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Asides

Jun 09 - May 10

 

 

27 May 2010 • Thanks All - it's been a blast!

This little monologue started as an ode to cycling, the sport that has given me so much. An ode to cycling indeed. An ode to early mornings, cold toes and hot coffee. An ode to all the bunch rides, breakfast rides and coffee rides. An ode to Manukau Velodrome and its volunteers. An ode to my sparkling shamals and Benson track bike. Even an ode to broken shoulders that make you feel like this...

But mostly an ode to the amazing people who have helped me along my way. You represent so many different elements of my cycling career and this is a dedication to you all (probably the only people who read this website!)

David Benson - a legend and a great friend

Firstly I have to start with my mate DB, or David Benson. When I first appeared at Manukau Velodrome DB and his partner Donna (an Olympic representative in the sprint) were two of the first people I met.

I attended DB's sprint squad from as early as 1996 and it was there that I learnt so much of what I know about the track and its etiquette. DB is a fountain of knowledge. He coached me in 2005 and 2006 and despite my results not speaking so, I was the fastest sprinter I've ever been in those years. My favourite summer of track was when Donna, Amy, Alice King and I made up the great part of DB's squad, the banter at the velodrome in those times was priceless, including thigh offs (I could never quite beat Amy) and of course Alice's incorrigible flirting. DB has a garage out the back of his property in Ngaio Street and it is here where so many of Auckland's cycling clique bring their more tricky mechanical issues. DB has effectively sponsored me throughout my career doing all the mechanics on my bike and through "connections" always ensuring I had nice tyres and wheels. He jokes with me that he is a professional bag carrier. He has certainly carried more of my bags in and out of the velodrome than I probably deserve.

He has been an unrelenting backbone of support, he has always been on call for me when I have a mechanical nightmare or a tactical conundrum. You will never meet a man with more integrity than DB, he is loyal, intelligent and hilarious. Oh and he also introduced me to the wonders of fixie riding on the road long before it was cool. I am massively grateful to you DB for showing me the right and wrong way to race and ride my bike. Thank you.

Lynn Murphy - never one more dedicated

Next comes another ex-coach of mine, Lynn Murphy. Lynn was my first real coach. She helped me to countless national medals and titles. Lynn, of anyone, has always backed my ability, even when I did not. She coached me through my more "unstable" teenage years, where upon losing any important race I would either (a) throw my bike in a tantrum or (b) ride off in a tantrum into the sunset. When I ask her about this now she says at least it showed I was passionate. Lynn has a take no prisoners attitude and is an unwavering supporter of women's cycling. She has always supported me and told me to use my "angry look" to get what I wanted. Lynn has had insightful comments when things haven't gone as well as I have wanted. She has also recently introduced me to coaching and helping out with her younger riders, which I thank her for as it has opened my eyes to my own false limitations. Thank you, Lynn, for all your support.

Wayne Hudson - never one more passionate about cycling

Then of course there is Mr Wayne Hudson. I first started work as a lawyer in Wayne's team at Bell Gully in 2006. At this time I was on the borderline of sort of hanging up the competitive wheels. But Wayne's passion for cycling is infectious. He lives and breathes the sport and will talk to anyone who will listen about the merits and wonders of cycling. I was somehow talked into doing the Lake Taupo cycle challenge in 2006 on very little training. In preparation (somewhat suicidally) I agreed to do a ride with Stu Hill and the other Stu over to Miranda or somewhere. I was getting dropped after twenty kms up Hunua Gorge and which point I told Wayne I was turning. Well - no I wasn't if Wayne had any say. I finished that day crawling. One of my worst days ever. Even two moro bars and a coke didn't help. Wayne towed me all the way home. But I finished and finished Taupo in a respectable time. From this point I knew I had not finished with the sport. Wayne was incremental in this decision. I couldn't have him in my ear about the sport for my whole legal career if I wasn't in the sport too. That summer Wayne and I raced the Cyco crits and Wayne acted as my lead out man and has done so every summer since. We've clocked up numerous primes and wins. Thank you Wayne for your infectious enthusiasm for the sport, and for being a great lead out man.

Amy Taylor - the best coach you could ever have

Well, who next? The best thing to ever happen to my cycling career - my coach Amy Taylor. Amy owns Kinetic Edge a coaching company with a difference. Amy has a first class honours degree in sports science and has an approach to coaching like no other. This approach (or what she calls holistic cycling) appealed to my lifestyle and my numerous cycling and career goals. She is seriously analytical and is able back up all training and ability with numbers. Pure and simple she says "numbers don't lie". Amy started coaching me in 2007 and has progressively pieced the many pieces of my jigsaw together.

Every athlete is a "puzzle" she says and she has got me all figured out. So many of my false limitations are, or should I say were, in my head. She has banished the hierarchy (a whole different post) and has taught me to deal with process not result. She has enforced a strict regime of lab testing which allows us to look at the numbers and champion me for my improvements. She has such an unquestioning belief in me which she follows up with spreadsheets and data. This belief in me is not an expectation of me though, and it's so refreshing to have one without the other. Whenever I fail to live up to my ability there is no disappointment in her voice and I never feel like I have let her down. This quality in a coach is rare. She knows I think too much and has shown me where to direct those excess thought processes. She has taught me more about myself than anyone, and has done all of this while being a really good friend, even from the cold streets of Manchester. Thank you, Amy, for being the best mentor and a great friend.

My Mum - an obdurate supporter

I have left until last the most integral part of my support crew - my Mum, Jenny. I believe that most athletes have one person, usually a parent, sometimes a partner, who has been there forever. My Mum has been there from the first $500 racing bike, through the national titles and to now. I like to think of her as the best sports agent ever, better than any Jerry Maguire. She encouraged and accompanied me to do sausage sizzles outside major malls to buy my first track bike. For the initial years she drove me to all the races, tours and camps. In later years she drafted CV's and helped me get sponsorship. She has attended every track season for fifteen years. She has been there for the ups and seen the "behind the scenes" of the downs, often where an athlete is the most difficult to deal with. She has lived and breathed every victory and every defeat and I'm pretty sure she will be happy not to have to drive to Manukau Velodrome ever again (maybe). Thanks for putting up with me Mum.

The others - you know who you are

Of more recent times I have to thank Cam, who only had to endure two seasons of track, but who did so many laps of Manukau velodrome last summer his hands went numb. Thanks Cam I promise you'll never have to motor pace me again (maybe).

I can't forget my best mate Marina - also a historic friend and supporter. Thanks mate, for all the fun times and good laughs.

So many other people I have met who have helped me. Thanks to Donna Wynd for helping me on the track in my early years and for your advice in later ones.

Gaz and CTB - you are both like big kids in adult bodies. It's been great getting to know you both so well over the last few years and I look forward to some beers leaning over the rail for the Melbourne track world cup.

And of course my web masters, Bogo Mipps and his awesome assisstant. Thank you for encouraging me to have a forum like this to write for, and thank you for your encouragment and wise words.

An ode to cycling and all you've given me and a big thank you to all of you wonderful people.

"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, 1896

My next bike is going to have a bell...

28 February 2010 • Cool!

Fourth round of the Summer Criterium Series at Auckland's Viaduct Harbour.

The one week it's not in the Herald (last week) I win, how annoying.......

19 February 2010 • It's all very simple really

So I'm not a national champion, not even a national medallist.

I went to the nationals, I competed and then I drank beer and great pinot noir. I rode myself into a world of pain in the scratch race getting caught between the many breaks and the ever decreasing bunch, and finished eighth.  I got bumped from the best wheel of the keiran* then got caught on the inside at a crucial medal winning point of the race.  I came back to lose the bronze by millimetres.

I trained and raced myself to be an endurance trackie and I wasn't good enough.  In the end it would seem that you cannot train yourself out of your own physiology, unless perhaps you are Bradley Wiggins or Theo Bos, but then at least it is their day jobs to train their track physiques to resemble wiry roadies. I am a sprinter with large lungs, and that is not something which is changing, even after two years of Amy Taylor training.  I am a bloody great wheel sucker, and a force to be reckoned with at the end of a scratch race that doesn't rip your legs apart for the last 20 laps. The level and aggression in women's track racing no longer allows a fast finishing, wheel sucking, semi endurance/semi sprinter to medal these days.  I reflect on this as a good thing for women's cycling.

My biggest fear was quitting competitive track cycling with unanswered questions about my ability.  I think I understand where I fit in the (now banished) hierarchy of women's cycling and i'm ok with it. I have a very successful day job and I love to race bikes. Simple as that really.

* for those in the know you will understand how ironic the identity of the wheel bumper is.

22 January 2010 • On the home straight ...

By the last day of the Tasmanian Christmas carnivals you were able to feel in the atmosphere that everyone was a little "over it".  I started in three races - a 10km points race in which I placed around 8th a scratch race which I led out an was only just rolled and held on for 5th place and lastly a wheel race which I rode knowing I was unable to ride the final so pulled as big a turn as I could then pulled out.  I missed the evening session as had to get back to Launceston for an early flight the next morning. By the time we got back it was about 9pm and it was one of those times when I wished I was a runner - throw the shoes in a bag and you're packed.  Having two bikes and rollers packing took about two hours.

Whilst I was in Tassie Auckland champs were shifted to early January so in the last few weeks I have become Auckland keiran, sprint and 500m champion.  Not really much to get excited about.  There are so few elite women in Auckland the largest field was four riders. Having had it served to me in Aussie for a week I wasn't about to get overly excited about these wins!  Unfortunately the points and scratch races were scheduled for the weekend of the Invercargill carnival so I was unable to race those, although due to lack of entries I believe the points race was cancelled.

Last weekend I travelled down to Invercargill to race a two day carnival.  This was going to be an interesting test of how I was actually going.  Most of the top riders were there and I was in the top four in all but a couple of races. Ended up with two seconds, two thirds and two fourths so relatively happy.  Not so impressed with the programme - the women's racing was all very short - the longest race being an elimination which was only included after a few girls complained about the programme.  For the $600 the trip cost me the racing on offer was not really worth it.   However it was good to see that Tassie had buoyed me up to the level I wanted to be at three weeks from nationals.

I am now on the home straight to what could be my last track nationals ever. This will be my twelfth track nationals - 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010. Some of them great, some of them not so.

Amy is currently setting what could be my last block of horrible Amy Taylor training ever. I have been saying for a long time that this could be my last nationals and I'm starting to feel like it probably will be. Not because I don't love the sport, but because other things are calling me.

Believe me when I say I'm going to make a damn good showing as I exit. I will not be happy unless I leave the track nationals as a national champion in at least one event. Being a national champion is a double edged sword though, the adrenalin of winning is irresistible and addictive and I may never want to quit!

31 December 2009 • Days Two, Three & Four - La Trobe

As I write this the racing is all beginning to blur into one. The format of each day is very similar usually consisting of two "wheel races" which are what we call handicaps where each rider is staggered according to ability, a scratch race and a points race.

At Launceston I made the final of the 1km wheel race but got a terrible start and never got a good wheel. In the scratch race I was about 9th. Not the legs that let me down but the ability to get past the other 8 girls who are also trying to get around the girl in front of them. Points was a little better though and each of the points races has been a race of attrition. At Launceston the bunch stayed together. Despite picking up no points in the early sprints by the end only about 9 of 18 starters finished. My only goal for this points race was to get some points! In the last sprint I saw Amy Cure attack with 2 to go and stuck my head down to go with her. We opened up a gap of about 20 metres and with one lap to go I knew I had at least some points in the bag. I felt like I was putting everything into it just to hold her wheel but in hindsight I should have jumped on the pedals just to see if I could get around. But I picked up second and sixth overall. If I had won the last sprint I would have been third!

Days 3 and 4 were at Devonport, the track where I crashed last year. Needless to say I was a little apprehensive. I made the 1km wheel race final but again being a middle marker let me down and when scratch came past it was like a bullet and I couldn't get on. In the points race a break went after the first sprint and I missed it. There was a group of about six of us chasing which slowly picked up those who couldn't hack the pace at the front. Our own group also whittled down and in the end I think only four girls finished in the break with our group holding on for 5th, 6th and 7th (I think). The scratch race was simply gnarly and despite Devonport being a 500m track it is so hard to get around anyone. On both days in the scratch races I finished in the group. The only other race was the 2km wheel race heat where I placed 7th with six to go through. We caught most of the front markers but just wasn't quite enough.

Today is a rest day and so we have been and seen a little more of Tasmania. The last day of racing is tomorrow and Burnie. Its been another great experience and really does put the track racing scene in New Zealand into perspective. Unless you go to the carnivals in Invercargill there is nothing that even compares to the level of the racing here. Every girl in the A grade field is in a state Institute of Sport or in a national team.

I know this week of racing will set me up for the rest of the season and will make any racing in New Zealand seem easy, or at least easier!

28 December 20009 • Day One - La Trobe

As I suspected, knowing what I was getting myself into was a great help for day one.

In short - the handicappers were a lot nicer this year and had me off 50m for the 1000m wheel race and off 100m for the 2000m wheel race. I made the finals of both comfortably.

I made the huge mistake in the 1000m final of pulling a near whole lap turn on the front before being swamped and blowing up with a about half a lap to go. The 2000m was more of a success, but I just left my run too late and think I ended up 6th. I also may have been slightly under geared on 91.8. But much better than last year when I didn't make any wheel race finals!

The UCI points race was next and luckily this year with 12 months more endurance training under my belt and 3 months of trusty motor pacing I didn't find my lungs in my throat after 2 laps like last year. I was of course a little nervous as this was the race in which I crashed last year. At the half way point a group of three girls went up the road and I was in the next group of 5. The rest of the field was either lapped or pulled out so I ended up 9th. Goal for tonight is to get some points on the board!

23 December 09 • Tasmania - Take Two

Early tomorrow morning I will be making my way across the Tasman to give myself a second chance at racing in the Tasmanian Track Carnivals.

Last year did not end happily, although in hindsight I had been riding pillion with lady luck for most of my cycling career.  Before my epic tumble in Tassie last year I had been an extremely upright and "rubber side down" bike rider.  That crash was almost unavoidable as probabilities go.  One broken bone and a bit of concussion from 14 years of riding ain't bad.

Going over there this year I am so much more relaxed.  Knowing what I am getting myself in for makes it all seem so much more fun.  This year I also have my number one supporter in the form of my Mum.  You can never underestimate the value of having support while traipsing around racing bikes.  In addition we are staying with the same fabulous friend's of Mum's that we did last year - Graeme and Di - who last year put on the most impressive Christmas spread I have ever seen!

The racing schedule is as follows:
* 26th - racing in Latrobe * 28th - racing in Launceston
* 29/30th - racing in Devonport * 1st racing in Burnie

I will try to post updates, although that will depend on the schedule of my web masters!

4 December 09 • The Rest of the Bag...

It has taken me a while to write about the rest of the Oceania's, mainly because I was disappointed.  I set myself high expectations and with no racing in the legs those expectations proved just that, too high and hence went unachieved.

The scratch race being 5 minutes after the Kieran final was always going to be hard and I left my legs on the Kieran finish line. I had nothing and gave up good position with 4 laps to go. A simple tactical bumble but just did not have the legs to fight for good position.

I bounced back from my disappointment and was fired up for a good points race.  Probably wasn't warmed up enough and this race was all on from the gun.  I felt bad in the first few sprints but warmed into it.  For perhaps the first time in my racing career I was hesitant, I let wheels go and backed off where I would usually pummel on through with my elbows out and my head down.  Being the first racing since my bad accident last year I think I just got nervous.  I stuck in there though and to look at it positively I finished feeling like an endurance athlete and not like a sprinter who needed a week off just to recover.

Racing, racing and more racing is what I need and is what is in store for the next few months. I was down but I am definitely not out.

19 November 09 • Car v Cyclist - the most ridiculous letter to the Herald to date

17 November 09 • A ship is safe in the harbour, but that is not what it is built for

This ship sailed to Oceania's last week and in summary it was... a mixed bag.

The keirin was first up, an event which I entered more as an "add on" than something I expected to perform in. I drew the largest but possibly the easiest heat with only one of the five or so Australians. I also had Natasha Hansen in my heat who is New Zealand's quickest sprinter at present.  The keirin requires each rider to draw a start position (one to seven) which dictates the order in which you are lined up the track for the standing start.  I was lucky to draw two with the Aussie right beneath me in one.  I got a good start and slotted in third wheel behind the Aussie and Natasha.  When the bike pulled off with 2 ½ laps to go Natasha took the front.  With one to go the Aussie went round Natasha and so did I.  First two to the final which included me.

The evening session was now to include both the keirin final and the scratch race.  Due to the absence of the usual entourage that comes with a centre team, including a mechanic, I was forced to use the same gear for both keirin and scratch.  There was only about 5 or ten minutes between the races which was too little time for a gear change, although with the skills of an adept mechanic it may have been achievable.  Unfortunately I couldn't afford to fly DB down as my personal mechanic and bag carrier. It also would have been great to have Gino as my hand bag dog and mascot but apparently he doesn't like the cold.

Into the keirin final I go and I draw one - the prime position.  The final has four Australians, Natasha and me.  Now my standing start against these girls is not enough to secure me the bike but I slot in about fourth wheel, until some seemingly Aussie collusion puts all four of them on the front with Natasha behind me.  Again when the bike came off Natasha took the front and I was last wheel, not a good place to be with one and a half laps to go!  But I'm on Annete Edmonson's wheel thinking I'll do what DB and I call a "Gavin Lee" which is get the best wheel (which in the past was that of Anthony Peden for Gavin's purposes), stick your head down and get sucked through the speed vortex into a medal position despite probably not being fast enough to get a medal in any other manner.  Well this sort of worked and with one to go I stuck my head down kicked up out of the seat and coming into the last bend I was fourth wheel making progress up the front straight but only in the end got up for fourth. BUT was first New Zealander, which for the time being makes me the fastest woman's keirin rider in New Zealand.

What was it I was saying about it being hard to lose previous reputations as a sprinter...? The rest of the mixed bag to follow.

11 November 09 • Oceania Games, here I come

I head to Oceania Games tomorrow in Invercargill and I'm really excited. I missed last year's season due to my broken shoulder which means I haven't raced at this level for nearly two years. It is also now nearly four years since I have trained as a "sprinter" but it's funny how you can never quite shake previous reputations!

In this in-between time I have made massive gains in all areas, including peak power and VO2 so it will be interesting to race as a fitter and more refined version of my former self.  Thursday morning I race the kieran heats and Thursday night the scratch race final.  Friday night is the points race.

My only expectation is to race to the best of my ability - and if that happens I'll be happy.  Learning to focus on process rather than outcomes is new to me.  Thanks to Amy I am now obsessed with process, and noticeably not nervous but excited... watch this space!

19 October 09 • Project Motorbike

The thought of training at Manukau Velodrome, alone in early Spring, wouldn't fill anyone with excitement.  Outside, exposed, old, bumpy, leaky and with a prevailing head wind up the front straight, the Manukau Velodrome has seen better days.  It was with this in mind that Cam and I decided to go halves on a motorbike, to motorpace me to speediness and to motorise him to work speedily through southern motorway traffic.  After 3 months of trawling Trade Me we found our bike and shelled out the $650 required to purchase it.

The Kawasaki KR 150 had also seen better days and required a lot of Cam's tlc to progress to a road and track worthy machine.  We got there though, and last weekend saw my first motorpacing session.  It went surprisingly well and Cam and I were still talking afterwards which is always a bonus.

17 September 09 • Best Routes & a Sprinkle of Progress

"The best routes are the ones you haven't ridden. You could pedal the same loops year after year. Many people do, literally or figuratively. But to grow, you need new rides. Risks. Turn down lanes you've long seen but never travelled. Get lost once or twice, then double back to where you started and try again.   Live like this and you come to see unknown territory not as threatening, but as intriguing." - Mark Remy, Bicycling Magazine 9/01

Two things have happened to me this week that indicate that I have made some progress! The first is that I can now do a dead hang pull up.  Rehabbing my shoulder has been slow and tedious but this was an awesome feeling yesterday morning. The wonders of Crossfit never cease. Training with Crossfit is simply the best thing I have done for myself as a cyclist and as an athlete in a long time.  If anyone is looking for a new way to workout in the gym this is it.

10 September 09 • Compete

The problem is that everyone thinks they're training hard but very few people are training as hard as they could be.  The problem is that you'll never train as hard as you are capable of without competition. Furthermore, you will never reach the level of fitness that you could reach with competition.  Competition pulls us outside our comfort zone and into a dark place where we'd rather not be.  Most of us wouldn't go there if we could avoid it without looking like we're simply too scared.

Check out Evolve Your Fitness

3 September 09 • Minimal Expectations

How is it that with minimal expectations one can still be disappointed? I was once told that to be a great athlete you always had to be disappointed in your performance or you would never aspire to improve and to win. It is also probably just a trait of ruthless competitiveness!

14 August 09 • Getting the Nod (and other things)

The 7.30am bunch (also known as the pro worlds) has become like most things... once they become too popular they become less desirable and far less enjoyable.

Having separated from the 8am bunch and originally invite only (not that I ever had the nod) it was only a matter of time before this bunch disintegrated into the shambles of the 8am bunch. Last Saturday certainly showed signs of imminent disaster for this bunch.  Maybe there will be a new secret squirrel 7am bunch. I wonder how I can get the nod for that?  Maybe it will require vast amounts of "social networking".

 

Spring is coming...

Haven't needed gloves this week or woollen socks. Delightful. Spring also means that the track season is nearly upon us. I picked up my new track bike in the weekend, photos soon!

 

The Never Ending Story of the broken shoulder and the numb hand...

Have used the following practitioners to assist my rehab:

Sports Doctor

Physiotherapist

Osteopath

Therapeutic Massage

Sports massage

It still aches in the cold, and some simple functional movements are still a challenge.  I can do fourteen full men's push ups though so it ain't all bad.

 

Once bitten but not twice shy...

I will be heading back to Tasmania this summer, I can't be said to be once bitten twice shy.  Despite the long 10 hours days at the track and the epic amounts of driving involved I have to go back, I'm not sure exactly why but I do know it will help me on my path to greatness (of some form).

14 July 09 • How many clowns do you know?

Check this out to find out.

Something I have perhaps more clumsily tried to write about before.

5 June 09 • Winter Riding

Winter riding isn't all that bad when it's not raining. When Auckland has mornings like the last few riding before work is invigorating.  The air is crisp and the sky is bright blue (once the sun comes up).

The cold is manageable if you are dressed well, but it is my dread of this very routine of what I call "padding up" for a winter ride that has been known to defeat me. There are so many layers involved in winter riding, it is a workout just to get dressed.

On the last few mornings I have worn the following:

Sports bra

Heart rate monitor

Thermal

Bib shorts

Short sleeve jersey

Arm warmers

Thermal jacket

Full leggings

Goretex wind breaker

Woollen socks

2 pairs of gloves

To put all of this on is hard work!

 

The routine goes something like this: 5.50am - Alarm goes off, hit snooze

6.00am - snooze alarm goes off. Contemplate getting up, realise I have a very cold nose, practically the only part of me not under the duvet. Realise how freezing it will be when I get up and have to hop about while "padding up".

6.05am - still in bed making up excuses not to get up e.g I'll do my efforts after work, I work hard and I'm tired 30 minutes more sleep would be great, training in the cold is bad for you, etc

6.07am - stronger willed voice hauls me out of bed.  Torrents of cold air hit me - rush to put on polar fleece and slippers

6.08am - start procedure of "padding up" while hopping about trying to create warmth.  Put on sports bra first followed by the cold heart rate monitor to the chest (my least favourite part of "padding up").  Make small wincing noise as heart rate monitor hits me.

6.12am - finished padding up. Munch porridge while feeling like the Michelin man barely able to move due to amount of layers of thick winter clothing being worn

6.15am - leave the house.  Feet and fingers instantly frozen by wind chill despite gloves and woollen socks. Start squeezing exercises to encourage blood flow.

It is this routine I dread - not the actual riding but the 4 or so minutes when I'm freezing while "padding up". It has been suggested to me that I sleep in my cycling clothes or put them in bed with me to avoid that 4 minutes of freezing cold pain while getting dressed.  I haven't had to resort to these measures but if Auckland gets any colder I may try them out.

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