day brings out something special.

With the climb at the start I had been told that this course really wouldn't suit me and not to be too ambitious with my goals for the race. I hadn't raced the course before, but had ridden over it on a previous NTID training camp and I had spent a bit more time on it after the Victorian track titles, so I knew what I was in for. I even lost ~8kg before the race to be more attractive to the course! And, I convinced myself that me and the Buninyong course were compatible.

I would love to be able to tell you that this was my best race of the year, but it wasn't quite. Whilst I am satisfied that I did the best I could do on the day, there are things that can be improved (there always are!). It wasn't a day that I got on the bike and everything was perfect- for the most part I felt good, but I have felt better. It is hard to explain, but I think, dear reader, that if you are in any way competitive you will know what I am trying to say!

(photo from WomensCycling.net)

In the end I finished 10th in the elite women, a result that I am not unhappy with. Looking at the times just above me, if I hadn't had a nufty moment on the left-hander at the railway station it is possible that I might have placed a little further up. Maybe.

I was never expecting to be right at the pointy end, that spot is reserved for Amber Halliday (gold), Bridie O'Donnell (silver), Carly Light (bronze).

But I was pleased to be the first person to cross the line for the day (yes, I caught all the people in front of me), and I was also pretty stoked to stay leader for considerable length of time :)

I have some unfinished business in Buninyong and I reckon that this course and I might be compatible after all :)

Special thanks to the ACTAS support crew- Glenn Doney (head coach), Joel Stewart (mechanic), Susie Boer (mechanic), Sarah (masseuse) & Joel Ryan (chauffeur to the course), and my coach, Pothole.

Congratulations to Alex Carle for taking bronze in the U23 category (and beating me by 28 seconds).

Thanks also to my support vehicle- Al Matthews and Ben Hill- I'm glad I didn't need you guys but I appreciate that you were behind me, and thanks for all your vocal support from the car!