Hell Just Froze Over

Why did I ride to work this morning? If I didn’t have light failure yesterday (10 minutes into my ride) I wouldn’t have had to endure the blood-freezing cold this morning ie weekly commute to work+ long training ride accomplished. The first 30 minutes of the ride were pleasant enough, but as I reached the Dandenong Creek path, the chill began to smother me; my fingers began to suffer that screaming pain as blood and nerves freeze through, and your hands become useless, unflexing, numb paddles on the end of your arms. 15 minutes later my toes began to follow – there goes my 3 year track record for avoiding chilblains.

The middle 30 minutes were slow and painful. Slow because my body and brain were beginning to stop functioning properly, and the bike path was black bitumen (poor visibility). The final 30 minutes were a relief (kind of) –I was back on the road and moving the blood around my body again, but I had to keep telling myself to focus and stay alert. I’ve been at work 3.5 hours now and I am still recovering from the bone-snapping cold. It will probably take me til lunchtime to start feeling normal. So much for thermal gloves and windstopper thermal socks. I think the only thing that saved me was my neck warmer which I wore up to my nose. During the coldest moments this morning, I was thinking of Hippy in London, riding in the snow and wondering how the hell he does it. Apparently it was the coldest morning since August last year (don’t ya just love meteorological records?? The coldest this, the hottest that, the driest, the wettest). It was 3 degrees when I got to work, according the The Age online, but it would have been colder out my way, and particularly along the creek path.

A Big Yellow Bus

How good would it be to have campaigns like this locally?

I'm pretty lucky that I don't see or cop much grief when riding the roads (why should I be lucky?? This should be the norm!), but it's that 1% you get every now and then that throws you, drives up the adrenaline, arcs up the defences and makes you realise that it's a mean nasty world on the bitumen, and you are only ever millimetres away from injury or death.

I do believe however, that there is a major deficit in non-cyclist road users' knowledge of what cyclists can and can't do on the road. One of the biggest ignorances is being able to ride 2 abreast, particularly on multi-lane roads. Drivers just don't get it, mainly claiming impedence. Funny thing is, if the 2 abreast cyclists were a tractor, slow-moving truck etc, the road rage wouldn't be flung around as it is. I actually made this point to a woman once, who had abused 2 of us riding on a back road into Geelong. It was a quiet empty road (apart from her, and us), and part of the Otways Classic (the original Otways Classic) so well sign posted. Unfortunately for her, she got stuck at an intersection, which gave me the opportunity to tell it to her like it is. When I made the tractor comparison, she wound up her window. That's one way to end a discussion. I think my point struck home.

The ongoing campaigns regarding cyclists' use of roads are aimed at cyclists, which in actuality make victims of cyclists by providing education on how not to be hit by cars, and continues to undermine cyclists' legitimate use of roads. Let's have some balance, and aim some of this education at motorists on how to avoid hitting cyclists, and on promoting the road as a shared and shareable space for a range of transport modes.

1 Lap Wonder or 15 pursuits in a row.

Well it’s official, I am truly a track rider. I just can’t hack even short road races these days. I made only 1 lap of the Castlemaine circuit of the Country Rd Champs, and it wasn’t even freezing cold, and raining melted snow as it was the day before for Metros. It was windy however, and combine that with the surging pace from the get go and the hills, well, let’s just say it hurt. And I’m still hurting from it.

I was dropped 3 km into the 30 km loop. My only consolation is that I saw the Elite Men’s race totally fracture at exactly the same point in their race ie 3km into the first lap. Fortunately not long after 2 other women were shelled, and I had 2 rabbits to chase, about 500m apart. I passed one of them about 8 km later climbing the hill just before Guilford. I’d seen the course profile and thought this was the nasty hill, and was quite chuffed with myself for having hammered it so well. Little did I know….

Riding through Guilford, my passed rabbit caught back up to me and I towed her to the turn off to head back towards the Pyrenees Highway. As we turned left I looked up and saw a huge wave of road bearing down on me. I realised that the Guildford climb was nothing and I had more joy to come. The second climb on the Yapeen Rd nearly had me – I was off the bike and seeking solace in the spares van. Fortunately it was full of DNFs (lots of punctures yesterday) so I got back on the bike and kept riding. I was demolished. My left hip was shorting out, I was in pain, I was beginning to hit the spew-zone and I wanted out. But, in the end, I’m glad I was able to get back on and keep going.

I crawled through the next section of the climb, which totally finished me. I could barely pedal the downhills, I was that feeble and pathetic. The final 5 km were even more pathetic, I was totally drained. I’d just finished 15 back to back pursuits. As I pulled into the finish line, Coach was laughing at me. I don’t blame him.

The State Masters Road titles are over this same course in 14 weeks. I’m tempted to take the soft option and just forget about it, but I’m also curious as to how much fitness I can gain to race this course in 3 months time. Climbing hills in training is one thing, and something I usually enjoy, one way or another. Multiple hills with a headwind at race pace is a separate animal, another genus of riding. Let’s see if I can tame that beast and make 2 laps in August at least.

Ride Eastlink (again!!)

CSV has proffered up it's version of riding Eastlink on June 15.

How this is going to work with Eastlink's planned open day, hosted by BV and Cycling Events Down Under, ie the circuit will be packed full of recreational cyclists, pedestrians and accompanying dogs, prams etc, beats me.

Might be a good way to celebrate my birthday that weekend.

Thursday Night Racing Version 2

Brain: hey legs! How’s it going down there? You up for a move or two in this race? Let’s go! I’m going now!

Legs: Man, you gotta be kidding me… you make us do hard slog during the week, shifting weights up and down, pedalling up long hills, pushing big gears for minutes on end, and then you lie in bed reading books at night when we should be asleep, and expect us to work for you now?? Sheesh get real.

Brain: Come on legs, we gotta go! I’ve started this move, now it’s time for you to back me up.

Legs: Bloody hell! What do you think we are? Robot machine legs?? We hurt, we’re tired and we ain’t doing nuthin! (Legs stop working) Cop that beeyitch!!!

Brain: Stupid feckin’ legs. I’ll show you… (Brain overrides legs, instigates neuromuscular meltdown phase 1) Cop that legs!

Legs howl and scream.

Legs stop working altogether, and continue to uphold my teschner's reputation.

Legs: Make us! You don’t appreciate us. We don’t even get a thanks, or a rub down, or nuthin’ afterwards. You think you can do it all, well buddy you better start paying some bills or else you’ll be having to think about how to play bowls.

Legs: 1

Brain: 0

I’m still racing D grade for another week.

Excuse #1046

I love the concept of excuses. When people expect a level of performance, and you fail to deliver, they demand an excuse: What happened?? What was going on out there?? So you provide one, or two, or even a couple if they are small ones, because accumulated they equal one big one. But of course, providing an excuse (or several) is then usually derided ie that’s just an excuse! You’re full of excuses! It’s a no win situation.

And so it was last night. Let’s put this into perspective: it’s club racing, mid-week club racing. I’m doing a strength training block (read no legs); club racing is just training. What’s the big deal if I can only hold a 100m attack this week? Why do I need to excuse myself for racing poorly? Please, just accept it and get over it. It happens, I’m training.

Team Canadia Does Beijing (World Cup)

Country Road Champs

At last the final entries and schedule are up for the Metro and Country Road Champs this weekend. Women's entries are looking good, particularly for the Country's, with 5 Masters women entered (only 3 for the Metros).

We race at 11.25 am, with the Masters 5/6/7 men and the U19 women. Great - Carly McCoombe and Shannon McCurly, Marquessa Jelabart etc etc. You get the idea ie I need to buy a second pair of legs - one pair for each lap of the course!

The forecast is excellent: wind, rain and a top of 15. At least we shouldn't get the hail forecast for the Metros on Saturday - suffer in your nix Metro riders :-)

I have no idea of what to expect, not having ridden the course before, and with my limited recent road racing experience. I'm sure Mrs Coach will have some advice.... I'll be bringing out the Eurus and also using the powertap to get some data. I'm assuming this is the same course that will be used for the Masters Road Champs in August. Better bring a change of very warm clothes, a thermos of soup and a towel!

S&C a GoGo

The last few days have been quiet – spent yesterday sleeping off this virus that has been pestering me, and the sleeping seems to have done the trick. Back on the bike this morning without too many hassles.

Saturday, Mr Legs and I ventured over the other side of town to finally have a session with the EveryReady Bunny of strength and conditioning, Marty A GoGo. Marty is one of those gems, balanced out by another gem in his partner Linda. It’s never a dull moment with that pair, and they are very generous and vibrant people. We have been talking for too long about Marty A GoGo coaching our strength and conditioning and so on Saturday we did actually make it over to the A GoGo gym-shed for a 40 minute session of lifting, bending, some more lifting and some jumping around for me. Marty strung together some regular exercises for me, making compound activities that I hadn’t tried before, then stitching those together in a neat circuit that was an overall workout, minimising time spent whilst providing bang for the buck.

I’ve done a fair bit of gym work over the years, and have strength and conditioning training (an almost qualified coach), but am a novice to plyometrics (read the books yet to actually do any). Without prompting, Marty added some plyo work into my routine, which including jumping on and off a 20inch bench. It may not sound like much, but when you’re straddling it, and haven’t lifted yourself off the ground like that since kid-dom, then it can be a little intimidating. I kept thinking about what would happen if I missed the bench or tripped. Needless to say I didn’t, (fear of embarassment will do that!) and was able to do a number of reps without much effort. Seems I have more power potential than I realised.

As well as being Footscray's C Grade Crit Champ 2008, Marty A GoGo is an excellent coach, and watching him at work, playing around with exercises to see where we are at, reminded me of how I approach training horses and their riders, by feel based on what you are seeing in front of you, rather than following set routines. The man knows his stuff and I'm looking forward to seeing how this new element in my training, ie taking weights work to another dimension, pays off.

Thursday night, back on the boards

Last night I hit the racing boards at DISC for the first time in nearly 2 months. Numbers were down, but D grade was still a sizeable field. My legs have been heavy this week, after a ripper week last week. I’m not sure if it’s the weights I’ve been doing, or not recovering from the weekend’s riding, late night reading (The Road by Cormac McCarthy – a must read) or a combination of the above. I wasn’t sure how I’d go, but as feeling pretty confident that I would be able to uphold my reputation of getting in the way and causing some trouble.

Race 1: Scratch. On the front, lead the group out onto the track, rolling along at a comfortable clip. It takes a while for Troy to blow his whistle for the race to start, but once he does, I settle in for my turn. I check behind me to see that all are on board the train and there is space. I roll along a bit further and check again, and still there is space, but even more space – all this vacant air, 20 or more metres of it, between my back wheel and the next rider’s front wheel. How the hell did that happen? Floss my teeth, I think, if they don’t want to ride with me, I’m outta here, and I hit the accelerator and GO! With 14 laps to go. Mini Me Coach is on corner 3, urging me on: keep going! I grin and say to him “Silly idiots!”. I gain half a lap on them in 2 or so laps, I squeeze a few more metres out of them and then my sparkler starts to fizz and spit and splutter and pop and finally fade. From corner 3 I hear “Here they come” and with 10 laps to go, I am back on the front, leading the pack out, where I should have been 5 laps earlier! I roll up, brain fading fast from the effort, almost totally spent, and see gaps behind the main bunch, which is quite small. Unfortunately it didn’t register that how small it was ie many of the original group shelled, and I don’t slot back in on the back of that front group but wait for the trailers to come in before coming back down into the sprinter’s lane. Mini Me Coach points: they went thataway! shaking his head. I laugh. They sure did! I roll around til 2 laps to go and retire. Totally & completely stuffed. Where's the ventolin?

Race 2: Point score. Not looking forward to this. I’m still not recovered from my solo effort of the front in Race 1. There is not much time between races because of the small fields and the combining of A and B grade ie 2 races of recovery before we are on again. Mini Me Coach tells me to roll with the bunch for the first 2 sprints then disappear. I say that’s what I normally do. He replies: No, no (you idiot!). After the second sprint you disappear off the front, not off the back. Once more I am the leadout gal, but this time I cruise. I even hang back so I don’t lose the bunch this time. Nice and steady, mainly because that’s all my legs and lungs will give me. So far, racing has been like riding the big chain ring up the 1:20 so I am happy that the sprinter/s are keeping their energy levels down. I expect to get totally blown away in the first sprint, and spend no energy to go with them. Fortunately they hit the brakes hard immediately after crossing the finishing line and I roll back on with out any effort at all. Thanks guys. I love wannabe sprinters and old masters. Second sprint is the same deal, but this time, without increasing effort or pace, I roll straight past them all to the front. Slack buggers. I am level-pegging with the one of 2 other females, and I know how she likes to race, true sprinter style hidden away til the final half lap. I also know she is competitive, so decide to play a bit of a game. I let my wheel slide just in front of hers. I get a bite, and she responds. I move up again in front of her, and she comes back at me. I have a giggle to myself – too easy. We keep this little egging game on, picking the pace up as we do, until the final lap, when I hear “huphup!!” from behind and a young guy hits us over the top. Egged girl takes off but she is too late, being too distracted by our little game. I let them go, with nothing left to ride hard, stagger back to the rollers for a cool down.

Race 3. The derny is still waiting for its part from Belgium so we are up for another scratch race. This time I put myself in the middle of the pack from the get-go and plan to look after myself until the final 5 or so laps. It's the only way I'll survive this one and I do just that. It’s cruisy and we swap turns and as I get closer to the front, I start counting and realise that I’ll be on the front when I don’t really want to be. I want to be 2 -3 riders back. Quick change of plans, and when there are 7 laps to go and 2 riders in front of me, I double check who is behind me. Egged girl. Perfect. Crossing the halfway line of bend 1, I pull out and charge around the 2 masters guys in front of me, taking a punt they won’t want to waste energy. Egged girl comes along momentarily, changes her mind and then there is air behind me – a lot of vacant space. I get 1/3 of a lap on them, nearly half a lap in 1.5 laps. Then my sparkler doesn’t even fizzle and zing but just dies unceremoniously, and I sit up and wait for them to collect me. I am cooked, fried, boiled, roasted, microwaved and then thrown out for being overdone, so I roll around, letting the others finish off the race as it should be done.

It was an interesting evening. I wouldn’t normally attack off the front at the start of a race, but the opportunity was there, and I wanted to see where my legs were at, and where the bunch was at. At one point I thought I may be able to make it across and lap the field, but very soon after thought, I realised it wasn’t going to happen. That manoeuvre screwed me over for the remainder of a short night – 3 races in an hour. But it gave me the hit out I needed after a lacklustre week of training. I drove home feeling that I haven’t made any progress in the last few months, still struggling to finish a D grade race. But I reminded myself 6 months ago there is no way I would have attempted what I did in race 1, let alone give it a red hot go, and then try again in the final race. If I had ridden that first race conservatively, I would have been fine and finished with the bunch. I also would have been bored and annoyed. Who knows, I may try it again next week – joke Mrs Coach!