Summer racing

December again, how quick did that happen?
No more road races for a few months, but there are many criteriums to choose from. A little bit of pain and a lot of fun, all over in less than an hour.
Yesterday (Saturday) was the last race at Murrarie for the year.

It was a great way to spend the morning.
Di, Michelle, Corissa, Jane and myself had a vague 'plan' to ride as a team for this particular race.
This is hardly ever possible in many other races since we are usually with the guys.

So the race involved chasing down plenty of breakaways, which kept the pace reasonably high, while trying to rest at least one of us for the final sprint.
It wasn't anything spectacular, and it certainly didn't contain the caliber of riders in the Australian Criterium champs, but it was a super race nonetheless. Each of us had an excellent time working together, and all five of us were very pleased to come up with second and fifth place at the end!

PS. C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s to local Qld rider Kirsty Broun for winning today at the Cronulla criterium, and succesfully defending her Australian title against some other top Australian female cyclists. How cool is that!

Lighter than air

This post has to start with a huge THANKS to Fusion Cycles (Matt Easton and Adrian Booth) for helping me get hold of one of these bikes.
Owning a light, fast, carbon hardtail MTB has been a goal for a while now, but I just didn't think I was 'good enough' to get such a sleek racing bike. After a lot of internal dialogue, I finally bought one with the help of Fusion Cycles.
I took it for its first ride at Gap Creek on Wednesday (in between an early morning road ride and racing a criterium in the afternoon!)...
Lucky I had the day off to spend so much time on the bikes!

The Scale 30 is amazing. (I had the 30 model upgraded with XT brake levers and shifters, so it is more similar to the Scale 20 now.)
I have never felt the need to write a bike review, but I just have to put it in writing, that this bike makes you really feel like you are floating across the ground.
Singletrack riding and any sort of climbing are almost effortless with this bike! Maybe this is partly because I was used to my heavier dual-suspension MTB, but this new bike makes mountain biking a real pleasure. I always enjoyed riding trails before, but the Scale has now made it just awesome.

Croc 2008... wow

I cannot put into words how amazing my 2 weeks in North Qld was. It was a hectic, challenging and rewarding 10 days of racing for Matt, and a stressfully great time of 4WD driving and handing out bidons for me!...
From the first briefing day in Cairns, I was suddenly thrown into becoming the support person, for not one, but TWO riders... my partner Matt, and previous World 24hr Solo champ Craig Gordon!!! (NO pressure!)...
It would honestly take pages and pages to truly capture how awesome each day was.
I learnt a lot about racing; I learnt a lot about people. I learnt a lot of things that I know I can now apply to my own racing.

It was also great to see lots of people triumph against their own induvidual adversities (and there were lots of them).
I was in awe of how hard the riders pushed themselves day after day after day.

As expected, the outback was amazing... and what a contrast!... from the 45 degree dry heat and dust of Chillagoe and Laura, to the beautiful wet rainforests of Cooktown and Cape Trib. One of my favorite stages was most certainly stage 8 = Laura to Cooktown, 142kms. It included an extreme of riding conditions - including dust, sand, headwinds, tar, roadtrains, and smoke from bushfires - and to top it off, the riders finished at the top of a super steep ascent (30 percent gradient - or maybe more) at a lighthouse, with the most spectacular views of the ocean.
I was most proud of my partner Matt on that day... he was still smiling and enjoying himself as he carried his bike up the last of the 30 or so final steps up to the lighthouse.

It was also great to meet lots of new friends on the trip. Funny how in some of the situations that you meet people in, even if you never meet them again, they will always be good friends.

Now I also understand why John Flynn agrees to be the media person for this race every year without fail!... it is just a fantastic experience. I would be part of it again without question.

Croc Countdown

Less than a week to go and I will be in a four wheel drive, just like in the above photo.
What an amazing experience it will be.
Mareeba to Cape Tribulation... the long way.
The riders will each cover around 1300 kilometers in 9 days. I will be happy to do it in the airconditioned comfort of a support vehicle!...

I am so excited to get the chance to see the race 'up close' this year... it is almost like getting a chance to be in a support car at Paris-Roubaix. Reading the race reports from John Flynn last year gave me goosebumps. I can only begin to imagine what it will be like to actually be on the sidelines of this tough outback race. The scenery, of course, will be spectacular. But I am also very keen to see how each of the riders deal with the race in their own way.

Each of the competitors will be facing their own tough personal challenges. Regardless of whether they are a previous TDF stage winner, or a previous winner of the world solo MTB champs, or just out there for the experience of completing the Croc, every rider will be confronting some of their fears, and finding their own induvidual ways to stay motivated and encouraged to continue.

It will be an awe-inspiring 9 days.

Heating up

This weekend it's time for the 8 hour Enduro MTB race.
Not even summer yet, it is predicted to be 32 C on race day... the challenge will be not only to stay smooth and comfortable on the bike for all 8 hours, but to stay well hydrated and cool.
The conditions will be a huge contrast to the 24 hour Insomnia MTB race that my partner & I did in 2007. It was the middle of winter, with freezing cold rain and so much mud!

The Enduro will also be the last racing hit-out for my partner before he lines up at the start of the 2008 Crocodile Trophy on October 21st. There is no doubt that this race will be tough. However, he has done so much training towards this event that I am sure he will achieve all of his personal goals for the race.

Stay positive

Quote from Georgia Gould (Luna womens mtb team) -
"Stay positive even when bad things happen. Some of the races I'm most proud of are not races I've won, but races where I didn't give up when faced with a big challenge."
... probably something I need to remember not only for my cycling, but for my whole life.
I have some new challenges coming up right now in my life, including a new job, and I also want to refocus on my cycling. Being sick for over a month with the flu made my goals all 'fuzzy'... in fact I almost gave up on everything... but my vision is getting clearer again now. My partner helped me understand that I just need to get back on the bike again more, and realise that every day can be a success and be something that I can be proud of, if I have the right attitude.

Back to building up confidence again

So much stuff has happened since May. Yesterday was the first time I competed in a road race since the crash at the Avanti Classic.
It was a tough race, but I made it so much harder by worrying too much. I let my fear weigh me down.
Overall the race was good, and I stayed with the bunch, but I didn't drink for over 60km (due to being too nervous), and payed for it with muscle cramps at the end.

"Whatever you hold in your mind will tend to occur in your life. If you continue to believe as you have always believed, you will continue to act as you have always acted and you will continue to get what you have always gotten. If you want different results in your life, all you have to do is change your mind."

Today I think I realised that I need to work on regaining self confidence and handling my fear.
Fear turns into doubt and then correspondingly my lack of confidence increases.

It's something I know I have to work on. I put so much time and effort into my training, that I need to trust myself more when I race.

We'll see what happens in the next few months.

Time to remember

Brigitte ('Mutti') was a fantastic mother to her two children, and my best friend.
She did so much for so many people, and she will never be forgotten. Brigitte lived her life to the fullest. She was still working full-time at age 65, and was due to complete her next half marathon (21km) in early July 2008.
I am sure she will still continue to help people from up in heaven. She was that kind of person. :)

Plans change

Well how quickly things can change...
only days ago I was looking forward to my upcoming races, and now they are suddenly all cancelled.
No Sunshine Coast Tour for me now until 2009.
To think this was one of my 'main goals' for 2008... all gone in the blink of an eye. The Avanti Classic started well - fantastic weather, great turn-out of riders and spectators, but then some chopping of wheels occurred about 20km into the race and it was all over... two bikes and two riders lying in the middle of the road. I guess I am lucky - the girl behind me (Lisa) broke her collarbone, whereas I 'only' tore a huge hole in the side of my knee. Either way, both of us will not be racing (or training) for some time. I have had to find some positive things from this crash, although they are hard to see at the moment. And I have already redesigned my race calendar for the year in my head... there are still some great races to come in Aug and Sep. I can't wait to get back on the bike, but right now I just need to have some patience while my knee heals up.

Racing, racing, racing

June 2008... this is when it gets exciting... Murwillumbah was just a short 'preview'.

Training intensity has increased since the start of the month, and I am now training with some of the NTID/hummingbird girls. It is all helping to get me closer to being a real 'A grade' rider (I might even make it by the end of the year!).

There are three solid weeks of road racing ahead...
Avanti Classic - tomorrow
Metro C'ships - next weekend
Sunshine Coast Tour - the following weekend.
As Anthony would say, 'time to mix it with the big girls'. :)

Race completed

With a DNF after only two laps in the Elite W Race on Saturday, it was apparent to me that I was a little 'out of my league'... a DNS would have been easy to do on Sunday. For whatever reason, I was actually happier and more relaxed to line up at the start line again on Sunday morning for a bit more 'punishment'. Sunday was the combined Elite W and U19 W Race, and it was going to be a tough one with some 'big hitters' there (including Kirsty Broun - Australian 2007 Criterium Champion and winner of yesterday's race; and Megan Dunn - winner of the 2008 Jayco Bay Classic). As expected, it was tough! Those girls can climb!!!

On the long climb out to Mooball, a group of 8 of us were 'dropped' but then some hard work by all managed to get us quickly back to the main peloton right at the turn around point. Being back within the main group gave us a nice short 'rest' but then the climb back out tested everyone. I was conscious of the fact I needed to be up in the first half of the group during the climbs so as not to lose contact by the top, but it just didn't work. My climbing is just not as fast and strong as it needs to be to keep up... so I was out of touch of the main group again by the last 1/3 of the long climb. A dropped chain after the crest of the climb made sure I well and truly out of 'reach', but I still chased as hard as I could! Just before Stokers Siding I managed to catch up with Sarah from TIS, and we worked strongly together for the remainder of the race (about 35km's or so). Despite not finishing with the main bunch, it was a great race to be part of, and it was fantastic to complete it!

One week to go

Murwillumbah races...
only one week to go.

These photos are from our 'scouting' ride of the course over the Easter weekend.

Lots of training has been done in preparation for this; and a little more work is yet to be done.
I think I am ready... I hope I am ready.
Next weekend I will know.

Unexpected illness

So I wasn't intending on using this blog to record any 'setbacks' but I just can't help reporting this one!...
Only 4 weeks out from the Murwillumbah race (and only 2 weeks out from Matt's 24 hour solo mtb race), we were inflicted with the most horrible gastroenteritis virus, and both ended up in hospital and on IV fluids. I have never been so dehydrated! I guess it was 'lucky' it happened to us on separate days, since each could drive the other to hospital while the other was vomiting (and on the verge of 'dying') in the passenger seat of the car.
I think both of us are finally recovering from it now; but it meant time OFF the bikes!... something that I am not sure we can 'afford' to do right now, so close to our races.
Oh well, that's life I guess.
All I can say is that I am so looking forward to doing some longer rides again this week... I have missed my bike!

Admiration

Another blog entry not really about me... but about who I admire.

Lorian Graham comes to mind (see above). She is a 'local' cyclist from Qld who went through a lot of challenges after being badly injured in the AIS/Amy Gillett car incident. She has recently turned professional and won the QOM in the recent Tour of New Zealand.

Emma Pooley (see photo below) is another female cyclist to admire.
She just won the 'Trofeo Alfredo Binda - Comune di Cittiglio' race (part of the 2008 UCI world cup series) with a solo breakaway about 40kms from the finish!

From Emma after the race (C/o cyclingnews.com): "It was impulsive, I would say. I knew it was a bit early to attack, but I was in the right place and I thought I would have a go. I thought some people would come with me – maybe two or three others – it looked like an attack was going to go. But I was on my own so I thought I would keep riding. When it came to the last small lap and I still had a couple of minutes I was happy that I could keep going."

"Where I finish in a race is really pretty trivial when I consider I'm lucky just to be able to get up every day and enjoy riding my bike at all.
Competing fairly and giving everything you can in a race is more satisfying on a personal level than winning."

Cycling

"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking."
- Sherlock Holmes

The letter "V"

so VIE was supposed to mean 'life' in French...
but this week it represented lots of other things! -
V for Voltaren (I took a lot last week after that nasty crash at Lakeside)
V for Victor Broncos (one of the best clubs around; their camaraderie is great)
V for Velo (the best bike shop around... esp when it comes to helping their customers out)
V for victory (Matt won his C grade race at Oakey this week, and despite not many women turning up, I still finished first in my race too!)

Climbing

Lots and lots of climbing was the plan for this weekend.
Luckily for me(?), I got to watch most of it.
Matt tried his hardest this weekend in the first Inferno race for the year... it was a tough, technical, mostly singletrack MTB race of 87kms and over 2000m of climbing. He did well and came third!... something that I am very much in awe of considering even one lap of that course could have killed me. :)
Rhino looked so fast and smooth as usual on his Scott bike and came a well-deserved first place.
Then my climbing started today (Monday) in the 'traditional' Australia Day ride up to Mt Nebo. It was lovely weather, with a beautiful clear sky, so lots of riders (road, mtb and motorbikes) turned up. With all the good company around us (from Victor Broncos, Yellow Jersey and HPRW), we climbed faster than usual (by over ten minutes!) and then had an 'easy' ride home back down the mountain (with lots more hills in between).

Sunshine

Well we needed it. SE Qld needed it.
The rain. A whole darn week of it.
It was a great week; just not so good for cyclists. Apparently a lot of bike shops sold a lot of wind trainers last week!
Then the sun came out.
Sunday morning we were greeted to sunshine, and it was beautiful.
Matt and I did a ‘relaxing’ recovery ride (a classic ‘Redcliffe loop’) of about 60kms. I have not seen Brisbane looking so green in such a long time.

A lady bug decided to travel with us for part of the way along the Sandgate foreshore. Don’t know how she managed to hop onto my helmet and hang on for about 5kms (at over 30kph!), but she did. It made us smile, and I took it as a ‘good luck’ sign for the day.
I was nervous on Sunday morning…
I was racing Sunday afternoon.

Racing is fun. But racing can also make me quite anxious. Especially this race.
It was due to be my first ‘attempt’ at women’s A/B grade in the last ten weeks. The last three times I tried to race in this grade last year, I was dropped before the end of the race. I remember my legs burning while watching all the girls powerfully surge away from me. How frustrating.
I relieved my frustration by training harder, and training smarter in the last ten weeks. Ten weeks ago I started with my coach, Anthony. It has been great.

The Daniel Bennett Memorial Race was a fantastic day. Lots of people turned up to support it; and everyone seemed to get something ‘good’ out of the day. Even Cameron Hughes (Grafton-Inverell 2007 winner) turned up in support of it; as did Commonwealth Gold medalist Matthew Hayman. It rained during my race, but it didn’t matter. What mattered to me was that I finished with the bunch. Finally I finished with the other girls.
I still have so far to go, but it is nice to see that the training is ‘working’. I am getting closer to where I want to get with my cycling. It makes me smile. It makes me smile just like the sunshine did on Sunday morning.