Asides
Nov 08 - Dec 08
31 Dec 08 • Race Report
"This is the report of the crash from the Cycling News website which describes Kate's unavoidable collision with Tasmania's up and coming rider, Laura McCaughey. Kate really copped the worst injuries of the three of them" - Jenny
31 Dec 08 • Kate's Crash
"If you click on this link you will see Kate's crash,
but obviously the
Launceston rider got all the publicity!!!" - Jenny
Addendum: The link is now subscription-only...
(Pictures courtesy of the Examiner)
30 Dec 08 • I crashed last night and have broken my shoulder
"Kate has broken her shoulder racing in Tasmania. She is unable to type at the moment, so I am putting up this message on her behalf as her web mechanic: more to follow, but she is OK" - Craig
29 Dec 08 • Indoor Boards and More Learning
Last night we raced at Launceston which is a fairly fast indoor board track. �I got up for about 7th in the scratch race and got up for 2 5ths in the points race before Rosy got away by herself to seal second. �It was a good ride from her. My legs are warming into it though and I think the two days next at Devonport will be good for me. I held my position last night and only backed off once when I really thought I was going to come down!
A few more things learnt:
1. Always bring ear plugs.
2. �Wombats do come out of nowhere.
3. 94" is not that big a gear.
4. Do not hesitate, in that split second the bunch will swamp you.
More on 31st after Devonport...
27 Dec 08 • Lessons learned in Tasmania thus far...
1 - Never fly Qantas when flying with bikes.
2 -�Nissan Tida's have a strange lever thing on the gear stick to get to reverse. �Work this out early because you never know when you will need reverse in a hurry.
3 -�When off 40 metres do not wait for scratch in a 1000m handicap race as they may never get through to the front markers.
4 - When off 60 metres in a 2000m handicap scratch will catch you, so in the meantime take no laps because if you do when scratch does catch you - you won't get on.
5 -�Do not underestimate the speed of an outdoor flat track. Put the gear up!
6 -�Having no rollers is very annoying, especially when you have no time for a road warm up and they move a race forward one hour.
7 - Racing cold hurts.
8 - There is a lot of space in Tasmania.
9 - Aussies are extremely aggressive. �Learn to get angry fast and whatever you do do not think about crashing.
10 - It does, contrary to what the locals say, rain in Tasmania.
Next racing is on 28th in Launceston, indoor luckily! Day off today, so maybe some wine tasting. Note tasting, not drinking!
23 Dec 08 • Tasmanian Track Carnivals - here we come!
Ever since starting track cycling I have always wanted to do the Tasmanian Track Carnivals - a week of track carnivals in different towns across Tasmania. �The racing is a pretty big deal over there and a lot of the top Aussie track riders turn out. The prize money is also sizeable (compared to a Friday night at Manukau anyway!). �The carnivals also incorporate running and wood chopping!
This year I decided to get in early so I emailed the usual suspects to try and get a group of us girls together. In the end Rosy and I committed to going and booked our flights in May. �We fly over on the 24th - so I miss Christmas with the family which is a little sad but I'm also really looking forward to racing the Aussies and seeing what I can do! The programme of events is as follows:
- December 26th - Racing at Latrobe
- December 28th - Racing at Launceston
- December 29th/30th - Racing at Devonport
- January 1st - Racing at Burnie
The programmes each day consist of Wheel Races (handicaps between 1km and 2km), Scratch races and Points races. We are likely to get about 4 races a day. �Most of the large prize money goes on the Wheel Races so let's hope I get some good handicap marks.
We have a few days off to have a look around Tassie and then I'm going to see my beautiful niece in Sydney.
I am planning to do daily updates so watch this space, otherwise the results will be up on www.cyclingnews.com . I feel pretty good going in to the racing - now I just have to deal with $18 AUD per kilo of luggage I will have over 20kg - ouch!
21 Dec 08 • K2 Picture Gallery
(Roll mouse over for enlargement)
16 Dec 08 • No Thinking,�Just Doing
As a 16 year old I was part of a squad of riders that went to the Australian Institute of Sport in Adelaide. �We went for a week and stayed in the AIS house, rode the track and attended many other interesting lectures and discussions. �One of these was on sports psychology. �The convenor of the session told us a story about an Olympic champion track sprinter who, when interviewed after his gold medal ride, was asked how he had won the race. �"I can't remember" was his response.
Racing was so ingrained in that rider that he just did it. �No thinking, just doing. �That is what I am aspiring to at the moment. Nothing worse than coming in from a race and saying "I thought".
9 Dec 08 • Disappointment
... is about the only word to describe my last two weekends performances in the Taupo Hot Dog Criterium and the Criterium Nationals in Christchurch. I haven't quite felt right and in both races haven't had enough in the legs to stay where I wanted to be.
Friday night's track racing was good, I won all the women's races, but without most of the women's contenders present it's hard to know how good I was riding. �As I've said before the only way to face results like this is to move from failure to failure with enthusiasm, and despite threatening retirement I'm still looking forward to Tasmania and all it will entail.
The answer in times of disappointment is new shoes and I plan to buy some this weekend.
4 Dec 08 • My bike has come full cycle
A little over a year ago I went to see a bike fit person at Amy's request. �It was enlightening and she instructed new shoes and different handlebar and seat height. The result was that according to the computer programme I looked correct. Straight back and right hip tilt angle. �The real result was that I was stretched out and that my shoulders were up around my neck. �We concluded from the Taupo crit (see photo) that this has got to change.
So last night the trusty DB fitted my bike with short reach handlebars and a 7.5 cm stem, the same size I had before I had a computer programme tell me how I should be set up. This morning was my first ride on the new position and I don't care what the computer says it just feels so much more comfortable.
The short reach bars are certainly little hand friendly and DB even inserted handle bar padding so they really are luxurious. �The bike set up issues for a 5'3" woman �are never ending but I am hoping that I am nearly perfect, at least for the purpose of comfort.
25 Nov 08 • The Bike Industry needs to recognise that Chicks ride bikes too!
Throughout last year's track season I started to get a recurring numb arm problem. �Following some bike set up and maintenance, including shortening my stem moving my seat etc, this problem never really went away. Racing in the criteriums, where braking and gear changing are recurring events, my fingers, then my hand then my whole arm would go numb. �I had several phsyio sessions which kept it at bay for a short while. �I knew it was to do with me having tiny child size hands and my Campag levers being built for a gorilla sized male but chose to ignore this when the criterium season ended.
Racing in road races throughout the winter where a lot of time is spent on the hoods and braking through corners is not so frequent my numbness didn't really recur often so I thought it may have gone away.
So it was perplexing for me that in the last two criteriums my numbness has started again. �My newest physio (who is fabulous) has suggested it could be carpal tunnel. �In the meantime my levers remain built for a gorilla sized male. On speaking to Amy she let me try out her women's sized levers. Unfortunately by Shimano these are amazing. The reach on them is so tiny that I can get my whole hand around the lever no trouble, instead of the extension from my shoulder and reach required for my Campag brake. �Whilst switching to these women's levers may be the fix it would mean a whole new groupset which I can't afford - plus Campag is the luxury of bike equipment and I have always liked the finer things in life.
As usual DB came to my rescue and has put some 'bog', in the lever stop notch to move the brake lever about a centimeter closer to the bar. This feels great but shouldn't be the only way a woman can ride a Campag brake lever with comfort. It also looks ugly. �There are several other women's issues relating to bike building which I'm sure DB could write about for pages, including the myth that all women have long legs and short bodies.
In the meantime I'm booked in to see if I have carpal tunnel syndrome - watch this space!
19 Nov 08 • The Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge Guide
My coach Amy Taylor has written a book called The Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge Guide. �It covers everything you need to know about riding New Zealand's best known bike ride, from what to wear to what to eat and most importantly what training to do. �It will be a great bible for those who need a little more knowledge to conquer the 160km epic round the lake.
Available online from Awapress
14 Nov 08 • Training is Good
I have come to this conclusion having trained all winter for two things: criteriums and track. Training for these was great, but road racing didn't test exactly what I'd trained for, and it was always hard to judge how I was doing.
Last night was the first test of this training in the Cyco Tank Farm crit. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel and didn't want to get too overly excited and expect too much too soon. �This of course all went out the back door when the gun went and the adrenalin started firing.
I have now done the Cyco crits for about four summers in a row. Usually in the first of the season I get dropped, or am dangling off the back totally "in the box".
Last night was not like that. I was up there and felt good. I won both intermediate primes and got second overall. �In the last lap a group of about six of us got a gap but I lost their wheels up the home straight and had to sprint into the wind by myself for 500 metres. �I just got pipped on the line by Gayle.
But I was happy and next week I hope to win overall. Thanks Amy - I have always trusted that those cold winter mornings of training would come good!
11 Nov 08 • Unfamiliar Feeling of Satisfaction (coming last!)
I have never competed in sport for the sake of participation. �My competitive spirit has never allowed even the contemplation of mere participation. So it was a foreign landscape to line up in the epic K2 with the only goal being to finish in one piece, not gibbering, delirious or malnourished. �Our mini gruppetto consisting of Gaz, DB and myself had a loosely formed plan to "noodle" the 200 kilometres from Tairua, to Whitianga, Coromandel, Thames and over and back to Tairua with an all important lunch stop at Coromandel. We also hoped that by the end of the day we would still be talking to each other.
6am - Kilometre 0
We woke to an amazing, relatively sunny day and sauntered over to the start. The race organisers offered a food drop service for Coromandel and after finally finding the bag drop we made our way, begrudgingly (in Gaz's and my case), to the back of the long row of riders already lined up at the start. �Usually one would push one's way in near the front to make sure you caught the best bunch from the start. �But no -we had to remind ourselves of the goal of the day. Back we went to the tailend of the riders. �Four minutes after the gun we finally made our way through the timing shute and off we went up Pumpkin Hill on our 200km journey.
8.04am - Kilometre 0 to 100 (feeling fresh until fear sets in on Whangapoua)
I have never ridden near the tail end charlie's of races like this and there were people in sand shoes! There were ladies and gents of all shapes and especially all sizes. Following Pumpkin Hill we tacked on to some bunches which mainly turned out to be shambolic, with the idea being to take a lap by stamping around the person on the front, then blow and expect the next person to follow suit. �After about 40km we started to climb our way over several lumps and I was starting to wonder what I was in for. �When we hit Whangapoua I was beginning to get a little disillusioned. �We had set my bike up with 34 x 28 and I needed all of it. �Whangapoua was one of those climbs that switches back so many times that every corner you creep around you convince yourself is the last until you dare yourself to look up at which point you see far in the distance riders still climbing far up in the heavens. �The only consoling factor was the number of people I managed to pass, which for a trackie like me is unheard of while trying to defy gravity!
We regrouped at the top of Whangapoua and I followed behind DB and Gaz while they bombed one of the many wicked descents that reward the 2400 metres we climbed on the day. �Upon arrival in Coromandel I was certainly not in any shape to ride another 100km. �I was fearful at this point of letting my gruppetto down. We shuffled into Uno cafe in Coromandel town and ordered cake and caffeinated beverages and after
about 40 minutes of cake eating and talking to K1 riders we set off to pick up our food bags
and continue on.
Kilometre 100 to 150 (feeling like i'm going to make it!)
Yet more climbs took us finally down to the coast and a huge tail wind. At this point and having stopped for so long we had missed any K1 groups and any remaining K2 groups were also well gone. �However we cruised down the coast in the tail wind feeling not too bad about ourselves and the roughly 50km to go when we reached Thames. �Apart from DB's small episode with cramp we all reached the last water stop in good spirits. From then on the distance was unknown territory to all of us.
I took the opportunity at the water stop to take the two caffeine tablets I had put in my pocket for those "just in case" situations. Not that I was in one but the thought of some fizzing caffeinated legs got the better of me and I threw them down with some Leppin.
Kilometre 150-200km (second wind!)
With new found energy we bounded towards the Tairua turn off and Kopu Hikuai hill - the longest, but not the steepest, and importantly the last climb of the day. �As with the other climbs the three of us settled into our own rhythms. DB was definitely the most stunning downhiller of the day and this descent was to be no different! �As we began our descent DB and Gaz were passed by a couple of bogans in a Holden ute but not to be gotten the better of DB was tucked in behind them and on many corners was almost going around them. �On the last open downhill stretch we think we got to about 90-100km/h, absolutely wicked when you know there's only about 20km to go! Whoopee!
Longest 20km ever. �I hadn't grasped that it was still lumpy after Kopu Hikuai and used most of my caffeinated fizz up the climb. I was starting to think bad thoughts when Gaz gathered us up into a stretched out gruppetto. Something hardwired in Gaz's brain said that it was only 10km to go and it was time to go hard. So as Gaz cranked into his 11 I tucked myself up behind and surprised myself with how much was left in the tank! I even got a bit of red mist thinking that if there was a sprint finish I'd be there! �This only lasted so long though and with 5km to go we slowed it down and "noodled" into the finish!
Never before and maybe never again will I feel so thoroughly satisfied with just finishing. I was to find out on Monday I did so stunningly well I got last in my age group, which I'm actually quite proud of!
Notes: Food consumed: Five bottles of Leppin sports drink, 5 power bars, 4 grape Leppin squeezies, 2 chocolate Power Bar caffeinated squeezies, apple cake and Coke in Coromandel, half a packet of jelly beans, a Mars bar and 2 caffeine pills. Punctures: Gaz = 1
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