Suck My Dragster

Women in Cycling - New CV Grant

2011-07-08T13:46:00.005+10:00

I am watching this one from the side line, with interest. It was on the cards that CV would be successful in gaining funds (Vic Govt Sport and Rec I assume) to develop opportunities for increased participation of women in cycling.

For most of us, that phrase "increased participation of women in cycling" immediately makes us think of chicks on bikes, preferably racing, because we are CV members and we race. I don't think that's an unreasonable assumption. But I did have my doubts as to whether that is what the CV Board Executive had in mind for this money.

My doubts were validated when CV put a call out for "all women officers " to attend a forum, to be held at MSAC. This rang alarm bells for me in regard to 1. the cost of the venue and 2. CVs intention and direction for increasing female participation. When the grant was announced, a few Facebook buddies and I joked about more women to bring a plate. Looks like we weren't wrong.

I heard off the record that 10 women and 6 men attended this function. I am not sure what was discussed explicitly, although the St Kilda model was presented. My understanding of the St Kilda model is to get as many female members as possible. This helps support future grant applications, by demonstrating growth in female participation in the sport. The cynic in me asks, how many are racing ie what percentage of total female membership is racing. From my knowledge of previous membership figures, I'd estimate only 25%. Not a very high transition rate from ~~bringing a plate~~ socialising and coffee rides, to racing.

I'm looking forward to more publicity regarding CV's intentions with this grant, and perhaps an agenda of events/project planning so that the CV membership can see where this money will be spent, what the projected outcomes are, what the measurements will be, and to determine what real world results will be achieved.

But I ain't holding my breath. I suspect another project officer may be employed, and more functions for women who bring a plate at expensive venues will be on the board. I hope I am wrong and look forward to being proven so.

PS if the CV Board Exec are serious about women in leadership/sports administration roles, they could start at home. Currently there is at least one spot on the Board available, and I think two, to which women could easily be seconded. Let's see the Exec back up the rhetoric with action.

Vale Moonie.

2011-06-28T14:10:00.003+10:00

One of the special ones died peacefully in his sleep yesterday morning, in the short hours before dawn. Despite the Cushings, he was well, bright, chirpy and cheeky as usual in the days prior. He went as I had hoped he would: painlessly, without decline, peacefully and dignified as such a horse should. Moonie was a part of my life for 19 years, a good part of my adult life. He taught me much, and even in his death, he is still teaching.

I met Woodbine Moonriver when he was three, at his breeder's property where I agisted my Northern WB mare. He had been returned to Jan and Chiffa High by his then owner, a good friend of Jan's. Their personalities did not meet and Moonie was returned to find a more suitable home. I rode him in the months while Jan decided what to do with him, and she finally put him on the market. I hadn't the money at the time, and held my breath each time a campdrafter or showie came to try him out. None committed, and I kept riding him. Luck was eventually kind, and after a timely little pay out came my way, I bought the black grey with silver mane and tail.

Through Moonie and the Highs, I "met" Ray Hunt, and Tom Dorrance. My interest in dressage grew, and I had lessons with each clinician Jan brought onto her property, and travelled with her to others. I began to read the Classics and the Greats of dressage, and to put that into practice with Moonie. Moonie was always tolerant to a point, but was happy to tell me when I was wrong, or not quite right, or unbalanced, or annoying him. Canter aid not to his liking? He'd squeal with delight and pigroot. I found out by accident his potential for piaffe coming home one day from beach riding. He was doing his usual homeward jigjog (which he never grew out of, and was frequently as annoying as hell!) and I asked for more, but on the spot. Moonie was happy to give it. He thought he was pretty clever!

Moonie was always gracious with those he liked and trusted. He was constantly referred to as a complete gentleman by most he met, from vets and farriers to fellow competitors and parents of patting kids. People often mistook him for an andalusian, or a warmblood from a distance, and refused to believe he was registered full stockhorse. He seemed to radiate bigness in size as well as personality, despite his 14.3 hh stature, particularly when on show. In the dressage ring, he would become larger than life, and double in size and power, channeling his inner stallion More often than not, I was barely in control as he kept telling me "hang on woman, I know what I am doing, more than you do!!" His showing off led to some amazing offerings in the training arena, where he would frequently blow me away with his cleverness, making one plus one equal not two, but three, and then four. He taught me to trust my horse and to allow space for self expression, as well as negotiation, to the point where I was happy to let him tell me if today was an arena day, or a bush riding day. If you give a horse room to be, and to give, they will.

He was incredibly affectionate and cuddly. It was an in-joke that Moonie loved his food, but he loved attention, and just hanging out with his person, as much if not more.He was absolutely a people horse. If your horse asks for you to scratch his rump, take the time to do it. I'm glad I did late last week despite being in a bit of a hurry. He caught me that day with the twinkle of his eye; always the charmer.

One particular incident, that happened only last year, exemplifies for me my relationship with Moonie. He was off colour one evening, and I wasn't comfortable about it. At 10.30 that night, we got up and went out to the agistment to check him. He was exactly where we left him,and obviously not quite right, a bit colicky. So after a little tummy massage, I began to walk him up and down his paddock. I didn't need a halter, he came with me, with his muzzle by my leg, glued to my hand. We walked like this for some time, up and down in the moonlight. When I left him that night, I knew he was going to be ok, but somehow he left me a little richer for the experience.

Gratuitous Blog Post

2011-05-10T11:57:00.000+10:00

Because it's been two months since the last one!
Such is life. For those who may be interested, and too bad for those who are not (and if not, why are you reading this anyway???hehe)

Yes I am still riding
no I am not training
which means no, I am not racing
but yes, I am once again MelbRoobaixing this year (woohootsville!!!)
yoga is good for the soul as well as the body
as is meditation
study is drag when the course material is poorly written and the assignment questions have little pedagogical value
but I then have fun answering the questions literally, and then providing the real answer to the question as I have rewritten it. (I wonder where my son gets it from??)
my dog is getting old, which means when we go for walks, we walk like an old dog
I can't deadlift as much as I could in January, but I don't really care too much (unless I think about it in these terms)
Facebook is same old same old. Maybe I am reading too many Buddhist texts instead
I am tweeting more than I am blogging. Pithiness has its place. Meet me there.
I finally found a comfrey and aloe vera plant, so my life is complete

And now for some cycling politics:

Max Stevens has garnered some more comment below. Check it out. This guy seems to be a right piece of work, and is STILL writing media releases for Cycling SA. Go figure. The Boys' Club prevails.

And more on the Boys' Club: Cycling Victoria (apparently there is no sport in Cycling and that part of the name has been dropped. This also serves to make it look like Cycling Vic is THE lobby group for cycling in the state. Or, hopefully, so the Minister for Sport will believe). The State By-laws are under review and have been rewritten. Check here for your reading pleasure. I am yet to read them, and compare them to the existing by-laws for comparison. I plan to in the very near future (ie the weekend) and then I fully intend to take up my membership right and make comment in writing via email to the GM Kipp Kaufman. I strongly recommend that you do too, if you race bikes in Victoria. Be political, get involved and have a say while the opportunity presents itself. Otherwise your voice will be more readily ignored, and you will be labelled a noisy rabbleous type like me when you speak outside of designated opportunities, such as this one. So do it.

Dear Anonymous

2011-03-10T12:12:00.000+11:00

Dear Anonymouses

if you want to comment on my blog, please at least have the courtesy, and balls, to add a name to your thoughts. I sure as hell do, so why not reciprocate.

After this post, my new policy is to ignore all anonymous comments. Unless I want to have a laugh by publicly ridiculing (which I will if I can get a cheap joke out of it), or it makes a truly genuine contribution to the discussion (even if you disagree with me). If you don't know how to comment un-anonymously, learn. It's not hard! You can also simply add your name to the text of your comment. Not only is it not hard, it's not rocket science.

So dear Anonymous, get a name and stand up for yourself.

Which license is it today????

2011-02-22T09:47:00.001+11:00

The Victorian Female Masters Cyclist of the Year has just raced World Cup in Manchester this last week.

Jess Laws is living the dream, and all kudos to her for putting it on the line, stepping up to her goals, dreams and ambitions and doing what most of us just fantasize about while at our work computers. This post is not about Jess, but about process, and those who govern our sport, and transparency.

The selection process for Victorian Cyclist of the Year is usually straight forward. A selection panel composed of a number in the know would count how many wins/placingss Victorian cyclists in each category (JW/JM/EW/EM/MW/MM) had in a designated time frame, within the state for road, and for track. Apparently World events used not to count (although Steve Sansonetti won Male Master a few years back based solely on his World Masters Track Champ wins, because he didn’t win or beat any other male masters athletes at the local opens). Nationals are contentious but are sometimes included. It is assumed that eligibility for each category is dependent on the license held by the cyclist. Ie a master’s licensed cyclist is not eligible to be considered for the elite category, even if they race elite at some events.

So this begs the following questions in regard to selection of Vic Cyclist of the Year:

1. Who is on the selection panel?

2. What criteria are used? Ie what events, results etc?

3. Is each category governed by license type? Masters can change categories once during the year – how does that impact their eligibility for a category? Are they eligible for both categories in which they raced then? If so, is that fair and reasonable?

I suspect the recent selections were without clear criteria, which resulted in Jess’s award. If Jess is on an elite license (and I would gather this is the case, considering the international and national events she raced in 2010) then the criteria used for her selection should also apply to the likes of Helen Kelly etc. It certainly makes a bit of a mockery of Cyclist of the Year award in the masters’ category.

Lack of clear and transparent process results in a situation that leaves a sour taste in people’s mouths, and in the current climate of women’s cycling being slapped around the face with a dead fish, it does nothing to engender faith and confidence by female cyclists in our state sporting organisation. Add to this the fact that only ONE elite woman was selected for the Victorian track team to race elite nationals (the same woman who was Masters Cyclist of the Year), it says a lot about the approach CSV has to women’s racing, and team selection. Why would women train hard, spend hours of time, energy and money competing when they know they have very little chance of being recognised for their efforts (via Cyclist of the Year) in their respective categories, let alone being selected to represent the state to compete at nationals (despite any wins/placings at state titles, and major open events). Better off riding down Beach Road for a coffee, or even yet, doing CSV’s rec rides!

Max Stevens - please explain

2011-02-21T15:16:00.003+11:00

Max Stevens is looking like a bit of an embarassment for Cycling SA. Poor man has been in the news a bit of late, with his latest efforts at being unintelligent consisting of driving the Cycling SA van whilst disqualified for, of all things, drink driving, as well as loss of demerit points (lost before the drink driving charge apparently). A little bit hypocritical in light of his statement re: Dale Parker's drink driving charges. Pot, kettle, black anyone? Obviously Stevens thinks that identifying cyclists on the road will provide greater protection from drink drivers, such as himself.

Perhaps Stevens is a bit under the pump at the moment with domestic issues?

That might explain these comments he made recently about women's cycling in SA?

It would appear Max Stevens has helpful friends in convenient places so it's unfortunate for him, they were not able to assist with his lack of demerit points.

Or is it simply a case, as Stevens claims, of being harassed and persecuted by Adelaide news media?

How to get funding....

2011-02-21T14:35:00.002+11:00

Equestrian Australia's High Performance Plans were released today. What's this got to do with bikes? After reading the first few lines, I was struck by the similarity to the structure and pathways surrounding Australia's new pro team GreenEdge Cycling. (Cyclingtips is as good as any to read about GreenEdge). If one cares to take a look at the pathways structure around GreenEdge, it's incredibly similar to that prescribed by EA, needed to meet government funding requirements.

When I saw GreenEdge's pathway, with all it's links to NTID programs, State Institutes of Sport etc, I smelt ASC money. Now that smell is stronger, with EA's version of how they will spend their government money. There is nothing wrong with that, but let's call a spade a spade. Just because Shane Bannan said the team wouldn't be using government money, doesn't mean it isn't a viable prospect because of government money. I'd bet on my hunches with this one anyday. At least EA is up front and transparent about their bucket of money and how they plan to justify spending it.

Let them eat cake

2011-02-14T15:22:00.001+11:00

It is with great glee I read this via a tweet from @csv this morning.

It brings a sense of closure to me, after butting heads with a stone wall ever since I failed to regain Board membership at last year’s AGM, I have been a persona non grata within CSV ranks. This includes no longer receiving notifications, agendas and minutes of Race Commission meetings, despite being advised I was still a member of that commission.. Well until last week that is, when I was told the Commission had been dissolved some time ago. Funny, as members of that Commission were asking if I was attending meetings in January, and the Commission Chair seemed to think the Commission was still in existence a just under a month ago. But apart from those verbal discussions, I’ve had nothing but silence, and last week complete denial. How do you get rid of people you don’t want from a Commission? You restructure, change the name of the commission, and tell the people you don’t want on board that the commission no longer exists. In business such restructures happen all the time. The process fails in credibility when the advertised new position looks and sounds just like the old one, with a minor tweak to the position title.

Anyway, I feel a sense of closure, and that it is time to move on from cycling governance and politics. It’s been a funny week, with women copping a fair blow in track racing, losing the diamonds from the Ladies’ Diamond Stakes, junior women failing to be acknowledged in racing lists in the fixture, and dumbarse, patronising comments from Max Stevens of Cycling SA in regard to the type of women he wants racing in particular events in that state. Mothers, aunts and bunnies do not qualify, need not enter.

It’s frustrating and bloody annoying to look back on the time and effort and work put in over the last 4 or so years, and realise that the dent made is invisible, quickly puttied over when you turn your back for a moment. Ground hog day. What did I achieve in that time? Nothing. An omnium that will be non-existent in its current format as of next year (including being a girls only day out if the new format Race Commission has its way). As I won’t be there to argue the case, the format WILL change, guaranteed. The boys win, nothing changes and the System keeps grinding on.

What do I see as the main issues with Cycling governance in Victoria?

· Poor communication

· Lack of transparency

· Lack of focus (core function guys!! What is it?? )

· Poor communication (oo did I say that?)

· Lack of understanding of grass roots racing (ie club level, not marginal groups that attract Vic Sport and Rec funding grants)

· Egos (personal and between individuals)

· Lack of acknowledgement, true, genuine meaningful acknowledgement of the volunteer base that actually does the work of running races

· Burnout of those volunteers

· Lack of support for those volunteers – many pay their own way the whole way to officiate at races, provide their own resources and equipment to do their job properly

· Patronising lip service only to issues of importance to club racers ie all talk no action, no real care

I had a nice chat with one of my mentors over the weekend and it was clarifying. It made me realise it really is time to move on. The sport administration/governance is not ready for women, not ready for shifting too far from what it is comfortable and familiar with, which is looking after its very own, and doing its own thing in what is actually a highly dysfunctional manner. If cycling governance was a small business, it would be broke and without customers. Currently it survives because people want to race, and they make it happen.

As for me, I’ll race when and where I feel like it, and enjoy my chosen sports. I have a full time job, part time study, a new business to get up and running, two horses to look after and work. I think one race this season is pretty good going, and I achieved more than I had planned. As for those who govern our sport, I wish them luck, because they are going to need it.

Horsepower

2011-01-21T09:30:00.002+11:00

And now for something completely different. The handsome fella above is coming back to me, to stay permanently. I am stoked and excited to have Moonie back, after 6 years away. We are coming full circle, and what was started 19 years ago when I bought Moonie and began a journey of understanding myself and understanding horses, and who we are together, will be returned. Now I can take those 19 years of learning and give them back to a lovely mature soul who will need some TLC in his last decade.

He will be expecting some fanclub visits too. That means you Sue! ;-)

Victorian Women's Omnium 2011

2011-01-17T12:47:00.003+11:00

photo by Leanne Cole

What do you do when, late on Saturday afternoon a bunch of people start goading you into racing a state championship the next day, when you’ve not been training for it (ie minimal intensity work), haven’t raced for 9 months, haven’t even contemplated doing it and therefore haven’t sorted gear, food etc? Why you go see the Chief Comm and enter of course!

So that was the state of play for me on Saturday, when I went into DISC to watch the final events in the Men’s State Omnium Champs. And it started: why aren’t you racing? You should be racing. So you are going to bring your bike in with you tomorrow?? No, NOT the road bike, the other one! As I was helping Nancyboi to pack the car after he’d finished racing, the little seeds of ~~goading~~ encouragement started to sprout, and I decided I’d do it. Put my bike where my mouth was. Numbers were lower than in previous years, and the WMAS division was very sparse, and would benefit from an extra number. So I did it.

It’s an odd feeling packing for a state championship as though it’s another Saturday morning Perko training session, but that’s basically what I did, except I would be training on my race wheels, on a bigger gear, and had to pack more food, and wear my Sam Miranda kit instead of my training kit. I didn’t take aero bars, or my aero helmet. I kept it simple and sweet, no pressure. It’s a bit of mind shift to be absolutely not racing one minute and packing to race the next. And not just racing a TT or a scratch, but five very different events in 4-5 hrs.

Normally I am on the other side of the fence for the omnium, so it was pretty exciting to be experiencing it from the perspective of those for whom I help run it. First event was the 500m. I ended up racing the same gear as I did at States and Nationals last year, and kept that gear on the whole way through. It was great – I didn’t have to fuss and bother with the bike once it was set up. My time for the 500m was the same as States, and a bit slower than Nationals, but I was stoked. No training, no racing, and I haven’t lost anything there. And then I realised.. I’d won the first event. That was a bit of shock, as I hadn’t even thought about winning. I was just there to ride my bike.

Next was the flying 200 and I was really happy with my entry; a good line and held it in place. My time ended up being a PB, and again, I was in first place. I was stoked! The two events I was really interested in, I did times I was happy with, and won both. It wasn’t until someone mentioned to me that all I had to do was win the next event….. and it hit me. I was racing. This was the real thing, not just “training”, which is how I was thinking when I walked onto the track for the TT.

Scratch race, and I attempted a breakaway by hitting them from behind. But I wasn’t fully convinced myself, and ended up with an observant Claire Campbell seeing my move early, and Bec Williamson jumping on Claire’s wagon, leaving us fighting it to the line with a little under a bike length between Claire in first and me in third place. It was on! The two girls are faster than me over distance, and my only hope was to catch them off guard and hit them at speed, gapping them.

The pursuit was going to be a non-event for me. It’s been three seasons since I have pursuited, and there is a reason for that! I had a plan just to get through with some legs left for the final event: hold a particular speed and increase it slightly every couple of laps. It kinda worked, although I couldn’t lift it in the final laps and hold it. Second place for me.

photo by Leanne Cole

Our final event was a 10 lap points with a sprint at 6 and 1 to go. Claire and I were breathing down each others’ necks on the leader board. I had a plan, chatted with Coach Gary, mentally rehearsed the first part of my plan, and hoped like hell my legs could do the work. We rolled half lap turns and with 7 to go, I was on the front, as planned. And then I started it: backing into the girls, slowing them right down, 34 kph, 33 kph, 32 kph. In the back straight I jumped and hit the accelerator with all I had. I gapped them, managing to hold them off over the line, with Claire just catching me after I passed the line. First sprint mine and a declaration of this is my race, come get it from me. My plan was to do the same two laps from the finish, and as we rolled into the first bend with two to go, I slowed right down: 31kph was on the dial. I was getting edgy, thinking they are going to jump, surely I can’t get away with doing this again? As we came to corner two, I couldn’t wait any longer, and I jumped with all I had for a second time. This time, the girls were waiting for my move, and it was a battle all the way to the finish. I swung a hook or two (one was excessive and I am lucky to have not been relegated), kept Claire up high on my hip, and into the home straight she slowly edged her way past me to take it right on the line. A couple of metres out from the line, I had nothing more to go with, and I was thinking we’d be up for a photo finish. What a way to finish the omnium – right down to the wire! But as it was, Claire beat me by a third of a wheel with Bec hard on us for third.

photo by Leanne Cole

For me, it was fantastic to be racing an event I’ve supported since its inception, and haven’t had the opportunity to race because I have been busy on the floor. It was also a great confidence booster as well, as I have been avoiding racing because I’ve not been “training” and thought I wasn’t “race fit”. I’m not, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be racing. It was also awesome to realise I have lost no speed in the last 6 months, just speed endurance and some general “race” endurance. And somewhere along the way, I’ve picked up a race brain …..

photo by Leanne Cole

Thanks to Coach Brad and Coach Gazman for the teasing, goading, encouragement to get me to enter. And thanks to Coaches Paulee and Gazman for the racing wisdom. Thanks to Domestique Nancy for unpacking and packing up my playpen and making sure my picnic basket was full of goodies. And finally a big thank you to the officials and girls/women who put their money where their mouth is, doing the very real and hard work of making the omnium a reality each year.

Yes, I am still riding a bike

2011-01-07T13:08:00.001+11:00

I am sure there is a bunch of gossip doing the rounds that I've given up the bike... I kinda like it, if that's the case, because it means all my secret training can remain just that!

Seriously, after an incredibly full on 2 or so months, I started this week back at work and back in the gym with Paulee and the guys. My two training buddies had me in tears with the quips and wise cracks that were flying! The best bit was three of us lying on our backs doing ab work, me with a male either side, both of whom were groaning with each rep. Nothing like lying between two blokes moaning away either side of you, with me telling them to quit their dramaqueening!

This Saturday will be my first track session back with Perko in as long, and I am expecting slow times, or fast times but over 100m only, and a few visits to pukesville. Gotta love track!!!

And in other news: I've been checking out heavy duty, snow-proof winter riding gear (boots, gloves etc) while the Aussie dollar is strong, and it's snowing in the northern hemisphere. It's difficult to get quality, truly cold-proof deepest winter horse riding gear in Australia (and I have Raynauds), and it's difficult to get cold weather gear at a reasonable price. So I have been shopping online, looking at pictures of amazing looking lined, waterproofed, snowproof boots in gorgeous snowcovered fields, while it is 35 humid degrees outside. Somehow, it feels just a little ironic...

Logged on

2010-12-27T11:03:00.000+11:00

I have in front of me a laptop, smart phone (it can connect to the internet..that's normal these days, not smart) and an iPad. Overkill??

I am experimenting with the iPad ie this post is being written using it. I can't upload images or video to my blogs though, so I need my laptop to do that. And I am smsing a friend using my phone, bitching about how limited the iPad is for some things (mainly adobe products),yet awesome for others.

Seasons greetings everyone!!

Bugs in my Belly

2010-12-17T12:47:00.002+11:00

Or rather, a lack thereof.

You are, as they say, what you eat.

I take a bunch of supplements on a daily basis, under the guidance of my doc, and regular bloods. One of those supps is an industrial strength, practitioner-only probiotic. I've been taking it for about 6 months, apart from a short stint in preparation for some gastro testing.

I ran out of them on the weekend. My training has been going well to the point where I am about to step it up, I've been feeling good, and thought yeah, let's see how it goes. It's only a probiotic, so ditching it now when I am going well is probably a reasonable thing to do.

Come Tuesday I had a bunch of symptoms, kind of like chronic fatigue, or a nasty flu virus (without the head cold symptoms), enough to stop my in tracks. Wednesday no improvement and I was getting a bit worried. I hadn't made the connection yet. Then after dinner, after a nap before dinner (yep, I don't do naps unless I am sick) a little memory twanged, and for some reason I decided to throw a bunch of the just out of date regular, health food shop variety of probiotic I had in the fridge, down the hatch. I really don't know why I did it, I just thought it was the thing to do.

Next day (yesterday) I was marginally better, in that the heavy brain fog was lessened, and the aching joints were no longer, but I was exhausted, could barely get out of bed. About mid-morning it clicked: the industrial strength probiotic and the symptoms I had when I last stopped taking them. So I downed another handful of regular probiotics (I even thought of taking the horse's probiotic that is currently in the fridge!) and within an hour or so was feeling more energised. Fortunately we have a friendly health food supplier that will sell the superdooper probiotics without a doctor's "script" and I now have a bottle to keep me going.

It was an interesting "experiment":

1. it showed how much health relies on good gut function
2. it shows that these particular probiotics are actually doing something. What I am not really sure ie helping me digest nutrients better? Mopping up toxins from bad food/bad bugs (yes I have those) in my gut??
3. The mental angst I went through when I realised that I was getting sick all over again
4. The mental angst I went through when I couldn't train, particularly at a point where I was about to step it up because I am/was feeling stronger.

So the moral of the story is you are what you eat!

From here

Fix My Pony

2010-12-08T14:46:00.001+11:00

You can now follow my pony adventures here. That makes blog # 4! Although Eat My Dragster has kinda gone off the boil..

Time to rethink the Bute and Neurofen?

2010-12-02T10:48:00.001+11:00

First there was this.

And then today, this.

And I am not surprised. Inflammation may actually assist in the healing process? And those anti inflams you have been pumping into yourself and your horse may actually be hindering bone damage recovery? Something is afoot....

Commonsense, well my commonsense, says the body responds to trauma in particular ways for a reason. Sure, some of those response mechanisms may be medically assisted, but think about the inflammatory response for a moment. Swelling is often caused by fluids leaking out of tissue, or from the circulatory system "leaking" interstitially as it should. Both lots of fluid will have a role in mopping up the nasties that can occur with trauma, and delivering them to the waste disposal mechanisms within the body. However, there is a "fact" that exists within the horse community that prolonged inflammation is damaging, and that's when the Bute sachets come out and become a regular additive (I could say supplement, as that is frequently the way Bute ends up) in the feed bin.

But what happens when Bute and other NSAIDs do become a daily additive, rather than simply an aid to get the patient through a short but critical point in the healing process? I have a gut feeling that Bute doesn't simply delay or hinder bone healing, for example, but may interfer with the mineralisation processes in bone tissue, which is something more sinister than just "hindering" healing. And if it is doing that to bone, how does it affect other body tissues? We know already what it does to the gut, as do human form NSAIDs in people.

Horse people are quick to poultice, ice, bute, devils claw and white willow their horses to alleviate pain and swelling so that their horses return to comfort quickly, but in doing so are also then hiding a normal response which tells the animal (and therefore the owner) that the horse needs further recovery and avoidance of hard work. It becomes too easy to put the horse back into work, because the animal appears to have recovered, when in fact, it is functioning under the mask of NSAID.The useof Bute etc in such cases becomes a double whammy: the drug is impacting on healing efficacy, and on the rider's perception of the horse's capacity for work whilst still injured, or incompletely healed (thanks to the NSAIDs impedance of the healing process).

So it's time to really stop and think about how and why you are using NSAIDs on yourself, and your horse, and how you are monitoring the use of these drugs during the healing process.

Because it sums it up:

2010-11-26T10:15:00.003+11:00

From here:

Sinead Halpin

sinead.jpg

From Sinead: "I remember growing up and anytime something did not go as I had planned I would go to my Mom, looking for an explanation or sympathy. Pretty much, like clockwork, her response was, "Come on Sinead, this will build character!" Later in the tough times she would joke "Come on Sinead, you have enough character, don't you want to become a librarian!" Not a chance, most of these "character building" experiences have been with a horse, about a horse, or in the quest of a horse.

As a rider by profession, I have experienced frustration and desperation in trying to survive financially in the horse sports, let alone succeed in competition. As a person I have made mistakes and learned lessons the hard way. As an athlete I have broken my body in more ways than I can count. I am so thankful for all of these experiences because they have given me the opportunity to learn, as one can only do through experience and fighting for something that you really want badly. I have had the best moments of my life so far with horses. I wake up every morning and get to share my life with animals that mirror who I am. From each tear cried, each lesson learned, and each victory achieved the picture gets clearer to me. I am a horse trainer by trade but they have taught me far more than I could ever teach them.

I am so thankful for my horses, and for the people and friends they have brought into my life. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to learn lessons from these animals that are more valuable than anything that can be bought, or any ribbon that can be won. Happy Thanksgiving and thanks EN for making me take a few minutes and appreciate how lucky I am!"

I think the same can be said of anyone with a driving passion for anything, whether it be horses, bikes, painting, writing, advocating for others, saving the environment. Some people never acknowledge or recognise their passion. I wonder how life must be for them.

When a yam just won't do....

2010-11-24T12:22:00.004+11:00

And in other news, paleo track cyclist discovers the consequence of inadequate starchy carb intake.

I’ve never really had an issue with grappling to the keep the weight scales on the upside of a particular number, but at the moment I am. Even eating a heap of dark chocolate isn’t working that well. So after two weeks of feeling like crap, being down, depressed, cranky, unmotivated, and with complete mojo loss while training, I decided to do something radical, and have a bowl of riceflake and buckwheat porridge for breakfast. What a difference timely starchy carb makes. I am sorry strict paleo Ironperson Lady, but sometimes sweet potato/yams just don’t crack it for me.

After 9 months, I am still finetuning this paleo business, but overall, I currently feel the best physically I have felt in a very long time. It does make me wonder though, how much is also due to a radically reduced, incredibly specific training load, as well as diet. It's about whole body, whole life.

Equitana 2010

2010-11-23T10:23:00.004+11:00

The last couple of weekends I have been well entrenched in horseland, not bikeland. (and I am not talking shops either). Around 10 days ago, I sat my final exams for the Equine Myofunctional Therapy (EMT) certificate part of the Diploma of Equine Naturopathy. I am assuming I passed, despite one or two stupid answers provided during exam-mode brain fades. Now I have 30 hrs of log book to complete and I am a qualified EMT, ready for business.

The weekend just passed was the long awaited Equitana. I went with my superpass in hand, allowing me access to EVERYTHING!!!!. Frankly, it was huge. Last time I went was about 8 yrs ago, when it was small enough to be contained by Jeff’s Shed. Now it sprawls across 3 pavilions and an outdoor arena at the Showgrounds. It was a great way to get back up to speed with products, some old acquaintances, and who’s doing what in the dressage scene, after a 5 year hiatus.

The highlight for me was Steffen Peters, who in the flesh is an even better rider than the youtube footage of his bronze medal WEG ride a month ago shows. Sensitive, diplomatic, thoughtful and allowing (“That’s ok, he is entitled to his opinion” as Shiraz Black shies yet again at the boogieman corner). His humour, tact and considered approach in teaching both rider and horse in his masterclass were absolutely delightful. He is now a new addition to my short list of dressage heroes. Later when I rode Mr Moon, I was channelling Steffen, as in What Would Steffen Do?. I just wish some of our “top” riders did, in particular Lawnmower Lady who absolutely refused to STOP leaning backwards like the proverbial Pisa Tower no matter how many times Steffen politely reminded her that it was preferable to not to stay in that position after applying an aid. In the end, he kept repeating: stop leaning back, stop leaning back. She still didn’t get it. And later that night in the dressage freestyle, it was obvious none of Steffen’s advice had connected with her, as she rode a heavy test, which for some reason, the judges thought was worthy of third place.

One rider who did impress me greatly was young man from Qld: Jayden Brown, riding Furst Freidrich in the Masterclass. Quiet, sympathetic and absolutely responsive to his horse and Steffan's instruction. More like him please, and Australian Dressage is well on it's way to international recognition. With the likes of Jayden as the New Skool, I have strong hopes for horsepersonship and riding in Australia.

The Way of the Horse Competition was the antithesis of this however, with three trainers selected to take a young stockhorse each, from unhandled paddock condition to a display of riding through an obstacle course with 2 or so hours of work only. Way of the Horse is a major misnomer, and the competition lends itself to be called The Way of the Ego. Chad Brady managed to beat his baby steed into submission on Day 1, using a swimming pool noodle and some blue tarp. Apparently that kind of work looks impressive. He managed to stress his horse out majorly, and no wonder the baby humped his way around the pen with Chad on board, whilst Steve Halfpenny and Adam Sutton quietly went about introducing their babies to the halter. In the end, Adam Sutton "won" for which I am relieved and pleased. I didn't see the second half of this comp on the final day, the entertainment of the first round was bad enough. I don't see any value in this event, particularly not for the horses involved, not for the trainers involved, and it should be dropped from the program. It cannot showcase the good work that all three trainers are very capable of. How can it with such time constraints? Horse training is not formulaic. I am yet to hear or read any favourable comments about it, so why the Equitana programmers continue with it I have no idea. It's rather ironic when there were many posters around stating "Cruelty to horses will not be tolerated". Unless of course, you include a competition in the program that sanctions it.

I came away from Equitana with 6 pages of notes from Steffen’s masterclass, some new clothes, some goodies for the ponies, and a whole lot of motivation, ideas, opinions, thoughts and impressions about our local horse industry. Will I go again in two years time? It depends on who is the Masterclass presenter....

Horses can have Metabolic Syndrome Too

2010-11-09T09:09:00.001+11:00

It’s funny how the world collides in on itself, when you go looking hard enough. Or else it’s just self- projection, but I’ll leave that for you to decide.

Alongside my no gluten no wheat no lactose low sugars journey this year, I have also been studying the latest in horse management, including, of course, nutrition. This has been further sparked by ongoing intermittent lameness in my mare, and obvious insulin resistance/cushings symptoms in my loaner schoolmaster gelding.

Whilst on the surface, the two horses are very different, and have very different issues, I believe they are actually marks on a spectrum of insulin resistance, with Moonie being obvious to the point of clinical, thanks in part to his age, and Maz being at the opposite end of the spectrum, with her symptoms so vague and very specific (abscesses).

Both animals are good doers, and don’t need mountains of feed to keep condition on, and sometimes need restrictions on their dietary intakes. Moonie has classic insulin resistant fat deposits over his body and neck, Maz is simply in very good condition. Moonie doesn’t have feet issues, although his feet are not in prime condition with flat soles and contracted heels due to a lifetime of shoeing. Maz has been barefoot all her life, apart from a 2month period just after breaking in, when she had front shoes only.

One of the prime “symptoms”/repercussions of insulin resistance is laminitis or founder, where the bonds between the laminae (layers of horn) in the hoof, and the hoof and the horse, are destroyed, usually by an overproduction of MMP, a remodelling enzyme. This enzyme is overproduced as a direct outcome of leaky gut, cause by over ingestion of sugars, fructans and starches, or non-structural carbohydrates. This is of course an oversimplified explanation. Sounding familiar???

Traditionally, this overload of carbs was thought to occur on lush spring pastures, and from a horse raiding the grain bin in the feed shed. Whilst this is often the case, the situation is far more complex than that. And when one gets one’s brain around the complexity, it follows that most surburban and semi-rurally kept horses in Australia (ie in high density situations) have some grade of insulin resistance and therefore are quietly experiencing undiagnosed levels of hoof wall damage that is called laminitis.

Most recreational horses are kept in paddocks of less than acre, and are hand fed, supplemented by improved pasture (think of improved pasture as fortified white bread. It’s great for growing meat and milk, compromised for growing healthy, living beings). Hand feeding consists of prepackaged, cooked (yes, cooked) grains and other feeds, fortified with vitamins and minerals, and sold by a number of feedmills, nicely packaged like bags of dog kibble. Each brand has its own special mix of nutrients, so no two brands are quite the same. This makes it difficult to compare prices, and results, because the ingredients are not quite the same. This bagged feed is mixed with chaff, and supplemented with hay (often from specialised farms, so heavily beefed up in the sugars department thanks to superphosphates and other fertilizers).

It’s the equivalent of packaged processed foods and take aways for humans, with the same result: metabolic syndromes and diseases.

My mare is the first horse I raised fully on a premixed, cooked (extruded) grain based feed, plus chaff and hay. She had her first abscess within 6 weeks of arriving at my place, as a yearling. I’d never encountered an abscess before, and now, 9 years later, I’ve seen so many, if the mare was to have fractured a leg, or blown a tendon, I’d fob it off as an abscess. This year I have changed the way her feet are trimmed, to a barefoot style that allows the hoof to function correctly, which then facilitates better blood flow through the hoof capsule, and results in a heathier hoof. She’s had more abscesses continuously since doing this. But now I am not so sure we are dealing with traditional abscesses.

Abscesses are, I believe, on the same continuum as laminitis. An abscess is an inflammatory reaction to necrotic tissue or introduced pathogens. Laminitis is inflammatory of the same hoof area. They are absolutely related. Once I released this, I also realised I had to stop looking at abscesses like pimples: painful and problematic but that’s about it. Now I think of them as a warning bell, a bit like IBS, acne and unexplained joint pain and muscle fatigue in humans. Something is going wrong inside, metabolically. It’s time for my ponies to go paleo again!

Babe on Board

2010-11-05T13:11:00.003+11:00

I love the logic of safety and risk management in high risk sports at times. Today's news is that the Equestrian Federation Australia has implemented new rules for making stallions more "visible" (and in some kind of bent logic, therefore making them "safer") in public ie at shows. Official plastic discs, attached to both sides of their head wear, magnetic signs for trucks and floats, stickers for stables, indicating that yes, this horse is an entire male.

The logic behind this intrigues me. The display of the stallion indicators is for competition purposes. Most stallions at competitions are well trained and behaved enough to be able to compete and perform in the midst of distractions such as silly mares in season, bored geldings wanting to pick a fight, the horse illiterate general public who are attracted to your hunk of a horse, who is a hunk of a horse by the very nature of his testicles, wanting to feed him half their gluten laden lunch. The stallion identifiers won't change a stallion's behaviour. If a stallion is so ill-mannered as to be a danger to all and sundry, then he quite simply should be banned from the competiton and sent packing home, with his negligent owner in tow. Most likely, such a naughty boy didn't make it onto the float to get to the competition in the first place, to be able to wear his markers of ballsiness.

Most horse people don't need a plastic disc to tell them the horse in the queue in front of them, or the stall next to them, or the float beside them is a stallion (nope that huge crest is not an implant!). One would hope that most horse people would be aware of their own actions in handling themselves and their own horses around stallions. And if not, one would hope they would ask the stallion owner for advice and guidance if they find themselves based beside an entire. But as I said, most competition stallions are very well behaved, and need little special consideration from others. This regulation suggests to me how much "commonsense" knowledge has been lost in horse management in the last 20 years or so, and how risk management policies and procedures are currently perceived.

from here

Two rides, one arse.

2010-11-05T12:17:00.003+11:00

It's hard work being a track princess AND a dressage princess. But that's the way I like it.

This week I was voted off Schoolboy BikeIsland, and it is with much glee that I am enjoying the thought of less stress in my life; no more worrying about who said what to whom and why someone else got upset about it. Or something like that ;-) Frankly I also feel like ditching the whole bag of CSV/bike responsibilities I have, but I'll recover and get back into it.

The Hon.Schoolmaster Mr Moonie has settled in well, smooching and caroosing and increasing membership to his fanclub on a daily basis. He'd kiss babies if it would help. Dressage Queen Mazarella is not impressed, and now I find I am in high demand from two horses both wanting attention NOW!!!! Thank god they are not in the same paddock, or I'd be in traction in hospital, being squished in a horsecake love sandwich.

So I am juggling my time between the bike and the horses. It's been challenging, particularly with the recent heavy rains and a body that really didn't want any more of that hurtie stuff on the bike please. I decided that the best laid plans do not go astray when they are documented, so today I've written myself out a weekly schedule of which beast gets my arse on it, when. Now I am officially un-enduro, scheduling in ponyrides is a lot easier. Anything more than 2 hours at a time on the bike is really just not do-able, and no longer in my body's vocabulary.

And in other news, it looks like the 2011 World Masters Track Champs will be in Manchester, birth place of both my grandmothers. That's my goal for next year, so getting up for my first pre-dawn training session this morning, a first for many many months, was not as hard as it has been in the last week (so hard it didn't happen). One goal, one race (done three times, in three locations) and 3 PBs. Ka-ching!

My first pony ride in >3yrs. His first ride being a dressage pony in about 5 yrs!

I just realised: I am literally double his age!

Attitude problem. Who, me?

2010-10-21T11:42:00.003+11:00

What goes around, comes around. I guess that’s why it’s called cycling. And because I have been in a crap mood all week, I make no excuses for the bad pun. O, wait. I just did.

Whilst last week was great for training (I felt good, did good) this week was the opposite. Hopefully next week will be a compromise and have a show of balance about it.

On the weekend, I had a hard lesson in watch what you eat, don’t compromise what you eat, and get some long sleep. It set me off for the week.Or maybe it was just the hail and snow the fell that got me going? Good quality sleep for a short time doesn’t quite have the same gains as good quality sleep for a longer time. And adequate hydration is crucial. Don’t forget to drink your water!

I spent the weekend away massaging working Clydesdales and Percheron crosses. It should have been centring and good for my soul, and on some level it was. But on another level, my sugar and hormone levels got in the way and I have been cranky ever since. Perhaps it has something to do with being at a decision point with cycling, racing, horses. Or maybe not. Maybe it’s just because there’s a bucket load of shit going down at work, I have final exams in four weeks (oops 3 now), have two horses to look after for the next few weeks instead of one, am still having “health issues”, and I am over the politics of cycling and need a break from the freight train I have put myself on.

I have a long weekend coming up, and on Monday, all things going to plan, I am going to have incredibly stiff, sore legs from riding Moonie on Sunday. Needless to say, I am really hanging out for go home time today, and some extra time over the next few days for riding my bike in the sun, more sleep and chilling with my ponies (and text books).

Little progressions

2010-10-11T13:01:00.002+11:00

Today marks Day 4 of a block of fairly intense training. Four days in a row of pushing myself into the hurt box, sometimes fartlek style, but hey a good peak power reading* is still valid!

I am pretty stoked, because it's been well over a month, nearly 2 months since I felt this "good". And what's the difference?? Industrial strength probiotics. When I first started taking them (I am talking prescription variety here, not the healthfood shop version) within a week I felt an energy I had not felt in many many years. Then, with the testing period, I had to stop taking them, and I fell back to being heavily fatigued, foggy, achey. Now I am taking them again, with last week being week 2 of ingesting these horsesized capsules. I soaked up the last week of training without the usual crash and burn fatigue, and whilst I am looking forward to a day off tomorrow, I am also looking forward to the next four days of training I have planned out for myself.

Happy happy! :-D

*I scored a hit in the powerprincess wattage output stakes.Hammering up a hill always helps though ;-)

Ride like a cavetrackie

2010-10-06T12:02:00.005+11:00

As well as now being a one trick pony, I am going to out myself as a paleo fuelled trackie. You may have noticed the new byline on the blog header. Okay, fine. So what does that mean?

Paleo means no grain, no starchy carbs, no processed foods, no sugar, no dairy, no industrial seed oils (eg canola). This provides a good definition and outline.

But as an athlete, I need to fuel. So the grains and starchy carbs will be in, in a very specific manner, at a very specific time. The proviso on the grain is to prefer other starchy carb options such as sweet potato etc, and to totally avoid wheat and gluten loaded grains. For example, after training last night I had porridge of rice flakes and buckwheat groats, nuts, coconut flakes, LSA, 2 eggs scrambled in, berries, banana and some lactose free yoghurt. Mostly organic of course. Okay, so I compromised with the yoghurt (maybe I should call myself primal instead?).

I have progressed to this point over the last 6months, modifying my diet to overcome gut related issues. It wasn't a massive change, just some small progressive tweeks. Gluten and lactose were the first to go, and probably the biggest change I made. In doing so, I’ve had some excellent side effects, such as an almost immediate disappearance of joint pain and flu-like muscle fatigue and pain, and brain fog, with an increase in overall energy. Whodda thunk??? I’m liking those kind of side effects. Combine that with becoming an anti-wheat convert after reading about the nastiness of this beasty on the human gut, my ideas about what constitutes healthy, healthful eating have changed.

Why is this here, and not in my eatmydragster blog? Because it’s actually about training and racing bikes. As in, how do you fuel quality performance and recovery in training and racing when you don’t eat the regular stuff such as pasta and bread etc? There are some excellent books (see Cordain and Friels Paleo Diet for Athletes for one) and an abundance of great blogs (check out the blogroll on eatmydragster) as to the hows and whys of the paleo eating regime. But there aren’t too many blogs or books on paleo eating for track racers, let alone sprinter types. Most training for racing literature focuses on endurance, because, as we all know, anything done on a bike is an endurance event, even if it takes 10seconds to do. Uhuh.. mkay.. riiiiiiiiiight. (I actually suspect it's easier to do research on endurance cycling, quite simply). You’ll hear that sprinters need endurance because they’ll have several sprint rounds to the final, and need to be able to cope with that. Sure thing, but it’s not the same as racing 40km, 90 km, 160km, or an IP on the track. And to find anything about fuelling for a 500m -1000m TT, forgedditabout. That kind of event is frequently dismissed as it’s so short you don’t need to worry about it, so long as you are plenty hydrated.

So I am turning myself into an experiment of N=1. Heaven forbid, I am not even in the usual cohort range of experiment guinea pigs: wrong gender, wrong age, wrong total training hours per week to qualify for most ex phys cycling trials. But this is my blog, it’s about me. So you’ll now get the occasion menu for racing and training, as well as how I feed myself while away from home. And you'll get the odd research article. And the occasional link to an interesting blog post. And maybe some motivation/incentive to give it a crack yourself.

One mind

2010-10-06T10:55:00.002+11:00

Message to self:

One goal, one race, one time.

No distractions. No detractors. No digressions.

This track season my goal is to have one goal.

To be singleminded, single focused and specialise in one event.

Everything I do will be for that one race. It will be a challenge for me. I like diversity, stimulation. I get bored easily. So it’s as much a test in my self belief, my capacity for obsessing, my tenacity to stay on track and not wander off chasing butterflies.

One goal, one race, one time.

It's Time....

2010-10-06T10:29:00.000+11:00

It’s time. Yes, Gough, it is. Normally by now, I know what I will (or rather, plan to) be racing over the coming track season. This year not so. I have no idea of my real race fitness (limited is my estimation), and as per usual, being incredibly endowed with an overabundance of shutzpah and selfbelief as I am, I’m telling myself that I won’t be ready to race until January at least.

Country Track Champs are out this year, as I have theory and prac exams to sit/stand for my Equine Myotherapy certificate. Xmas Carnivals are a serious probably not at the moment. That needs qualifying by some real world racing in a few Thursdays’ time. Yeah yeah been saying that for a few months now!! Oh next week I’ll be there. Ha! ie Probably not.

I need to plug some racing gaps from January to March and I think club racing will be it. Women’s Omnium in January; well I organise that one. Perhaps a couple of the country opens, then it’s onto the Champs.

State Masters are in February and Nationals in March. I am very happy that Nationals have been brought back a month, as most of us are completely trashed by April. But in reality the timing totally sucks for me. I am on the State Junior team, and Junior Nationals ends 3 days before Masters Nationals start. Both are in Sydney. Juniors will trash my energy and legs with 12 hour plus days standing, getting dehydrated, less than ideal eating, fitful sleep etc. Then I fly back to Melbourne on the Sunday, only to get back in a car on Tuesday for the return trip. I could stay in Sydney but the additional expense, and not going home to wash, pack, regroup etc is as bad as the turn around going home and back. Damned either way.

Somehow I think it’s going to be a quiet season.

The verdict....

2010-10-01T10:11:00.000+10:00

So, it’s official. There is “nothing” wrong* with me….

I don’t have cancer, crohns, colitis and am not celiac. My breath tests came back negative, but because I had post test symptoms (which is not meant to happen, go figure) then the tests are probably “false”. My change in diet is working in terms of improving my gastric health (which by the way, is very healthy according to the GI. Ha! Well, I guess he did actually LOOK at it), so the verdict is: keep doing what you are doing.

So what does this mean for me? It means I now keep monitoring my post training recovery, have bloods done twice yearly to check my status to stay on top of any deficiencies that crop up, and maintain a gluten free, lactose free, low grain diet to manage gut health.

It’s been a challenging 6 months but it’s been “revolutionary” in that I have had time to think about this thing called cycling, and what it means to me, particularly when it sits alongside another deeper passion called dressage, which has had an opportunity to bloom after a very long dormancy.

I’ve done a stack of research on gut health, and how a thing called leaky gut can do all sorts of weirdarse things to the body, from achy joints and muscle fatigue, to cancer. I’ve been lucky enough to find a blog by a cycling coach that supports some ideas I have around track sprint/short course training. I am about to take some ideas that I worked on last year with one of my very good mentors, and extend them further. My preparation for the coming season has been nil, so it’s a great opportunity to put into practice those ideas, combining time efficient training with what would be considered a radical diet for athletic endeavour.

And alongside training for one event only this season ie Nationals 500m, I am getting back onto my Stubben, with the help of a horse whom is very dear to me. It’s kind of ironic that the horse I trained and competed on for many years, so that he now carries the honourable title of Schoolmaster, is about to become my schoolmaster. I am borrowing Moon from his current owner, to get my dressage muscles back into a state where I can get on my mare and stay put when she leaps about expressively in her early stages of training. So after spending years training my lovely little stockhorse, he gets to return the “favour” and train me!

And, in other news… I scored an autograph from the current World Champion, who obliged my request to sign his magazine cover photo last night at the World Road Champs Gala Dinner. Shweeeeeeeeeeeeet! I got to tell ya, he is SHORT!!!! LOL

Going fast....

2010-09-17T10:00:00.003+10:00

My week of fasting (15-18hrs at a time) followed by 8hr windows of "normal" eating, followed by a day of "you can only eat off this list" is nearly over. I lost 1.5kg in the first three days and gained a flu-like cold within the first 24 hrs (thanks to a training session I threw in that wasn't fueled properly). It's been tough. By midweek I was thinking, what day is it today? As in what am I allowed to eat (or not) today? ie When is my next test? Fortunately I managed to keep it together at work on test days, with some much appreciated understanding (ie letting me eat lunch in post lunch meetings!) from my workmates.

So I have had an enforced break from the bike, weights and training. I haven't wanted to think about it until today. Reading Jamie Scott's blog post (see below) made me realise I've been given a great opportunity to rethink my training plan leading up to track season (2.5 mths away) and how to be efficient as possible, allowing my body maximum recovery between sessions. It's too easy when you think about it. I am mean, seriously. My focus is track, to go as fast as possible for 2 laps (even in a scratch race - always a sprint finish). I never need to ride longer than 7.5 km in a race. My races take less than 15 minutes. A criterium is my long road race. It's not rocket science, but it's easy to get distracted and loose the trees for the forest, and the forest for the trees.

Steady State? Only when sleeping

2010-09-17T09:15:00.000+10:00

"...riders have between 20 (hilly), 40 (flat) and 70 (criterium) efforts above their maximal aerobic power (MAP/Vo2max), with a typical duration of 6-10 seconds.." during a stage race.

Pay attention. This is important! Read it here..... write that down....

A quick update

2010-09-10T13:10:00.001+10:00

on the last fortnight. My capacity for training, or rather my recovery from training, has slipped again, thanks to minor dietary changes in preparation for the GI testing I am in the midst of. Next week will be a complete write off with restricted foods, periods of fasting (15hr spans) etc. It's easy to get paranoid when you are either not on the bike, or when you are, you are riding like a newborn.

As a dear friend said to me a few days ago, it's as much a mental test as a physical one. So true...

from here

You know me....

2010-08-31T09:46:00.001+10:00


from here

Thanks to Treadly for the heads up

8 Glasses a Day??

2010-08-27T10:15:00.000+10:00

We all know dehydration in any percentage is BAD mkay for athletes. The body doesn't function properly when not fully hydrated. That's common knowledge. The blood thickens, metabolic function is impaired, the body slows down. Nasty things happen when the body seriously dehydrates, culminating in cognitive dysfunction, physical collapse, muscular damage, and ultimately death. But what is actually going on?

Here is something to think about: I came across it in another blog post on reasonings behind why drinking water helps weight loss. Dr Briffa notes: "It has been found that cells that are dehydrated do not take up glucose very efficiently [1] – something that could cause the metabolism to stall. Also, studies show that when the blood is made more dilute, fatty breakdown in the body (lipolysis) is enhanced [2,3]." He is making this case in reference to weight loss, but think about the energy sources the body uses during sub-max endurance efforts: fats.Glucose is also required as a metabolic process. Quite simply, the body's metabolism cannot work, because glucose is not taken up, when the body is dehydrated.

Here are the citations Dr Briffa uses:

1. Thornton SN, et al. Hydration increases cell metabolism. International Journal of Obesity [epub ahead of print publication 20 January 2009] Int J Obes (Lond) 2009;33(3):385
2. Mathai ML, et al. Selective reduction in body fat mass and plasma leptin induced by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition in rats. Int J Obes (Lond) 2008;32:1576″1584.
3. Schliess F, et al. Cell hydration and mTOR-dependent signalling. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2006;187: 223-229.

McWheeted

2010-08-27T09:40:00.001+10:00

I lasted 6 days. Not even a week. It's not worth it. It's taken 3 months to get back to being able to train hard, recover, get up at 5am to do some more, feel good, feel fit, vibrant and energised, as a fit and healthy person should.

Six days of a small amount of daily wheat and I feel wrung out, flat, tired, flu-like, hungover, can barely drag my sorry arse out of bed in time to get to work. Fark that. It's just not worth blowing a season of racing for an hour of the doc looking at my insides, to be honest. I know what makes me well, and what doesn't. I just ain't going there.

from here

Mud under the fingernails

2010-08-23T10:23:00.003+10:00

Another weekend of GOOD training, feeling GOOD whilst training, and being able to knock out some GOOD kilometres of the roundy roundy kind.

That's two weekends in a row where I've been able to train at last season's level, in terms of effort and volume. And to be feeling GOOD this morning at my desk is a sure sign that's something GOOD is happening. Unfortunately I don't think it's gunna last, as I'm adding gluten, and wheat, back into the diet for the next 4 weeks leading up to Dr Gastro putting his camera where cameras really shouldn't go. To be honest, it's been a real mental struggle to actually return, albeit partially, to a former way of eating. It took a lot of energy and effort to train myself to eat the way I do now, and it seems to be (finally) paying off. Why on earth would I really want to risk losing that? All in the name of health....

Anyway, I am feeling stronger, and fitter, and am faster than I was a month ago, two months ago. I can back up two days in a row with mileage and a hard workout. I can do a hard 3hours of track training in the morning (and not puke any more) and follow it up with a steady 1 hour plus ride on the trainer in the evening. I'm not going to make the Masters Nationals crit, I may or may not make the Sam Miranda Snow Road crit mid October, I may or may not have the endurance for Tour of Bright in December, but I am feeling a little more confident of some solid racing this coming track season. For the first time since early May I actually feel like getting my hands dirty racing!

In the meantime I've been dealing with one of the nastiest hoof abscesses in my mare I've had to nurse. It's punched a hole through the sole of her hoof, which means regular cleaning and bandaging to prevent contamination and further infection. Simple. Well it should be. Because 1) the paddocks are so wet/muddy with recent rains and 2) she is toe walking to take the pressure off her foot, bandages that should last 2 days easily are barely making it through one day. So this morning, we were out cleaning, disinfecting, bandaging yet again, just after dawn. When I got to work, despite having washed my hands thoroughly several times, I looked down at my hands and realised: I have horse owners hands once more. Horse grime embedded around the nails! And yes, it's GOOD.

The other ride

2010-08-19T14:21:00.000+10:00

Stuff related to that, for my own reference more than anything:

One of my favourite riders: Nicole Uphoff. The very great Reiner Klimke. Compare this to the early stages of rolkur with Isabelle Werth.

Not talking track cycling punters. Sorry about that!

Looking forward to Spring

2010-08-11T10:55:00.000+10:00

At training on Saturday morning 9am, it was colder inside than out. I wore: bib nix, long sleeved merino thermal under, regular short sleeved jersey, 2 x long sleeved, roubaix lined winter jerseys, leg warmers (should have had my leggings on) 2 prs of socks, long fingered heavy weight gloves, ear warmers. Between efforts, I put over the top my track pants and fleecy top.

Yesterday I went to a meeting in another building at work. It was cold at 10am, but by the time I walked out of the meeting into the open air 90minutes later, the temperature had dropped 5 degrees, I swear. It was bitterly cold. My outbreath was solidifying as icicles mid air.

The way it's looking for the rest of the week, I'll be need two thermal unders plus all that kit next Saturday. And I think we'll need some fish (or rum) to feed these guys when they come visiting:

Track is....

2010-08-10T12:26:00.000+10:00

tracks are the people who love it enough to raise the flag up at every event....
or organize the dingy storage container....
or show up a race they aren't doing just to cheer...
or teach beginner classes, promote races, and run training sessions....
or spend a saturday making a concrete podium....
or spend four hours sweeping the apron...
or make sure all the rental bikes are in working order...
or make a run during a blistering hot sunday to get ice for everyone...
or check all the waivers to make sure they are signed....
or tell people about races on facebook...
or give someone a ride to a race...
or make a new person feel welcome....
or lend someone a wheel or chainring...
or give someone help at a race...

Not my words. I stole them from here. But these words sum up a part of what track is about, what racing bikes is about, what any sporting community is about: engagement, passion, and a splash of selflessness.

bethbikes! words need sharing...

Burton Brained by Inception

2010-08-09T10:28:00.004+10:00

Yesterday, on my way to the Tim Burton exhibition,after seeing Inception the night before, I wondered what a Burton version of Inception would be like. The movie was brain rattling enough, so add in Burton's eye, and take on the world, and you'd have something truly brilliant.

So I had a pretty good weekend, although I missed out on training yesterday, giving my body a rest I think it needed (and somehow managed to sidestep any associated guilt trips: bonus!). Gratuitously Perkoed on Saturday (with some help from a massive withdrawal of probiotics two days earlier), I was seeing speeds I've not seen for nearly two months. How that happened I have no idea, considering I was running on empty (literally) but it was pretty good for the ego to see some slightly faster speeds happening again. I got a ways to go before I'm cracking March figures again, but I'll be right by track season. So long as I make it through September.

I have two weeks solid of hydrogen breath tests next month, followed by a double scoping to complete the fortnight. Then we should absolutely know what is going on with my guts. Perhaps. To be honest, the GI specialist was so allopathic, I think you could encapsulate him and take him as an antibiotic. Next time I speak with him, I'll be going under, so our conversation will be about the same as it was with the initial 10 minute consult: incredibly limited, one way and expensive!


from here

Wear your kit and drink it too.

2010-08-06T15:30:00.001+10:00

I was talking to my sponsor's rep this morning, having a discussion about sponsorship, amongst other things. Apart from negotiating a deal for the Women's Omnium in January, we talked about why riders are sponsored, or should be sponsored, what's in it for them, and importantly, what's in it for the sponsor.

My deal with Sam Miranda is pretty simple. I wear their kit, and get rewarded for making the podium (in their kit - this is important) in product. Fortunately I am a fan of their product. I don't think I could wear a sponsor's kit if I wasn't into what the sponsor was on about, or their ethos, their product, their way of being in the world. Fortunately I have a good fit with mine, and their kit looks pretty good too!

As a sponsored rider, I take my role as a promoter for that sponsor pretty seriously. I wear my kit when racing at big events, major events, such as State Opens, and championship events. By agreement, I don't usually wear it at club track racing on a Thursday night, which we both consider training events. Thursday nights I wear my fun stuff, which is usually generic, or sometimes my own club kit. When I wear my sponsored kit, I try to behave responsibly, behave decently, and always ride to the best of my ability (sounds corny, but if you are seen making the effort, even if you come last, it gives a good impression of commitment, dedication and honesty/integrity. Besides, the punters like to see drama in a race, and puking after adds to the drama!).If I want to slap someone, I wait til after the event and when I am out of kit (or at least not recognisably in kit). But most people who know me, know I rarely slap people, and when I do, I blog about it as well ;-p

So as a rider, I have agreed to the terms of the sponsorship, and stuck to that agreement. If I didn't agree to the terms, it wouldn't be an agreement and I wouldn't be wearing the kit. Pretty simple really. Some people don't seem to get this point however, and you'll see riders who ride for Sponsor A, rock up in another business's clothing for events. It looks bad for Sponsor A, makes people question the arrangement, reflects badly on the rider in terms of future potential sponsorship arrangements (lack of commitment and loyalty to a sponsor don't go down too well). All round, just not a good look. If you can't wear your sponsor's kit on the day (it's in the wash or the dog ate it) get more kit, or wear club/plain gear, not someone else's branded kit.

I am lucky in that my sponsor, whilst liking runs on the board, or medals on the podium, also appreciates good sporting values, fairness, enthusiasm, commitment to people and the sport, likes people who put in and give back. It's not just about winning, or being a winner, but a bunch of other attributes that adds value to the sponsored arrangement. I've heard riders say that they are not "good enough" to gain sponsorship, but simply it's that they haven't asked, haven't asked the right potential sponsor in the right way. And at the end of the day, it's still about racing, how you race and who you are on and off the track, not whose kit is on your back.

image stolen from Sam Miranda Winery

On a cloud/In a storm

2010-07-30T09:50:00.000+10:00


from here

I love this image. It describes perfectly my current cycling life: dynamic, to say the least. One day on a cloud, next falling asleep on the cloud, another day, in the middle of a storm, but always riding the wave of health, life and cycling.

Genre-challenged

2010-07-29T10:36:00.000+10:00

Currently I am finding myself blog-genre challenged, and the fallout is nothing. I am not writing, have no groundswell of creativity bubbling up like flaked rice and quinoa porridge on the flame.

And it's all because of food. The vast array of Melbourne based foodie blogs (well, Melbourne is a foodie mecca, as well as a fashionista mecca, as well as a St Fixter mecca, cultchural mecca), Melbourne based bike blogs, Melbourne based food by bike on a bike for bikes by bikes blogs is, well vast and arraysome. And in my own small way, I am contributing to this mess, across two blogs (well three if you count the other one). Most common-sensedly persons do it in one blog. So I am torn. Torn like an artisanally hand torn rocket and spinach salad, artisanally drizzled in handspun bespoke olive oil and biogeothermal balsamic vinaigrette between Eat and Suck my Dragsters. I could combine them (Eat my Sucker Dragster) but my blogroll (wheat, dairy and fructose free of course) would be tiresomely long, sending one from an early breakfast to a late lunch in 4 St Ali machiattos. Maybe I could swap to wordpress (even the name is bespoke and artisanal) and have pages for my blog.

Let me think about it, and I'll get back to you. I'll have a long black while I decide thanks.

The devil's in the food

2010-07-28T15:24:00.000+10:00

Perhaps I could eat an almond croissant tomorrow??


from here

Or, maybe not.

Thought for Friday

2010-07-23T13:26:00.000+10:00

Junior Track Nationals: What, already??!!

2010-07-21T10:28:00.007+10:00

Already??!! Yep, already.

I am part of Team Management for Junior Track Nationals again next year, and planning is underway already. It's a big job organising the team, where we stay, how we get there, when we train, when we come together to develop a team out of a group of individuals.

Next year, we'll be at Dunc Grey in March, for a bit under a week. We fly home on a Sunday, and then on Wednesday of that week, I drive back to Sydney for Masters Track Nationals. So I am deciding: do I just stay up there? Do I take a bike when I fly up with the juniors and leave it there? How much leave should I take, considering I am saving my days for a possible trip to France later that year.

It's an interesting role, being a Team Coach for the Junior State Team. I am lucky in that I have no direct "professional" interest in any of the kids in that I don't coach any of them, so can be objective, and deal with each without that baggage. Lately there has been some (implied) commentary on other blogs about what we do, and don't do as Team Coaches. It's been interesting to read, and has given me a bit of a laugh in regards to other people's perception of what's involved.

By the time a junior makes the team, they have already trained, been coached etc and come up with the goods to make it on the team. Once or twice, as a State Selector, we have taken a punt on a junior who shows excellent potential, and included them on the team. Fortunately those punts have paid off, and those kids are still shining, even more strongly than when we initially laid our bets.

So, the team coach's role is not to "improve" fitness etc. By the time we get them, it's too late for that. Our role is to shape up a team: get a bunch of young personalities, with all their hopes, egos and fears, to work with each other, support each other,while remaining focused on their own role and job within that team, and for themselves. They also need to learn to work with the Team Management, which means developing mutual trust and respect. That takes time, real investment, care and consideration for, and from each member of the team.

The team coach looks after the needs of a bunch of kids away from home, in a high-stress, high-pressure environment (for them, as much as us). We make sure they are properly fed, watered, rested and kept safe, 24/7. Trackside, we make sure they have their equipment ready, are dressed properly, have their numbers on, know what time they have to be on the rollers, in the pre-race holding pen, in the gate. We make sure they are focused, try to keep them emotionally stable, physically relaxed and prepared, mentally prepared with race plans sorted, make them laugh and chill out as best they can under the circumstances. We don't interfere with their own coach's instructions, but support their normal race routines as much as possible.

It's a very different kind of coaching role, and is as much about mentoring. It's a role that needs a complete and total understanding of high-performance racing situations, and one that helps guide a youngster, to whom this may be all very new, or totally overwhelming, through the business of elite racing, to give their very best on the day. You gotta keep your cool, be level-headed, not take things personally, be incredibly organised and proactive without being distant, over the top in or in people's faces.You must know how each individual in the team operates and reacts under pressure, be fully aware of everything that is going on around you and them, from commissaire's requests, to the day's race schedule, to what wheels are being swapped off one bike onto which other bike directly after X's race (and the gear to be used), to keeping an eye on how much Y has had to drink, and how long they have or have not been warming up, to any interpersonal conflicts that may be brewing.

It's high stress, not just because of the time pressures of getting people ready to race by a specific time, but also because you are dealing with teenaged emotions and personalities, their parents, their private coaches.

That being said, we volunteer to do this job, because we enjoy it, and believe we have something to offer the team, and the kids involved. All on the current Junior Team Management have raced at an elite level, from national to world championships. We all know that feeling of deep paralysing anxiety, the nausea of expectation and associated fear. We get it, when you are sitting in the gate shitting yourself in those five final moments before the brake releases and you jump out to totally hammer yourself against the clock. We get it when your legs are literally shaking with nerves, your breathing is non-existent from adrenalin and panic, and your quads are like lead as you line up for the start of a scratch race, not knowing how its really going to pan out. We are the first ones to see the utter joy, or utter devastation, and the complete exhaustion, as we catch them when the kids roll off the track. We get it, because we have been there, and we know what it means and what it does to you. We are the final part of a journey these kids take, to race at nationals, and one piece of a greater project for these kids.

More counting

2010-07-20T14:30:00.000+10:00

Wow, it’s been over two weeks since I last blogged. To be honest, I haven’t wanted to blog , because I haven’t had that much to say, and what I have to say, was better delivered via twitter or facebook.

I could have blerked on about how crap my training has been, because my body just won’t behave, or how frustrated I am with having to read food labels, research diets, keep an eye on what goes into my mouth and what comes out the other end, including performance on the bike. But I think that all gets a bit tedious and mundane, for me at least, if not for you.

One thing I do want to talk about though, is keeping a food diary as a way to measure how much carbohydrate and protein is actually going into your body. I have kept diaries before, to monitor this, and more recently, to monitor the kinds of food I actually do eat over a few weeks. After yet another crap training session on Saturday (ok, I had a bad week last week), where I could barely hang on to the warm up (somewhat humiliating) I realised that perhaps that niggling half-thought I’d been having about protein levels may have some truth to it.

So I drafted myself up a diary in excel, to count carbs, protein, calories etc, with a spreadsheet of foods I commonly eat, with those details noted against a measured amount of whatever food it is. Even after a couple of days of monitoring, I realise that I am way behind in total amounts of carb and protein I need to train well, recover well and do it again. So here is something I can control, being the control-freak that I am, and take back at least a part of my response to training; from you gotta be kidding me, to get out of my way, you’re blocking my view ahead.

A vision of the future for Ozlanders????

2010-07-02T10:25:00.000+10:00

ah to dream perchance..

Stuff that, let's make it happen!

Motivation takes on ego and goes to another place

2010-06-30T16:15:00.002+10:00

Finally, a few days of solid training with good outputs. And I don't feel wrecked. Yaaaaaaaay, just as I give up the last donated specimens for medical inspection and diagnosis (until August when I see the gastro specialist guy).

There is nothing worse than training hard (but not too hard, because that might be what kicks you back over into pathetic racer fatigueland) with that angsty niggle in the back of your mind, worrying, stressing about whether you are going to make it through to the end of this interval, let alone the next three to come. And when you do nail them (the first time in weeks) your ego then says, pfft shoulda gone harder softy! while you flex your muscles and say "grrrrr" in the face of the past.

But nail them I did, without nailing myself back onto the wooden crucifying planks. So now my enthusiasm and motivation are carrying my ego into places where my body probably shouldn't go, namely up a hill, or two alongside 20 other women, racing style. Ok, yes a road race. Maybe two. But that's all, no more I promise!

Because, as we all know, I am a trackie.

Jeannie does it again!

2010-06-25T13:34:00.002+10:00

Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli does it again! Overnight she won her 10th French National Time Trial title, her 57th national title, at a rocking age of 51.

The woman is a legend, and truly inspirational, sticking it to everyone who says women are soft, and age is a barrier. When I grow up, I want to be just like her. Hmmm, 7 years to train to win a national road time trial. Who said impossible? Certainly not the White Queen, Alice

Image from here, taken at the 2009 World Road Titles.

Being just a bit high maintenance

2010-06-20T15:48:00.002+10:00

My friends know I like food, good quality, fresh, tasty food. I am a bit of a food princess, but these days I am feeling high maintenance, way beyond princess. I eat well. Well as in fresh, unprocessed as possible, seasonal, organic preferably (and reasonably), local, varied, lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, carb controlled, quality proteins, timed well. An honorably healthy diet.

I've been in two minds about this post, but it came to the crunch a few minutes ago. I was googling flour combinations as alternatives to regular, every day wheat flour. You see, even though I am a bit precious about stuff that I ingest, and pretend to digest (more on that later) I do like a carby, bakery good for morning tea. Occassionally homemade, occassionally a muffin from my work local. Last week I whipped up a gluten free pumpkin thing. It was not bad, and now I want to experiment. After half an hour of googling I am over it. I am feeling high maintenance, and probably a little in denial.

Ok, so after having half a litre of blood taken for tests a few weeks ago, I finally got to see my new GP. She is one awesome woman. In the first five minutes she asked: So, how much time do we have? I asked: what do you mean? She wanted to know when my next major event was, and how much time we had to get whatever is going on inside of this machine of body, sorted. This one is going to take as long as it takes. I am allowing myself that much this time.

So bloods done, resulted checked. The outcome is that Dr T has no idea why what is going on is going on. Amongst other things, we do know that 1) my blood cells are being released by my bone marrow too young ie too immature to do their job properly. Think about that after 4 smashfest 1 lap reps ..... and 2) my guts are not absorbing all the nutrients from my food (see end point 1). My system is not feeding itself well enough for me to train and compete at the level I want to. And to top it off, Dr T also threw in: "I think something you are eating is poisoning you. We just need to work out what." Great.My healthy diet is making me sick.

Next step: a stack more freaking bloods! plus ultrasounds, a visit to a specialist for a viewing of my bowels (oo fun).. and.. more testing. This will take another 6-8wks, mainly due to the popularity of the people I need to see for diagnostics.

In the meantime, once the bloods are done this week, Dr T wants me on a gluten free, dairy and fruit free diet. Ok. Cool. My first thought: What the hell am I going to eat for breakfast? I eat bircher muesli every morning, except on the weekends when I have porridge with a bunch of goodies thrown in, fruit and yoghurt. I LOVE my usual breakfast. This is a major problem. A massively HUGE problem!! Life changing. And what about my twice a week protein shake? And my fruit snacks, my pre-training snack, my pre-gym and post-gym snacks? And the fruit juice I use to down all my supps? Straight veg juice isn't that easy to find on a Sunday in the local supermarket!

So, I am planning, reading labels, googling alternatives and being just a bit high maintenance. Just so I can race a bike and make the end of the race in the bunch. Guess I love my bike racing :-)

Yes, it's Friday again!

2010-06-18T08:56:00.000+10:00

The Long Wineing Weekend

2010-06-16T12:52:00.007+10:00

As a university worker, we do not get many of the public holidays offered to other Victorian workers, in lieu of time off between Christmas and New Year. If we do want to take the public holiday, we need to dip into annual leave to do so.

This year, my birthday coincided with this month's public holiday, a long weekend, and an invite to Raid Pop's Cellar, an annual event at Sam Miranda Winery as part of the Fit for a King wine festival weekend in the King Valley. So what's a girl to do, but take annual leave and go!

We got to Milawa early Saturday afternoon, in time for a quick 40km hit out (I'd forgotten how boring road riding can be: flat, straight country roads), before heading to Sam's for some of this:

A fantastic night of beautiful food, wine, and an eclectic mix of people. Brilliant! Thank you Pop for sharing your wines, and for the opportunity to learn a few things.

Sunday was meant to be another morning on the bikes, then head out to a few wineries to check out what else King Valley has to offer. Somehow, the bikes ended up here for the day

while we went here

I became very proficient at sniffing, swirling, sipping and spitting. But honestly, there is only so much alcohol the mouth can take! So when it came to a glass of red with a scrummy dinner of slow cooked pork belly, I really did think twice. Then I had one. My first glass of swallowed wine all day. Believe it or not.

Next morning, we had even more of this (yep, that's frost at 10 am, from a -4 degree overnight temp)

So I rugged up in my winter euro bike gear (first time ever I didn't get too hot in it!) and we rode to Sam's for a morning coffee (best coffee in Oxley and Milawa), and to cut a few laps of the crit circuit, before heading out to Whitfield, to ride up what had been reconned the day before.

It's been 6 months since I climbed a serious hill and it's been even longer since riding up one that was more than 7km long. Of course, I had to stop a couple of times to admire the view ;-) but I did it. And I also did the climb the hard way ie in reverse, although, driving home via Mansfield, I did note that that side of the hill has about 30km of uphill to the KOM. There's something to be said for being a support vehicle sometimes.

The reward for making it up and over the top was a late lunch at Whitty's Cafe

Note also the table number. Very appropriate. The guy serving had no idea of its significance.

A huge thank you to Nancy for a brilliant weekend. You're the best!

For Friday

2010-06-11T09:30:00.002+10:00

Running on Empty from Ross Ching on Vimeo.

I like this on two counts: 1: a bike tribute and 2: radiohead.

Thanks to Bikejuju for posting a great find. Such is the way of the interwebs.

What's wrong with equality anyway?

2010-06-04T11:24:00.005+10:00

Last night, a trio of old cycling men was overheard disparaging the call for equality in prizemoney for women. The logic that was used goes something like this:

Anyway, men are discriminated against because women in tennis get paid the same as men to play less games so they are paid more then men so that proves it so there anyway it's all just political correctness gone mad …

It’s been paraphrased, but reportedly not far from being verbatim, and captures the spirit of the discussion.

Equality in prizemoney has come up rather a few times in my life lately, the most recent being from a male friend who read my blog last week and said: “This business about equality for women; it’ll never happen you know “ , or words to that effect. Hmmm not sure I actually used the word “equality”. I think it was “equity” and the two are different. As is parity, which is what I am lobbying for. Because, frankly, as my male friend illustrated, as did the three muscateers last night, equality is too hard, too tough a concept for these guys to get their brains around, let alone chew over and reason out. I’ll leave the question of why, for the same reason.

Equity and parity in respect, which includes prizemoney (or recompense for racing, and doing well, as some put it) is more palatable. It doesn’t mean equality. Equality is not a battle female cyclists are going to win upfront. That requires numbers, and money, neither of which are forthcoming in women’s racing. Yet.

Before I go further, so some people don’t have to refer to their local Professor of Linguistics for meaning and etymologies (I prefer a dictionary myself), here are some to clarify what I am talking about:

Equity: the quality of being fair or impartial; fairness;

Parity: 1. equality, as in amount, status, or character.

2.equivalence; correspondence; similarity; analogy.

Interestingly parity also refers to pregnancy, and the pregnant woman herself, so in many ways a very relevant term to use here.

So what I am seeking, as an agitator, squeaky wheel and lobbyist, is equity and parity in women’s racing, in terms of quality of event, numbers of events, and in recompense for successfully racing (ie winning). In other words, fairness and equivalence in those.

The equality argument is always always countered with

1. Women don’t race like men. A: no, because they are not men. It doesn’t mean women’s racing is less deserving though;

2. There are less women racing, so therefore women should have a lesser share of any total prizemoney. Now this one is a hard one to counter. Promoters do have limited financial resources, which includes funding for prizemoney. As a promoter myself, I understand this, and understand the need to support those individual races that carry prestige, from history, myth and legend, cultural standing, and.. prizemoney (funny about that one!). Mostly those races are men’s races, because racing is a male-dominated sport, historically. There is baggage there that can’t be countered, although it can be moderated now.

The second argument has some kind of logic in its legs, which is why the equity and parity case will be a stronger platform from which to push the big rock up the even bigger and steeper hill.

So let’s go for on par with, and fairness, based on facts, numbers and real percentages that are meaningful and add value for people racing. It will take support from promoters and organisers, sponsors, sports administrators. It’s about an attitude shift and a cultural shift (always hard, always painful, often rewarding). It’s about breaking down barriers for men and women, to race. It’s about opening up the sport to more competitors, more opportunities to race.

There is a deep-seated fear that equality means control. It’s a very common counter to feminist argument about glass ceilings and equal pay in the work place. Women don’t really want equality, they want to be in charge. That argument is based in fear of loss of position, and status. Glass ceilings prevent dead wood from being pruned, and protect many positions that would be better off with change, either total change of the position itself, or of the incumbent who may be tired, jaded, bitter, uncaring or simply incompetent for that role. From what I’ve heard and read over the last 30 odd years of my awareness of the feminist movement, women really just want fair and equitable recognition of their work, their time, their competencies, abilities and capacities, and to feel valued in those areas, and justly recompensed for those. It’s the same with racing. There is no difference.

Fix my St Funkster in Venus on a Cloud

2010-06-04T10:32:00.004+10:00

I make fun of the hipster crowd, on their flat bar, thumbs abutting, skinny lycra-jeaned, fixed wheel St Shop coffee and beer bikes.

But in truth I also admire them, as well as mocking their perceived ubercool counter-ness.

Because they buck norms. Although in doing so, via the de riguer uniform of the St Hipster, they create new norms, in dress codes, modes of transport and behaviours. Same as goths, punks, bondageurs, preppies, bankers and lawyers etc. Bucking norms and conventions is an activity I am prone to support, if it makes people think, has positive outcomes, and doesn't harm small animals, or non-consensual others.

Unfortunately, I suspect that Fix St Hipster is still a male chauvenist, retrograding women into aprons and heels, adorning shiny oldskool bikes (rather than shiny cars). But like all cultural groupings, there are subversions. Women who won't be counted in heels and aprons in the form of visual wanking pleasure for some pimply youf, or greased up adult male in his shed. Or his toilet.

Uniformity vs diversity. Where is the diversity? Diversity has become counter-cultural, subversive. Maybe it always has been (I suspect so) but in our current ultraconservative times, diversity is anathema, publicly decried and ridiculed as a form of marking otherness. There is no diversity in bike racing. Predominantly it is white, male, middle-aged, monied. As are the representations of Fix St Funkster I see around the place.

During tennis season I am offended by, and despair at the criticism of Venus and Serena Williams, as much by women as men: they are too black, too muscular, too big (yep, I heard that one from a fat woman), too offending with their fashion. Good reasons to celebrate them.

In 2006, Venus wrote in The Times:

I believe that athletes — especially female athletes in the world's leading sport for women — should serve as role models. The message I like to convey to women and girls across the globe is that there is no glass ceiling. My fear is that Wimbledon is loudly and clearly sending the opposite message....

Wimbledon has argued that women's tennis is worth less for a variety of reasons; it says, for example, that because men play a best of five sets game they work harder for their prize money.

This argument just doesn’t make sense; first of all, women players would be happy to play five sets matches in grand slam tournaments....

Secondly, tennis is unique in the world of professional sports. No other sport has men and women competing for a grand slam championship on the same stage, at the same time. So in the eyes of the general public the men's and women's games have the same value.

Third, ... we enjoy huge and equal celebrity and are paid for the value we deliver to broadcasters and spectators, not the amount of time we spend on the stage. And, for the record, the ladies’ final at Wimbledon in 2005 lasted 45 minutes longer than the men's....

from here

Now I know cycling falls short in many of these areas. This is the 21st century, and it has taken 40plus years of hard work by the likes of Billy Jean King, Martina Navratilova etc to get to this point. And cycling is not tennis, but it could be.

These women of tennis achieved what they did by being outspoken, bucking norms, making a stand and sticking to it, and sticking it where it would be seen, and maybe cause a bit of angst and pain even. Change is difficult, but very rewarding if it achieves good outcomes for all.

So the St Funkster attitude of Fuck You Dude, I Just Wanna Ride My Bike, is one I believe in. Mine has an additional clause: Respect us for what we do, and demonstrate that respect. We train as hard, race as hard, we pay our money (the SAME amount of money), we travel as far to race. That needs to be acknowledged, recognised and celebrated, as it is in male cycling. Sometimes I wonder how women succeed in cycling. It's a tough gig, without many role models, limited support at home and in the field. I think those who stay, or make it (whatever that means) do have that support: unconditional, uncompromised. They feel valued in some way, or they are just so freaking hard nosed, obsessive compulsive it wouldn't matter any way. A bit like supermodels: freakish and incredibly determined.

We need more Venuses on wheels. No need to apply, just a matter of doing it.

Rapha Respect??

2010-06-04T09:54:00.004+10:00

It started here, with a competition designed to gather a database of email addresses. Harmless, a bit of fun. Hey, I even posted, although I still have my email address intact ;-)

But as I followed over the hours, and then the last day or so, I become agitated, unsettled, out of sorts, more agitated, then peeved, then downright annoyed and angry. Apart from being repetitive, unimaginative and boring, the comment posts also reflected something else: a seemingly universal attitude towards women in cycling, as in women should be left at home, "managed" so that the male commentators could "escape" (funny, as this was a discussion about how to motivate oneself to get out of the house when it's cold and dark) and engage in some "manly" activity aka secret men's business.

The more whinging I read, the more I thought, gees dude, if living with this person is so bad, leave! Then I realised: I was looking at a list of stereotypes of women as perceived by men. Predominantly as the butt of some male bonding jokery, but also as one to be duped, tricked, managed, placated, to demonstrate a male cleverness as getting away with some kind of behaviour that is not appreciated by a female partner. Her needs and wants seemed to be devalued against a need to go riding. Even sex is described as a night-before chore that will win a man bonus points in the morning (ie she'll be in a better mood). Stereotypes, apart from showing intellectual laziness, work in complex ways to maintain status quo, or enforce particular modes of being, and forms of (self) governance.

Frankly, the stereotypes iterated on the blog above repeatedly showed a lack of regard and respect for women. Women's interests, desires, concerns, requirements. My ruminating on it lead to a double whammy Facebook rant, reproduced here for those of you who are not on FB, or not one of my multitudes on FB:

getting a little tired of the insidious attitudes and comments from male cyclists about women in general and female cyclists in particular. Just because the zeitgeist is reactionary, doesn't mean it's Ok.. Sexism is sexism, racism is racism. Time to get over yourselves and your phobia fellas.

Immediately followed by

female cyclists don't deserve equity in prizemoney because they don't race as hard. Female tennis players may get same money, but don't play for as long, so that proves it. Silly old gits. Hope you don't get on the Board.

#2 was a second hand report of an overheard conversation at DISC last night, tidied up to make more sense (even though, of course, it doesn't. It didn't in the first place).

Cycling, can of course be replaced by the word "golf" or "formula 1". These days, it seems that if a woman is not a stay-at-home, income earning (not sure how that works, might have something to do with the next bit) pole-dancing master chef, then she should be. If she is not, she is to be ridiculed, despised, made fun of, abused, attacked, with her sexuality, gender, agendas called upon.

I've heard stories of women being punched in the thigh in open races, verbally attacked and abused, run into gutters. I'd hate to be a female cycling commissaire for obvious reasons. You get the idea. Of course, I've heard of the same thing happening to guys as well. Which begs the question: where is the respect? You may look stcool in your new rapha kit, but if you don't demonstrate respect while wearing it, while on the bike, then you're still a turd, no matter how ~~wanky~~ ~~trendy~~ cool the kit you are wearing.

Another Roobaix in the Musette

2010-05-31T11:56:00.013+10:00

With fairies like these, who needs stcoffee supping funky fixsterhipdudes?

Another Melburn Roobaix, done and dusted, and dusty it very nearly was. The rain held off (how I don't know, the clouds taunted us all the way), the company was excellent ( a mix of Bandidos, Audax, and trackies, and a couple of cross dressers, I mean crossovers who like to ride both ways).

I think this about sums it up:

HAVING FUN???

HELL YEAH!!!

video stolen from Jack on Melbourne Cyclist

photo below stolen from here

Leon, it's the other way!!!

Crumpler custom chocolate!!

YUM!

stolen from fyxomatosis

Roobaix 2010

2010-05-28T09:57:00.002+10:00

Two more sleeps YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY

What I had for breakfast this morning

2010-05-27T10:09:00.001+10:00

Yes, there is a CSV AGM coming up. Yes I am standing again. Was the post below a "Vote for me" call? No. Frankly, although I have unfinished business on the CSV Board, I am not precious about whether or not I make it back on to the Board. It'd be kinda nice to have some of my life back, to be honest.

Yesterday morning I was fortunate enough to attend an International Women in Sport breakfast forum, which was a side event to an International Women in Sport Conference held in Sydney last week. I had fruit salad, yoghurt, a cherry danish and heaps of coffee ( nasty 5 am start!) for breakfast by the way.

More than the breakfast, there were some interesting speakers with points to be made that connected and congealed with loose thoughts I've had over the last couple of months. Now I am processing, which will take some time, as there was much to process, new connections to be made with new possibilities to be realised.

Prof Kari Fasting (pres Women's Sport International) discussed growing women's numbers in sport; high level mandated support, the feminisation of masculine sports and sports culture. She didn't even venture into her research area of abuse and sexual harassment in sport.

Marjorie Snyder (Women's Sport Foundation USA) spoke of accessing non-governmental funds via philanthropy, meeting girls' needs ie going to where the girls are for effective program development and results, development of the Women's Sport Foundation over the last 20 years, from an idea that Billy Jean King had, to being recognised as the eminent women's not for profit sports organisation in the States. Lots of food for thought for women's competitive cycling.

Yolanda Jackson (Women's Sport Foundation USA). Yolanda and I had a bit of a chat over coffee beforehand. She is a dynamo! The Senior Director of Athlete Marketing and Promotion, her discussion was about media coverage, networking with female athletes to promote, speak, advertise, be role models, for themselves, for the Foundation, for sport, for women. She also discussed the roles of Pro Leagues in the States. There are women's pro leagues in basketball (WNBA) rodeo, motorsports, boxing, soccer etc. Imagine if there were a national pro league for female cyclists in Australia. That's mindblowing.....

Karin Lofstrom (Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport). Karin talked about government funded models, women in leadership and governance, coaching and technical roles (high performance management), providing quality sporting experiences for women (does lingerie grid iron crack it?), having leaders that participants can relate to (and elite athletes are often not it), and the personal touch in approaching women to take on roles in sport.

It was interesting to think of women's equity issues in access to sport as human rights issues.A lot of what I heard, particularly in terms of engaging with inactive women, getting them into a sporting activity (and cheerleading is not a sport!) I've heard before. There is plenty of research out there in googleland that talks to this. What was more interesting to me was discussion around women in leadership roles, and what that can do for sport, and people involved with that sport. It is more powerful than we realise.

Not Norwegian Would, Norwegian Did!

2010-05-26T19:21:00.001+10:00

What's the biggest women's sport in Norway?

Soccer.

Not gymnastics (it used to be), not netball, basketball, handball, but soccer.. er.. football...

And how did that happen? Because the Norwegian Football Federation wanted it to. Once upon a time, there was a women's football association, and a men's one which was the governing, institutionalised assocation. The main governing body eventually ~~subsumed~~ took on board the female governing body, which would normally be a death knell for the "amalgamated" organisation. In this case, women's football grew, rather than faded away.

The Norwegian model was strategic and systemic, supported by government regulation on governing board compositions ie it was mandated that at least 40% of board membership must male, and at least another 40% must be female. It begs the question, what does increasing female membership of a governing board do for the culture of that board, and ultimately the organisation governed by that board?

Norwegian Football was committed to growing the sport for women, to increasing women's competitive participation in football. 108000 women play competitive football in Norway.

Imagine if that were Australian racing cycling? The Queen of Hearts used to imagine at least six impossible things before breakfast. Impossible? Maybe the number is very optimistic, but not impossible. It just requires committed systemic and strategic planning, processes and application. And maybe a starting point is more women in governance roles, at national (yes, that's YOU Cycling Australia), state and club level. Not so hard to achieve. All it takes is for a woman to stand up and be counted, and for the men currently on boards/committees to count them, as contributors, actively engaged in the governance of the sport. Vote a woman on your club committee today.

Will your club aim for at least 40% of each sex on its committee? It will make a difference you know.

Mission complete

2010-05-25T09:43:00.000+10:00

Not #30 days of cycling, but 31, with 3 missed days. Resume normal programming now please!

Going Random

2010-05-21T14:40:00.001+10:00

Grapes don't taste like chocolate. I think it's a waste, but there you go. They just don't. They taste like apples and fresh rye grass.

I have 3 days left of my 30 days of cycling challenge, and am looking good for a 90% completion rate. Wednesday was my third missed session, thanks to a Board meeting. Meetings wiped out two of my days, with illness taking out the other. I am pretty happy with that, as it was a kind of suck it and see thing. Although, I must admit my plans to ride freely, and on any bike were a bit ambitious in the end. I alternated between track bike, fixed wheel on trainer and the ergo bike.

Landis is now finger pointing, and has finally admitted he is a total cockbrain (if only) by lying, and sucking a bunch of people into his lies for money. Well, he's a pretty good entrepreneur. Maybe he could start an urban hipster street cred shop, called St Floyd? It has that kinda ring about it. And like all passing truths, it will last long enough to suck in some people, assisting them to part with their moneys, and feel like ~~fools~~ goats when they wake up in the morning and see what they have bought.

stolen from ratemygoat.com. I'm not lying. Serious

When is an apple a day not good for you? When you experience fructose malabsorption. One local coach likes to bang on about the horrors of fructose, ranting about coke, pepsi and fruit juice. I say he is way off track, and it's the humble apple that is the real culprit. In fact, a Wonka MudSludge bar is "better" for you than 2 apples if you are fructose intolerant. Go figure. Maybe that's why I want my grapes to taste like chocolate?

Eat My Dragster

2010-05-14T11:27:00.007+10:00

So, when is a virus not virus? When it's something else.

Those of you who have been following my blog, or just know me, will know of the ongoing viruses I encounter at least twice a year that knock me around, plus my ongoing issues with recovery from training etc. I've learnt to label all these "health" (for want of a better name) issues as viral ie outcomes of dealing with a "virus". I have also learnt that "virus" is a catch all phrase that doctors use to label generalised health maladies in otherwise fit, athletic and "healthy" (blood pressure, pulse, weight, regular GP blood testing etc) individuals that means "I got no idea, but I am not admitting it".

Most of you won't know I have IBS, and have done for many years. Now, that's not something one talks about in general conversation. It's rather personal, and private, with the personal and private being heavily supported by social conventions and behaviours. For me, it's not something to make a big deal of. After lots of reading, lots of thinking, and a visit to an exercise physiologist/nutritionist yesterday, I am making connections between IBS, and my viruses. And those connections are making more sense than the some of the crap (yes, that was deliberate) that has come of GPs mouths at me over the last couple of years. So an investigation is in process, but in the meantime I am inspired.

Food is a crucial part of an athlete's training. We need to be very conscious about ingesting adequate amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fats and nutrients. If we don't, our ability to train, recover from training and to race at our peak is severely impacted. And we all like to eat well. Well. most of us do. One bike rider I know could eat shit on toast and be happy, so long as his belly is full. But that's another story. But what happens when what is considered a regular, healthy athletic diet, actually does the opposite for you? What happens when you eat what is considered an extremely healthy diet, full of fruit, vegetables, protein, a range of healthy carbohydrate sources, and suddenly a significant number of foods that you would regularly include in your weekly diet have to be removed? I am not just talking about wheat and gluten, but high fructose fruit and vegetables, or worse, combinations of fruit and vegetables.

At that point, it can be a bit of a mindf^ck. Luckily the exercise phys yesterday put me onto the ShepherdWorks website, which is Melbourne-based facility, providing qualified advice and support for a range of gastroenterologically challenged people. It's an excellent starting point. Next step was to google food intolerances in athletes, and variations on that theme. The two most edifying bits of information I could find, out of 4 articles in total relating to the topic were: acai berries are a must for athletes with food intolerances (no, I don't want to go to your store, thanks) and "athletes with food intolerances typically know what foods cause them problems". Er, no, they don't. Gross generalisation is not helpful, but thanks for trying.

So it got me thinking. Is there a need out there for support, a list of resources, experience by others, for gastroinstestinally challenged athletes? Most of the stuff I have come across is for average joes, who may also have other issues related to their gut problems (diabetes, auto-immune disease, obesity etc). There are no answers to my questions of how do you put together a gluten, wheat free, low fructose diet using the paleo diet principles, plus Cordain's/Berardi's principles of nutrient timing (eg starchy carbs directly and ONLY after or immediately before exercise).

It all gets a bit complicated. And, to be honest, tiresome. I like cooking, I enjoy eating well, and eating fresh, flavoursome food. I enjoy problem-solving, but sometimes it just gets to the point where it's FEED ME!!! time, and I can't be bothered worry about whether homemade hummus is paleo (it's not) or if the sourdough rye bread I am about to spread it on is paleo, Berardi and good for my challenged guts (none of the above, depending on timing!). I am hungry and I just wanna eat, and that's what I feel like eating.

So I am toying with starting a new blog: EatMyDragster, with good links, good information, my experiences training, travelling, eating, Or maybe not. Stay tuned.

30 Days of Cycling?????

2010-05-12T11:53:00.001+10:00

Well, I did start it a month late. And with the vestiges of some kind of virus or such. And the weather has been difficult. And I am a busy person.... and.. and...

So I counted: today I am 19 days in (gee that went quickly!!) and I've missed only 2 days, due to the aforementioned viral vestiges. So far, a 90% success rate.

I have a good feeling about the next 10 days.

If you can't win, then don't finish..

2010-05-03T14:12:00.005+10:00

"It would be in the best interest of all if those competitirs who have very little chance of an overall or group prize retire at Strath Creek Hotel and do not congest the road up the mountain. Give your mates with a chance a fair go. "

This little piece is attached to the bottom of the blurb about this year's Preston Mountain Classic.

I am stunned to say the least. Why bother entering if you are discouraged from finishing because you may not win or place? If safety is the major reasoning, then the finish needs to be looked at, rather than suggesting that competitors GIVE UP before the final climb of the race. Don't punish the competitors, who have paid to race (and finish) for a course that can't cope with a more than a few people crossing the finish line together. The ridiculous aspect to this is that the finish is at the top of a decent climb. A climb that in itself, strings out any bunches and negates a mass sprint finish at the top of the climb.

Hey! You! get off my cloud!

2010-04-29T09:47:00.004+10:00

Track Culture

What is it?

According to the latest uberchic ultrahipster vending machine for the coolly urbane, they are. Well blow me down with your single bean, name the farm syphon coffee breath. That ain’t no track culture wheres I comes from. Never seen no yoggie riding a gorilla bike in a limedrop skinsuit. So I reckon, hey, you! Get off my cloud!

I love postmodernism. Or is it now postpostmodernism. I’m not sure, as it’s been too long since I finished my Honours degree in Intellectual Wanking. Although I did enjoy it, and verbally ascribed orgasms amongst friends are always ego building. Anyway…. I suspect St Cloud is a front for the new postmodernists, thumbing a nose, or fixed wheel, at the likes of Nike and Addidas, while aspiring to be as Nike as Addidas. Or Puma. But definitely not Reebok.

While it’s nice, in a condescending, suburban way, to see “fixies” (let’s get this one straight, if the wheels spin, and the pedals don’t, it ain’t fixed. Please learn this unto yourselves Urbane Hipped Ones) being radically mainstreamed (yes, it’s deliberate), please don’t make claims on a neck of the woods where you don’t dare to venture, unless it’s a Come n Try day, and your bottom bracket is so low, and your rubber so slick, you pedal strike constantly and fall off the boards.

So what is track culture? I don’t think there is one. There are many. But my track culture is about grease covered hands, baby wipes, snapped on skinsuits, full fingered gloves in summer, astroboy rocket helmets, super record hubs with ceramic bearings (one removed), perfecting a the line of an entry for that 0.01 second, Shamals that really do race rather than bling on, swapping ideas, discussing observations, my turn, your turn, recover, next, lung busting, leg splitting, carbon fibre, steel and aluminium, diversity, comraderie, entering the bull ring for a goring, a visit to the spew bucket after. It’s also post training coffee and food (if you can stomach it). It’s gunning it up on Facebook, sledging on Twitter while reporting live race results, it’s lobbying for a women’s event that already (and only) exists for men. It’s gate starts, stopwatches, grimaces and tears, track wide grins and ecstasy, it’s the purring buzz of chains over cogs, the calls of riders within a race, the chessplay of knights to bishops, it’s getting to third wheel with three laps to go, or taking a lap with 25 laps to go, or blowing up shaking and baking the opposition, to whom you lent a tool/cog/wheel pre-race. My bike is not any more or less serious than yours. We do gym. We show respect, to ourselves, each other, the bike, the track, the sport. We pay homage to the past, while making the future. We congratulate our worst enemy when they beat us. There is a code. Most of us follow it, no matter how colourful and out there we seem.

But I can tell you one thing, it’s not a funky shop with a groovy name in a trendy inner suburb, selling brands never seen in a velodrome.

30 days of Cycling

2010-04-23T11:37:00.001+10:00

I am toying with pursuing this "challenge", starting this weekend. 30 days in a row of some kind of butt on bikeseat activity. It's a good way to work on my base, which is what I need to do right now. The only thing that's kinda flagging red with me is this freaking virus that is still clagging and searing my throat and ears, hot cotton-woolling my lungs, and keeping me tired and aching. 30 days could see me ride my way out of the hole, or further into it. Guess there is only one way to find out!

30 Days is also about finding ways to enjoy being on the bike, rather than just thinking about each time I throw the leg over as "training" with its associated data, outcomes, achievements (or lack thereof), recording, note-taking, planning, progressions. It's off season for me now, so it's the perfect opportunity to refresh my body and my brain (although riding 30 days in a row is probably not so physically refreshing). I have five functional bikes (well, one almost, nearly, soon-to-be functional) so I plan to make use of use of all of them over the coming month.

Of course, by tomorrow, I may just say bugger that! and keep doing what I've been doing: train, recover, train, recover. Boring!!!!!

I don't think so!

2010-04-23T08:41:00.000+10:00

from: http://www.candycranks.com/archives/7762

I don't think so! The plan is: Lawrence takes sprints! KC or no KC ;-) See ya in 2011, sprints!

2010 Masters Women Team Sprint

2010-04-21T10:44:00.004+10:00

Rainbow Warriors

After a lot of talking, mustering support, more talking, to-ing and fro-ing, by lunchtime on pursuit day (last Thursday) we had confirmation that a Women’s Team Sprint would go ahead, as a demonstration event only. A little victory, but one that was put on hold as communications became furry and blurry, with people being told different things at different times ie yes/no to the event itself; yes/no to combined state teams., yes/not registration has closed. This confusion meant that a couple of potential teams did not enter, which was very annoying for me as Chief Agitator for this event, and on behalf of those women who wanted to race, but were ultimately excluded because of these crossed communications.

The Actual Race:

A total of 6 teams lined up to race, a solid turn out. I paired up with Wendy Martin from Wangaratta (almost like Warragul! But not quite ;-P). Although we have raced together, we hadn’t raced as a pair before, so it was a matter of suck it up and see. Suck it up we did, and despite an interesting qualifying round, where poor Wendy spent two laps into the wind, rather than just the final loop, we qualified fourth and into the ride off for “bronze”.

Lining up for the finals, we were better prepared, had a game plan worked out and rode a smooth, team event, taking nearly a second off our qualifying time. Even though our opposition went fractionally slower, unfortunately it was not enough for us to come over them. I tell ya, it was the best fun! All the women who took part, took on board the nature and spirit of the event, as both a demonstration event, and as a political statement about women’s track racing. For that, I am very appreciative, and would like to thank everyone who raced it.

The Hard Work:

Once we had the event rubber stamped “GO!”, Mdm Hour (or is it Mdm ItalioTourer now??) got to work in her role on the CA Masters’ Commission, lobbying hard for the rule change to occur, so that the Women’s Team Sprint is a valid, recognised, sanctioned annual event. Liz spent much time discussing this with women at Nationals, taking on board suggestions, conceptualisations, opinions, feeding them into the Masters Commission, and then feeding back to the women what was being discussed and nutted out. Without that work over the final two days by Liz, we wouldn’t be so far down the track that we now are. For me, it’s one less email I need to send and keep chasing and for which I am grateful.

Once the CA Tech Regs include the Women’s Team Sprint, the next step is to move it up. Lise Benjamin is working hard to get the event incorporated into World Masters, via the UCI. Hopefully with Australia taking the lead, our changes to the regulations will model good practice for the UCI, and they will take on board the need for equity in this event.

This is the stuff most of the membership DON”T see, or fail to recognise. Lobbying, fighting for what you believe in, for the betterment of racing is emotionally draining, psychologically/cognitively hard work and requires dogged determination and persistence and time. And a tough skin, particularly as a woman in a male-dominated, old-school sport. It’s important that we get solidarity amongst female competitors on issues like this, to show demand and need, and also to support those who carry forward the banner for women’s racing.

Race Face

2010-04-21T09:34:00.006+10:00

Events like Nationals and World Masters can have a magnifying glass effect. You know the one, where you intensify the sun’s heat to burn a piece of paper, or torture an insect. I was the insect to National’s magnifying glass. All the training and preparation you have, and have not done, is on display, and manifested in one’s performance. Or lack of.

It can be joyous, it can be shattering. It can itch like sunburn, or soothe the ache of swollen glands, a viralled body.

Three key moments stand out for me from this year’s Nationals.

1. Finishing the 500m TT, thinking it felt slow, and looking up to see I had finally broken a 3 year mental time block. It wasn’t a brilliant time, but it’s the fastest I have gone in competition since Nationals 2007, where I was 0.2 sec faster. I may not have medalled, but for me, looking up at the scoreboard to see my time was the sweetest moment, better than any gold medal.

2. 5 laps into the scratch race, I swung up after my turn on the front and there was no one on my wheel. After having been boxed in for a few laps, the bunch then let me slide forward. I hung for a bit, with 15 laps to go, thinking what the hell do I do now? Do I wait for them, or have a crack at this gap they are giving me. So I did what any panicking, unfit track rider would do, I took off. And blew up. Game over for me. Sometimes I wonder where I leave my brain.

3. Flying 200. I felt good. Until I stood up to launch the bike off the bank, and my left leg didn’t engage with my body or the bike. Was I undergeared? Probably. Did I overwork my brain and my emotions? Probably. My time was the slowest I’ve done on paper. Although I hit one of the fastest max speeds I’ve done in training. Go figure. It was crap. I was devastated. And then I had to watch someone else ride in the heats, who needs much more experience to do justice to being out there. I was deeply disappointed that in her opportunity to shine, she sat up (literally) and rolled over. Bitter? Yes. My fault? Yes. I need to get faster to make it into the heats so I can race. Upside? I realised I actually do want to race. Tell me I can’t race, not "good enough" to race, I get sulky, very sulky.

I asked Leanne Cole to do a special sequence for me: race face. That’s what Nationals was all about. You can see it in these photos: anticipation, aspiration, expectations, nerves, effort, more effort, pain, relief.

Masters Women Team Sprint. Time For the 21st C!

2010-04-09T11:45:00.002+10:00

This is going to be a long post, just a forewarning, and in no way an apology. This topic warrants thorough discussion and analysis. On Wednesday, I read the CA Tech Regs regarding the Team Sprint at Masters’ Championships, as I am interested in getting a team together and entering next Saturday.

Naïve, ignorant me thought it would be simple. Ask a fellow trackie who has a similar approach to such events as I do (ie not too seriously!!) and is a similar speed, but has more endurance and we’ll enter on the day, as per the requirements. Because, of course, at all levels, all age categories, the Team Sprint for women consists of a 2 gal team over 2 laps.

But that’s where I am wrong. Currently, as the Tech Regs stand, for Masters Championships, the rules state:

(p58) Note 2: Team Sprint - Combined age of each team shall be no less the 135 years
1. There shall be a minimum field size of:
i. 6 starters for men’s category 1 to 5
ii. 6 starters for women’s category 1 – 4
iii. 4 starters for all other categories
2. If the field size is less than the above, categories shall be combined as per rule 3.65.03

And further, on p 59:

3.65.09 Team Sprint
1 The combined age of each team (which may include women) shall be
no less than 135 years, with each competitor’s age taken as the year
of birth shown on the licence. The team shall comprise riders only
from the same State/Association. There shall be no combining of
riders from different States/Associations, unless the Technical
Commission permits a composite team. A composite team should
only be allowed if there are insufficient competitors from a
State/Association to make up such a team having regard to the fact
that a team may be made up of different divisions and gender.

The rest of the referring Reg discusses how the event is practically run.

So let’s dissect this.

The minimum combined age: if the event was run “traditionally” then it would be impossible for a women’s team (of 2) to make the combined age requirement. But as the regulation stands, ALL teams, including women’s teams, must have 3 members.

How to compose that minimum combined age: As I read Note 2, a team can be composed of WMAS 1-4 or WMAS 5 and above. Men’s teams can be composed of MAS1-5 or MAS6 and above. I may be misreading this section of Note 2, as some of my colleagues have suggested this part of Note 2 applies to ALL events and not just the Team Sprint. If so, then this Note needs re-writing and to be made more clear.

But, if it does refer specifically to the Teams Sprint, it is actually impossible to present a women’s team of 3, combined age of 135 with ANY WMAS1 or 2, because the maths doesn’t work. Even if you have 2 x 48yr olds and 1 x 38 yr old, the total is 134. But as I said, I could be wrong in terms of what this bit of Note 2 is actually referring to.

Team composition:

“The combined age of a team (which may include women)…”

This wording indicates that the usual composition of a team is solely male, and consideration may be given to including women in that team. The Regs don’t explicitly state a team may be comprised solely of women (ie this is not the norm, male only is the baseline status quo from which the Reg has been written), nor does the event allow for a separate women’s category (unless Note 2 refers to the Team Sprint, when by proxy, there is an allowance for women to run separately). A combined gender team races against the men presumably. I am yet to see a combined gender team, let alone a specified category for combined gender teams.

I cannot imagine 2 guys, in their search for a third team member, asking a woman to be a part of the team, for two reasons. 1) to get a woman who would be able to race a comparable time to a male counterpart, you are looking at a WMAS1 or 2. This then causes issues with the 135 minimum combined age requirement. 2) ego factor. I do not believe there would be any men, who are prepared to put themselves and their money on the line in the very competitive Teams Sprint, who would be “willing” to include a woman in their team, whether to make up numbers or because that woman was actually fast enough to be competitive.

So that’s the nuts and bolts issue with the Tech Reg as it stands. But there is more. At every State, National and International Championship (ie CSV, CA and UCI) apart from Masters, the womens’ team sprint consists of a two woman team and is raced over two laps. There is NO provision in the CA Tech Regs for a masters women’s team sprint to be run according to a “normal” women’s team sprint. At Masters, it must be run as per the men’s team sprint. Now I have my own issues with the UCI cutting racing distances for women. Cycling is one of the very few sports where women do NOT compete over the same distances, or in the same circumstances as men. Unless you are a masters female cyclist doing the team sprint.

Normally I wouldn’t complain. However, there is a HUGE issue with numbers in Masters women racing. Quite simply it is incredibly difficult to get together a team of 3, and have a field of more than 3 teams at a Masters competition. If teams were allowed to comprise two women, as per the standard format, then the field would be bigger and therefore more competitive.

So by increasing the number of members per team, it effectively reduces the size of the field, which then appears as though there is a lack of interest and depth of field, in the event. Some women just cannot find a third person for their team. There is currently the option to include a man in the team, to make up the third member, but that creates issues of its own. 1) It would be easier to find a third woman than a man willing to be the third rider ie damn near impossible and 2) part of the issue is currently not having a distinct, correctly run women’s team sprint. By including a man in the team to make up numbers to be eligible to race as the rules currently stand, is politically shooting yourself in the foot. The point of this discussion is to develop an argument for having a separate women’s team sprint, run according to current UCI/CA women teams sprint rules.

So as it stands, the current Tech Reg that facilitates women competing in a team sprint event at Masters Championships can readily be shown to be sexist, discriminatory, ageist and prohibitive for women, and women’s only teams. There is a token effort at inclusiveness “(which may include women)” (p58) which is insulting to say the least. There is no need for this wording, and it could be readily replaced with less offensive, more positive wording such as combined gender teams are eligible to compete.

My desired outcomes from all of this are:

1) Separated men’s/women’s/combined team sprint categories
2) Revised minimum combined age restrictions: over 135 and under 135 for men and combined teams of 3 members; over and under 90 for women.
3) Women’s team sprint to be run as per the current rules for UCI/CA women’s team sprint
4) A rewording of the tech regs 3.65.06 and 3.65.09 to be clearer, remove sexist references, and to include the above three points.

Feeling Sorry for Myself

2010-04-08T10:31:00.001+10:00

I have been reading Leon’s blog and dreaming. It’s the end of the season, with one more meet to go, albeit a major championship, and I am dreaming of another place, with new adventures, that is far from the clamouring demands of training, work, study, every day life.

I have a week of training left. I’m not sure that’s more juggling my “health” against training, on a fine line of just enough, but not too much, and not really knowing where that line is. This cold virus is something else that only time off the bike will fix. People who heard me barking last Saturday at the track will vouch for that! I just want to go to bed and sleep off this deep seated fatigue, body aches and bad attitude. Yep, I am still totally over it, and my brain is not engaged with the job I have to do next week. So be it. Major meh!!

Track Talk podcast

2010-04-01T16:03:00.000+11:00

A small bunch of track buddies talk issues around women track cycling, over a few bevvies at the recent Melbourne Cup on Wheels.

Thanks to the Yarra BUG Radio show on 3CR 855am Community Radio

Elite/ism?

2010-04-01T11:29:00.001+11:00

Browsing the entries online for National Masters, I am slightly bemused to see I am (currently) the ONLY WMAS3 entry.

In fact, I 'm not. It's just that the rest of the 40-44 women who have entered are on Elite licenses. I find this curious and puzzling. For most competitive masters women, having an elite license doesn't change anything. There are not enough numbers of women racing opens to have separate races for elites and masters. We get lumped in all together, which I like. I am sure I've posted on the license issue before, but this time, I've done a little bit of quick and dirty research to see what races those WMAS3 elite categoried riders have done ie I went searching for a justification of their elite license. In Victoria, only one raced Senior States and competed in the elite category. In NSW none of the elite 3s raced elite/senior champs.

So if someone can explain to me the benefits of a WMAS3 racing under an Elite category license, I'd love to know!

It's Time!

2010-04-01T10:14:00.003+11:00

Melburn Roobaix time!

Enter! I have, Mr Flowerpants has, hundreds of others have. Time is running out... entries capped at 399.

Nonnatechnology - the new fear amongst trackies

2010-03-31T10:18:00.006+11:00

Beware. There lurks out there a devious, performance enhancing thing, known as nonnatechnology. Our fearless, IOC aspiring, UCI President, Mr McQuaid has warned us. Now it is up to us, as brave, courageous, compliant trackies to take heed and beware.

For your edification, so you know what to look for; some examples of extreme nonnatechnology:

Nonnatechnology in use in multifunctional race car technology

Nonnatech is very new and incredibly experimental. For this reason it can be volatile. (see wooden framed bike on a tanning bed). Hence McQuaid's justified concerns about The Big Three of Track accessing this dangerous technology. Tell tale signs of using nonnatechnology illegally are readily identifiable, particularly nonnabiotech, which is the most experimental form of nonnatech currently available to national sports institutes.

http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Nanobiotechnology

These two nonnabioteched trackies were once known as Chris Hoy and Theo Boss. You have been warned.

These experiments are often hidden under 5Bling gloves, nonnatech skinsuits (see youtube clip above for extreme nonna skins), ubiquitous Casco helmets and Bont shoes, and of course, the BT Stealth, which hides all signs of illegalities with it's stealthy stealthness.

You have been warned.

It's all fair in love and boards

2010-03-30T11:29:00.014+11:00

Ooops, I just sprayed my organic herbal tea all over my keyboard, after reading the latest journalistic gem on Cyclingnews.com, commenting on Pat McQuaid’s latest insightful gem on bike technology and The Rules.

Apart from being stuck in the 1830’s, McQuaid is on a mission to help the Greenlanders conquer the world in track racing. Or something like that. I’ve heard that the Greenland sprinters in particular, have difficulties in getting true aerodynamics happening on their IceBykes TM, as the airflow over the frame causes it to melt, thereby slowing them down. Without appropriate frame technology, they cannot get below a 10.5sec flying 200m. Damn shame. They show so much talent otherwise.

So McQuaid wants BT to stop manufacturing and selling Stealths so that the Greenlanders, who can only afford IcyBykes TM, and occassionally Hillbricks and Apollos (and second hand ones at that) after cashing in their annual snow allowance, can experience parity in the sport. That’ll work!

On the other hand, perhaps if everyone else slows down, then the Greenlanders can experience parity that way. Or maybe if the Greenlanders trained in a manner more similar to the Brits, the Aussies and the Germans, that might help the parity issue as well??

I saw some very funky glove technology happening at Masters States a few weeks back. I am really concerned. Carbon fibre knuckles, full fingered, kid skin palms, funky blue coloured gloves, suede palmed golfing gloves (golf gloves! Now surely they have to be banned! Cross sport clothing technology! It’s plain offensive if nothing else) . Now this is where I feel McQuaid could be very effective: disparity in glove technology. I actually saw some poor old soul wearing NO GLOVES at all. Perhaps a UCI fund raiser headed by McQuaid is required, so the dear can be presented with UCI sanctioned netti gardening gloves, with inbuilt blister protection and antifreeze technology? Alternately, let's just ban gloves. Much easier and still gains that illusive parity.

That would overcome the nanotechnological advancements THOSE track cyclists are using. And of course “While the current generation of track cyclists goes beyond mere riding position and into the realm of motor racing technology” we are all doomed to be dominated by revhead dickheads doing donuts in the infield. Heaven forbid!

From this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/BMW_Formula_1_race_car.jpg
multifunctional racing car technology; can be used as a tanning bed
A no go for track bikes.

To this:

http://www.ottavia.com/bike_catalog.html

A wooden frame: inflammatory material on a tanning bed.

And while McQuaid is browsing the pages of Cyclingnews, to see how his latest media release scrubbed up, or out, or whatever, perhaps he should take a look at this for some perspective.

Going to the dogs

2010-03-30T09:40:00.001+11:00

The next three weeks are going to hurt. Despite ongoing lurgyness, I am hitting the straps hard for a final, last minute, last ditch attempt to drag some semblance of competitiveness out of my body in time for Nationals. I’ve got nothing to lose, and maybe an extra thousandth of a second of speed to gain. At least I’ll look fit ;-P

But I am not the only one. So I am secretly doing happy jigs knowing that all you other masters girlies are doing the same hard work, chasing some elusive something that will make a difference, any kind of difference.

But may I ask a favour please? Of those entering the sprints: no drag racing please. How frigging boring is that? What’s with this drag racing business anyway? Scared of riding the boards, of playing with chance, of taking a risk? I say phooey to that, and am planning to have some fun. I may even do my own version of drag racing, more frequently known as ‘going to the dishlickers”, “puppy pacing, “rabbit chasing” or, simply, “the dogs”. Then again, my flying 200 may be so slow, I get to sit on the sidelines and watch… some drag racing. Most likely! heh

image stolen from: http://tinyurl.com/7edfrs

TISM is the new cycling

2010-03-25T15:33:00.001+11:00

Apparently Mr Flowerpants is one of the suspects, but I won't believe it until I see his pearly whites.

Are you disturbed yet?? And I thought track cyclists were a little bit out there.... this is downright scary. I thought TISM had gone back to their day jobs, playing cowboys with roots.

Cough Cough

2010-03-25T10:03:00.001+11:00

Yes, I am still with lurgy. All the classic cold symptoms, plus some, sitting on my chest. Yaay!! Perfect timing four weeks out from Nationals and the week leading into the State Masters Crit Champs. I won't be going (to the crit, that is).

So I am just pootling along, nursing the cold lurgy, trying to evict it's nasty mucousy evilness whilst not losing too much fitness (just some speed, just some strength, but what the hey!).

Junior National Track Championships

2010-03-22T12:41:00.001+11:00

I spent most of last week as one of three team coaches for the Victorian Junior Track Team at the Australian Junior Track Champs. It was a huge five days of work, with long days at the track standing on your feet, fetching, talking, feeding, watering, monitoring, massaging, negotiating, watching,yelling, strategising, coaching, motivating, providing feedback, bike checking, schedule watching, timing .. you get the idea.

The team was fantastic, not only because they produced the goods on the day, winning enough medals to get Victoria well ahead of the rest, winning the Ray Godkin Shield, amongst others, but also just a great bunch of people to work with.

Some highlights:

The look on Hilton's face when the U17 boys won gold and a new Australian record in the team pursuit
The sound of those boys thundering around the track each lap, winding it up to the new record
All performances in the scratch races. I got choked up at times.
Seeing riders step up and meeting the challenge of riding at their very best under pressure. Plenty of new PBS all round
The learning. I learnt so much, I don't know where to start. One of the major things I learnt was I DO know what I am doing!
The venue. Nice to be nationalling at my home track!
The heat and humidity. Thanks Melbourne - not!
The trust the kids place in you to help them perform at their best.
Laurie putting up with me constantly checking and rechecking the communiques, so I got the event timing spot on!

The downside: I went into Junior Nationals with a slight cold after States, which got worse as the days went by, but I managed to keep it at bay. Just. Now I am back at work, I am falling in a heap of fatigue and virus. Great timing for my own nationals in four weeks time!

Photo stolen from Leanne Cole.

The weekend that was...

2010-03-16T10:45:00.004+11:00

This weekend of racing was kind of special for a little group of us. It was a celebration of friendship, racing and a love of track, mixed in with some Club pride (go Warragul!) and friendly sledging, with the princess tissues doing their job.

My one downer: A couple of others showed that a little respect towards fellow competitors, event organisers/officials and the event itself goes a long way, and empty podium spots are not good for the sport, nor do themselves any good.

But mainly the weekend was full of Good Stuff: Mr Flowerpants debuted in the IP, and showed he has much potential for this soul destroying event. I did my third ever flying 200m, and finally won a race. The Sam on the podium yet again! The Poida proved to me she is full of shit and should trust in her training and herself ;-). The G-Bert displayed his gutsy racing style yet again, and was rewarded for his fly catching techniques. Princess Kaz is one tough cookie, and showed us what determination and grit really is.

photo: Brendan Stewart

Warragul CC had four riders, and brought home 3 Gold, 9 Silver and 4 Bronze. Not bad for a regional club with a small interest in track. Sam Miranda appeared on the podium four times, and has a state title to brag about in the Wine Club newsletter :-)

Check out the photos of an excellent Sunday's racing. Next stop, Junior National Track Champs @ DISC.

WMAS Combined Scratch Race

2010-03-16T10:27:00.003+11:00

My god! What a race!! The scratch at MCOW against international riders wasn’t as nuts as this race on Sunday. It was so full on, I have memory blanks, where my conscious thought process obviously shut down and I was working on pure gut reaction and in survival mode.

Photo by Leanne Cole

The pace was on from the start, but that was ok. We rolled a few laps, settling in, waking up the race legs, then Princess Kaz rode off the front. I popped my head out to see why the bunch had fallen off her wheel, and waited for the bridge over. A lap later and Karen was still out in front and all hell broke lose. I don’t remember much of the next few laps. Apparently I jumped onto Megan and Janelle as they came past, but I don’t remember that. I remember about mid race, being dropped off a small bunch when they put in just one more kick, and clawing my way back on over the next lap or so. I hung on until 5 to go, when they kicked on, yet again. That was my first pop. Second pop came with two laps to go, and it was just a matter of finishing, with Megan and Karen in front of me for 1-2 in WMAS3. The field was completely ripped apart, with no chance of a bunch finish. Sue McCarthy dictated pace and rode a brilliant race, winning decisively, well clear of second placegetter Megan Marsh.

It was one of the toughest scratch races I have ridden. After two hard days riding and racing, it was a matter of survival. My ability to change up gears rapidly was shot, so I was limited in being able to go with attacks or sudden lifts in pace. I needed a motorbike to slowly wind up behind! But it was excellent racing, hard nasty scratch racing, and I think we proved a few punters wrong about how women race on Sunday afternoon.

Photo by Leanne Cole

500m Time Trial

2010-03-15T16:00:00.003+11:00

I had no idea what to expect coming out of the gate for the 500m Time Trial. Last time I came out of a gate was at Worlds in October. I hadn’t timed myself in training for a few months, and the last time I had a clock on me, was for a flying effort. Then, my legs weren’t flash and neither was the time. My legs weren’t flash on Saturday afternoon either, so I was going to have to be happy with something in the 42s, if I was honest with myself. I felt good coming out of the blocks, a little tentative as usual through the first corner, then I let it rip as best I could. I didn’t die in corner 2 lap 2, but held on for a slow fade in the final bend and across the finish line. It didn't feel fast, and it wasn't. 42.76. Same as Worlds, similar to Nationals last year. And one one hundredths slower than Fleur Spriggs, who got Silver. That’s how close we were. A blink. A glitch in the Matrix is longer than that. But, it would have been worse to have gotten fourth by that much (and I’ve been in that situation, or similar, before). And of course, if it had been me for silver, not Fleur, I wouldn’t even be writing this post as I am! So I am not going to whinge too much about such a close placing. :-)

State Masters Sprint Champion

2010-03-15T15:47:00.004+11:00

Results never tell the full story. Pictures can be deceiving. Standing on a podium on 3rd spot all by yourself is rather lonesome, as is standing on the top stop all by yourself.

Victorian State Masters Track titles are done and dusted. I came away with 1 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze, all hard earnt, even the gold.

Saturday was packed full of racing: sprints, 500m TT and keirin. After her bone biopsy on Friday, Princess Kaz wasn’t up to racing the sprints, and as my only competitor, left me with a gold medal and a flying 200m 0.05 seconds slower than the WMAS4 gold medallist, Wendy Martin to compare myself to. I’ve raced Wendy before: she is tough and gutsy, very fit and strong, has much more endurance than I do, and over distance can whoop my butt no problems. The Chief Comm was happy for the two WMAS4s and myself to race a 3 lap sprint derby for their final medal positions, and to give me a run on the boards. For me, it was an opportunity to actually win my medal, rather than being awarded it by proxy.

I had a bit of a dilemma. I sure didn’t want to interfere with Wendy’s and Marita’s race, but I also didn’t want to float around off the back and just roll around for the hell of it. And I wanted to win, earn my gold in competition. As we rolled off the start, I was up high on the banking. It was a lucky draw. Coming out of corner 2 all I saw was open track space and a beautiful downhill section that my legs just had to jump into. No thought, just a lot of hunger. I saw an opportunity and it was mine. I hit the accelerator and jumped, with 2 ½ laps to go, gaining a good gap on the girls quickly. As I came through with a lap and a half to go, all I could think was you idiot, there goes any chance of a good time in the 500m ‘cos I am laying most of it out here right now. My legs were not in good shape to start with, This was going to bury them. But it didn’t stop me :-) I wanted to win. I kept sneaking looks behind, expecting Wendy to be hi-tailing it across to me, but mostly, I saw empty boards. I was surprised, to be honest. I kept waiting for the catch, but once I was in the final bend, heading for the home straight, and saw the girls still well down in the back straight, I realised there would be no catch. I had gapped them too hard at the start, and they were unable to bring it back, despite a strong effort to do so. I even had the luxury of backing off a bit and rolled over the line, with nearly half a lap up my sleeve. It’s a bit weird winning a race, but I kinda like it. Results on paper don’t tell the story. Podium shots can be deceptive.

Bianchi's first ride out

2010-03-15T15:42:00.000+11:00

Friday I had an all-day workshop on the outer edge of the CBD, so decided it was a great opportunity to take the new bianchi for a spin, and to get some kms in the legs. I figured it would be max a 65km round trip. My only real concern, apart from the basin wash at the end of the ride in, was riding the Boulie. Hills have not featured regularly in my training diet, rather featuring as a rare treat.

I headed out with a reasonable backpack, and safely negotiated my way in. About 2/3rds of the way there, I realised my guesstimate of kms was going to be slightly out: try an 80 km round trip instead. A little seed of concern was planted, and I began to plan for ways to save my legs for State Titles the next day. I could face the dreaded Boulie or face heavy traffic. The Boulie won out, and I would just have to deal with it on the start line for racing.

The ride home started well, but by 20km, with the Boulie well and truly behind me, I was beginning to suffer. Not enough food, not enough fluid, fatigue from the pack and the hills. It was looking grim. With 17km to go, I stopped for a sandwich, checked my email whilst chewing, groaned about my plight on Facebook. 7km later my phone went off, so I took the opportunity for a break to read the message. I ate some lollies while I checked the phone. It was a godsend of an sms. If it hadn’t have come through, I wouldn’t have stopped, wouldn’t have eaten some lollies, and wouldn’t have made it home (just) intact!

A cold bath, skinz, a light massage, plenty of starchy carbs, and I went to bed with sore, aching legs, trying not to panic too much over their sorry state. Fortunately, something must have worked, as they woke up flat and tired, but somewhat race functional on Saturday. Moral of the story: use google maps to work out how long your actual route is before heading out, the day before a major race meet!

And how did the bike go? Stiff, twitchy, responsive. It's going to be a sweet crit machine.

Searching for your inner google

2010-03-11T08:48:00.003+11:00

I ocassionally like to check out where my blog visitors come from, how they got here. Sometimes my readers arrive serendipitously via google.

Here's is today's Google Search of the Day:

"l am doing research on the pin killer and h just ant to ask you can the humen stand the pin if the prok their pons."

The searcher came from the UK, so I'm guessing if you bung on some kind of English dialect, it makes more sense. I also like the direct conversational questioning of google. Google the Oracle. Some people do believe. Sometimes google speaks directly to the googler. I'm still waiting...

This is the day

2010-03-10T14:08:00.002+11:00

Today I feel unfit, unstrong, unfast, unathletic, totally unprepared, underdone. Not a good way to feel 3 days before State Masters Track Titles. Never mind, I am sure I’ll get over it.

Training was a bit of a non-event over the weekend, as I started the Equine Myotherapy certificate of a Diploma in Equine Naturopathy I enrolled in a few months back. I started the Equine Myotherapy certificate 7 years ago, but life got in the way, and I bought a house. The course lost out to paying a mortgage, but the time has come to return and finish the unfinished.

Monday I got in a session on the trainer, and yesterday I woke with an ache: an aching head, an ache in every joint and most muscles in my body, an ache when I stood up. So I stayed prone for most of the day. Except for when I was butting heads.

The saga-ish saga of my replacement bike has been ongoing, and going, and going. Early last week I was finally mailed the settlement cheque, which meant, on receipt of said cheque, I could go and collect my new bike from Cecil Walkers.

YAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!

Except for one small problem: the cheque is STILL in the mail. So on Friday when I realised this, I rang up the insurance company and butted heads. Without much luck there, I spent the weekend fuming and irating, and on Monday composed a tanty of an email, complete with final head butting buttisms, and sent it. Being a public holiday on Monday, I had to wait until Tuesday to complete my headbutt extraordinaire. I rang the insurance company to see what they’d do about the cheque (yes, I know it’s STILL in the mail) and was fed some crap, at which I completely headbutted the guy at the end of the phone. I think he cried when we finally parted company.

A few hours later, his boss phoned me. “Even though the cheque is in the mail (yes, I know. It’s been in the mail for a while now) I have arranged with Cecil Walker for you to collect the bike today. “ I thanked him, not too gratuitiously, but politely enough all the while thinking about time you fecker. Did you find customer service misfiled under L for loser? A few hours after that, a special delivery was made to my door, and I promptly “rode” the new loony bike around the drive, as you do, in slippers and without a helmet, drugged to the eyeballs (aspro of course!!) which explains the no helmet.

I like the way the joy of a new bike (even though it’s the wrong colour ie unloony) takes away the viral pain of aches, even if only for a few moments, to allow one to cut some driveway laps. And then add the clear plastic spots under the cables, and add some lights, and add the powertap head, and clean off the grease prints on the forks and downtube, and finally, weigh the finished bike. And then the viral pain of aches returns. Weird innit?

Just in time for training for the weekend.

Oops lost in moderation

2010-03-05T09:56:00.003+11:00

I just found this comment, unmoderated, in the backwaters of my blog. So not only did I publish it accordingly, I felt it deserved front page attention, so here tis:

Mr Wino:

"Yep lock in October 9 - 10 2010 everyone. The weekend after the worlds and the week before the Warny!!

Saturday 100km Sam Miranda High Plains Road Race (Mansfield - Oxley)

Sunday Snow Road Criterium.

Pasta Dinner Saturday night along with RR presentations

Overall winners jerseys and KOM jerseys all grades. Trophy (wine) for best placed in both races.

more details martin@sammiranda.com.au
Entries through CSV $60rr $40crit.

MINIMUM $5500 for the weekend."

Style Nazi Style Queen

2010-03-05T09:46:00.003+11:00

I’ve had a full on week this week, commencing with MCOW on Saturday, yet haven’t had the urge to write up about any of it. I am not sure why, maybe fatigue, too much going on, or I am struggling with style?

Melbourne Cup on Wheels was a complete hoot – I had a ball. Three races, the first of which I stuffed up because I can’t count, or the judges can’t count. Either way it doesn’t really matter, because the handicap and scratch were awesome fun, and I got to ride in style with some excellent riders whom I would otherwise not get to share the track with in competition.

Monday I was the official Style Queen, being the dragon on the track apron, reminding the Hour Queen to maintain form and technique, despite glycogen drops, cramps and massive fatigue during her conquering of the hour record in her age group. Style queen my arse, I was the Style Nazi! And Liz has a World’s Best time forWMAS8. Bloody brilliant! That's Style!

Tuesday I trained before work at the track. This is very unstylish, because it entails getting up at 4.30 am, a time at which I am never any good. Wednesday was full of meetings, at work and after. Here I was the style queen of thoughtfulness, incisiveness and problem-solvingness. Thursday I was style queen on the bike, redeeming myself for some missed training sessions during the week (not stylish), with a repeat this morning (stylish).

State Titles are next weekend. I keep forgetting. Maybe I’ll forget to turn up Saturday morning. This year I am racing events that are new to me in a championship situation: sprints and kierin. Pursuiting is still on my banned list, particularly as my training this year has been interesting to say the least, being haphazard, ad hoc, short and sharp when it happens. Or maybe my training regime has been like this because pursuiting is banned? Of course, being a style queen means that such training, any training, is irrelevant, and as long as I look good on the boards on the day, that’s all that matters. Although, I must admit, with 8 days to go, I am sneaking in some secret training, just in case. My cop out line is that I am focussing on Nationals, the pinnacle for style queens and nazis alike. I am hoping my Sam Miranda skinsuit is ready for me to swan around in bucolic style by then (hint hint).

Poking the ants nest some more

2010-02-26T12:29:00.002+11:00

So what do I do in my spare time? I sit and ponder the issue of why only 17 women entered the Ladies' Diamond Stakes this year.

After my post on Wednesday (which is stirring up some interesting and unexpected responses!), a friend sent me through this link from a pro female cyclist in The States, who has some very pointed observations on elite (as in pro, not licence category!!!) women's attitude to team racing.

I have seen versions of this locally in both men's and women's racing. The racing pond for women is smaller, so such attitudes are more obvious. This is one issue the author doesn't address, and one I think is a major contributor to the prima donna syndrome. In men's racing, the numbers are obviously larger, meaning it's actually more difficult to win (well, there can only be one winner, and 2 other placegetters). There is a big difference between 3 medallists out of 40, 50 or 100 riders, compared to 3 medallists out of 3 (been there!!), 6, 12, 30. There is less room (literally) in women's racing for the workhorse ethic that is common in men's racing. Simply, there are more tempting opportunities for individual glory, at the cost of team results. And we all enjoy that winning feeling!

My friend who sent me the link offered this theory: locally, most competitive women train with mainly men (due to circumstance and again, the numbers game). As there will be a smaller subset of female cyclists who can keep up with fit, competitive male cyclists, these women are "unique", even more so as there may only be one or two or three in the training group. As a consequence, they are "special" and considered/treated so within the group (also in part due to their "difference" ie 1) from other women, perhaps including non-cycling partners of their training buddies, and 2) well, most hetero males enjoy the company of bright, fit, energetic women. I'll leave # 2 at that!!). Take these women out of that environment, and place them in a group of other "uniquely special" women, and you have an interesting mix of individuals. Remember, it's just a theory, for consideration.

How one deals with this, as a Manager, coach etc, in a team environment I am leaving alone! From a development point of view ie getting women racing, and more importantly, keeping them racing, it adds another layer of complexity to an already multifaceted "problem". My immediate reaction is to ask why individuals race. Each answer will be unique and personal, and only one that the individual can provide.But these answers are key to encouraging and supporting women to remain within the sport as competitors. Sometimes I think it's too hard a question for people to answer. They simply race because they like it, and their friends do it (mind you, some of those friends may have come AFTER a person takes up racing, so the social support network becomes self-fulfilling). But to dig deeper than that may be too complex, too deep and unable to be clearly articulated.

Take for example that I race because it makes me feel special (there's that word again). Special because I wear specific clothing, ride a specific kind of bike; am capable of doing things other women don't dare or physically can't; special because I face challenges through racing that others find too difficult; special because I am part of a select group. Feeling special is vague, amorphous. So what happens when I stop feeling special? Why do I stop feeling special? How do I deal with that? How do I respond to that? How do people around me respond to that? Even more vague and amorphous!

Cycling is an individual sport, with the winner taking first thanks to some kind of team (formal and structured, or informal and opportunistic) effort. It's full of colourful, flamboyant, unique individuals who are all special for what they do: race bikes. Take a bunch of those special, unique, colourful personalities and gather them together to do a job of getting a designated person to the finish first,and try to unite that group under the label of a team, and well.... it's an ask and a half.

So while I take Kerry Litka's blog post as a generalised statement, as well as a personal response, and agree with her sentiments and experiences, I also think it's not as simplistic as she writes. And that's why getting women racing, and keeping them racing season after season (ignoring life's little curlers it throws us), let alone in a team situation, has no ready-made, easy answer.

It's my licence and I'll race if I want to

2010-02-24T09:22:00.002+11:00

This is a bit of a rambling rant. I have entered Melbourne Cup on Wheels, the heats and “support”events of which are held this Saturday afternoon. After checking out the final entry list, I had a minor conniption. There are two B/C grade women riders, and the other 11 (yes, there are only 13 of us entered in total) are A grade/national/international level. It’s going to be an interesting afternoon of racing.

My first reaction was feeling completely overwhelmed and totally out of my depth (and slightly freaked out). Why? Why did I feel like that? After some deep thought (stop laughing!!) I realised it was because of the low entry numbers, and the high quality of the very small field. So then I checked out the Sid Patterson women’s field, which has only 1-2 more women entered, but a “wider” range of ability. Sid Patterson is on Friday night, the evening before MCOW. Some women have entered both, all kudos and thank yous to them (more on this later). This led me to ask another question: why are some women, including those masters who race under an elite licence, racing one and not the other. I’m racing once because frankly I want my Friday night to myself, rather than giving yet another week night to cycling. I give enough week nights to cycling as it is. But for the others, I am curious, and have no answer myself for that question.

Back to my first question (I told you this was a ramble!). Why do I feel overwhelmed? I know I would feel less so if the field was bigger, so I could “hide” (hide on the track?? yeah ok). More to the point, a larger field means a wider range of abilities, simply. A wider range of abilities means that riders like me don’t stand out so much, as being obviously at a different level to the majority of the other women riding. People may say, the likes of myself shouldn’t be riding (why?? Because they wouldn’t/haven’t entered themselves!). I think that kind of response says more about who is saying it, than to whom it is directed.

The bottom line for me, particularly this season, is that women’s numbers have been woeful, very low. If one less person raced (ie if I didn’t enter because I felt overwhelmed, not up to standard, name your own reason…) there would be even less women racing. Bloody obvious I know. But when you have 13 women entered, one less is significant, no matter the standard.

The other point is why I ride. I train hard. I may not train as much as those A grade women racing, for a whole bunch of reasons, mainly to do with life, but I train as best as I can with the time resources I have. Why do I train? To race. Not because I enjoy training, because a lot of the time, I'd rather be relaxing with a glass of Sam Miranda after work and reading a book. I like to race. Who says I can’t race an open because I am slower than X/Y/Z or older or less fit or will come last? Big deal!!! I say, put your money where your mouth is and enter the bloody race, go race it and support women’s racing.

If you don’t, then there will come a day when there is no Ladies’ Diamond Stakes, no provision for good races for women (1 wheelrace as a feature event, to entertain the lunch time crowd. Don’t laugh, it used to be like that), no capacity for quality racing for women. I want to race other women at my level. Currently I can’t. Why not? Because they don’t enter open races. It’s a numbers game, and by entering, we legitimise promoters’ show of faith in providing racing for women.

So for me, racing MCOW on Saturday afternoon is about my right to race, my support of women’s racing, my thank you to the promoter for providing the racing, as well as to make those back markers do some work to do to win the race. And because I enjoy it!

The New Loony Bike

2010-02-16T10:00:00.001+11:00

It's nearly here. As of yesterday afternoon, after wheeling and dealing on the last 50cm HoC 928 SL frame in the warehouse, the deal was locked in. Now I need to wait for the frame to be delivered to the bike shop, take Ms Loony over for a groupset transplant, and associated surgery (new cables, handlebar tape, saddle) and then it's done and I am back on the road, freewheeling.

The current state of play is that the 2010 928s are on their way to Ozland, but it could be a two to four month wait. I have a State Masters Crit to ride at the end of next month. I can't wait that long!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So fortunately for me, this frame is the last of last year's 928s and it happens to be my size. Lucky!!! Sometimes being short is a bonus, usually it's not when it comes to bikes and equipment.

So now, I am just waiting on a phone call from Salter Cycles to say they have the frame. Then it's all systems go and a matter of days before I have a new race machine. I'm kinda excited!

Ladies' Diamond Stakes 2010

2010-02-15T11:27:00.004+11:00

I am tired and am over it.

I am over the racing season, over training, over having a full bore, head on, rushed life. And it’s all my own fault. I chose to do it, chose to take things on, chose to enter a race or two or three. So, I gotta bite the bullet and tough out the hard bits of being a competitive cyclist who works full time, studies, participates in the sport on other levels, and has some kind of domestic life with its attendant responsibilities.

So on Saturday morning, I really didn’t want to go to Ararat, with an empty fridge, a dirty house, an overgrown weed filled garden, a lonely dog, a horse that needed clean rugs. You get the idea.

I felt an obligation to go, because 1) I told people I was going 2) I entered and the women’s entries were down on last year, and the year before, and the year before that 3) I need racing practice! So I tweeted: “gotta start thinking happy thoughts. Otherwise may as well stay home and get drunk before lunch”. Now the thought of staying home and drinking martinis for breakfast did have some appeal, but I always feel guilty drinking before 4 pm. It would have been a long wait of being in a blerh mood. So it was into the car and onto the long road to Ararat, with Mr Flowerpants as driver and prodder (as in: Get in the bloody car! You’re going!!)

It was great to see in the program, that Mr Handicapper Norris had managed to squeeze not two, but THREE grades of women out of the 17 entries. Usually, we get two, and I am just fodder for the A graders. So, despite my lack of keenness and motivation, I stood a chance of doing ok. Hmm well I also find when the ego is active, it’s asking for a caning. I got one.

I should have won the motorpace, with no disrespect to my competition. I didn’t. I was on the bike at 2.5 laps to go when it came off. I wasn’t sure what to do. I didn’t feel up to hammering 2.5 laps. 2 laps maybe just, 1.5 yeah no worries. So I rode off at about 80% and got a small gap on the girls. I kept that gap until about 100m to go, when it was shut down, and I was taken 5m on the line for being complacent. Maybe the breakfast martinis weren’t a bad idea after all.

I redeemed myself by scoring a fairly easy berth into the 1000m handicap final, with a calculated move onto a target wheel as she came by. I latched on for the ride (and surprised myself that I actually had the legs to go with her); and was later nearly taken out by the same wheel (with some quiet swearing on my behalf that was diplomatically ignored by the commissaire on that bend). I finished midfield in that final, again with some good team work, and some strong opposition, so not displeased with that.

The heats of THE race, the big one: the Ladies’ Diamond Stakes. Again, we got our train going, and held off the backmarkers until the final lap. When they hit us, I got the fright of my life. I must have dozed off, because I literally jumped when they came past. I stopped pedalling and that was it. I was 5,6,7 m off the back into the home straight. I looked at the wall of butts in front of me, thought I can launch a big attack and bury myself in there somewhere and make it through, or I can sit here, not hurt myself, and have a rest before the scratch. No points for guessing what I did. My heart just wasn't in it.

The programming meant the final of the 1000m handicap was 3 races before the Diamonds heats, with a 3 race gap to the final, with a larger gap to the final race of the night. To be honest, I was glad to be watching and not racing the Diamonds final. It’s a goal of mine to make the final, but not this year. I just wasn’t hungry for it. It was a thriller race to watch, with Apryl Eppinger off scratch, having to make up 200m to limit. 2 laps to go, having picked up Emy Huntsman off 100m earlier, it looked like she wasn’t going to make it. 1 lap to go, along the back straight and she made her move, coming around the bunch into the home straight, Emy hard on her wheel, and Danielle Nyikos launching out of the bunch with her ticket on the Eppinger express. Final results: 1. Eppinger 2. Nyikos 3. Huntsman. It was a great ride and a hard earned win from Apryl, who is now proving a few punters wrong. Danielle was stoked with her second place, as she was celebrating her 21st from the night before. A very sweet 21st birthday present. Emy rode a very smart race, and for that scored some bling for posterity. There were some very happy campers back at the Endurogirl Gazebo, between first and third and their support crews.

The final scratch race was shortened from 3000m to 2000m, mainly as all bar me had just raced the Diamonds final. We rolled around for a few laps, and as I took the lead, I upped the pace from leisurely stroll to solid tempo to see where the others were at. They were right with me, and we maintained that pace until the other Maskill, Claire Campbell upped the pace again with a few laps to go. Bell lap and I sat and waited. The girls took off in the second half of the back straight, and I managed to jump with them, but a little behind their timing. They got a small gap on me, which I was slowly closing into the home straight. Another 100m and I would have caught them. My lack of action, my passivity cost me a win, and Tess and Claire fully deserved their 1st and 2nd. Lesson learnt and no points for not backing myself.

Some days you are on, and some days you’re not. I’m glad I went and raced. I needed those schoolings to remind me of a few things. But! I did manage to get Sam Miranda on the podium for the second time in a week. One job done!

My gear is bigger than your gear!

2010-02-10T09:10:00.003+11:00

I’m having a bit of a chuckle at a pissing contest on the BV forums, between some boys regarding the size of the gear they rode at the weekend at the Club Teams and ABOC sprint series competitions. I call them boys because they are really comparing the size of their marbles (conkers mainly, so they are saying).

I am chuckling because I used to get asked a lot by some of my fellow competitors the same question: what gear are you riding? I learnt to reply with 104. But it doesn’t matter what gear I am riding, because I am a different rider to you, with a different physiology, temperament and riding style. And even if you and I ride the same gear, it doesn’t mean the outcome will be the same, because racing is more than gear size. It’s also about being strategic, thoughtful and opportunistic.

A better question to ask is not what gear someone is riding, but how their legs, lungs, heart and brain are feeling. But maybe the gear size question is just code for that much more detailed question? If you know someone usually rides Y gear and today they are riding Z gear, something’s up. But don’t ask the gear size question to get a feel for what you should be riding. You should already know. And if you don’t, then you are experimenting to find out, which is nothing to be hung up about.

But there is more to the gear size story than just this, of course. Going fast is about leg speed and strength (=power). Ideally gearing should match your “preferred” leg speed. And one of the best ways to get faster, is to improve your leg speed. I’ve learnt the hard way, speed doesn’t just come from “getting stronger” and being able to push out bigger and bigger gears. It's the common coach/athlete war chant: I/You need to get stronger! Sure pushing bigger and bigger gears will (eventually) make you stronger, but not necessarily faster. One of the quickest ways to kill speed is strength work: hill climbing, big gear efforts, squatting big weights. It’s a balancing act. A little bit of this, and a little bit of that, and over time, the cake comes out baked, iced and ready to eat. Focus too much for too long on any one aspect, and you end up being good at that one thing, but not a balanced, complete bike racer.

So, what gear are you racing on today? But please, don't tell me, tell them. I'm not really innerested, unless we are teams sprinting/pursuiting in the same team ;-)

GOLD!!!

2010-02-08T09:19:00.001+11:00

Or, Saturday Morning World Masters Championship Victorian Club Teams Championship Women Masters Team Sprint Championship Champions.

With a lot of help from my friend Ms K.

Unfortunately, we were the ONLY masters women entry, and we probably did start celebrating GOLD!!! a day or so early, but fortunately we didnt jinx ourselves in doing so. We made it! Our time would have seen us ride off for bronze in the Elite Women section, so we were no slouches either.

For Ms K and I, it was a Big Deal, as we don't train together, hadn't practiced at all, it has been many months since Ms K has been on the boards at DISC, and she is nursing a debilitated hip. In fact, her FB status from yesterday morning was : "My butt is strapped ...So now I'm ready to race!!!!". Apparently the butt strapping was to support the hip, but I am inclined to think that the Skinny Arse was intimidated by the thought of hanging out with gluteally endowed sprinter types, and resorted to some kind of prosthetic enhancement to fit in! Anyway, it did the job, helped her get through a standing start that may have ended in tears if the dodgy hip decided not to work properly, and made her look like the real deal with more arse than usual ;-).

I have a soft spot for the Club Teams Track Champs, because my very first ever race was this event. I'd been on a track bike for six weeks, we'd cobbled together a team of four girls, of whom only one had any track experience (Monique Hanley). Two of the newbies have stayed with track racing, one of whom competed at Nationals only last week (Nicole Whitburn). It's a serious championship, but also has a function of acting as a developmental event, a social event (club teams) and brings clubs together as clubs, pitting themselves against other clubs in a unique enviroment for cycling. We won two silver, by the way, at that first Club Teams event.

So thanks to my good team buddy Ms K for letting me think this was a good idea, and for talking ourselves into it. It's also fun to share a bit of club pride, and to the club kit out there, being one of the mid-sized regional clubs.

And finally, the other women Team Sprint medallists:

from left: Meg Marsh, Emy Huntsman, Thomay Michaltsis, Sue McCarthy, Daniell Niykos, Emma Waldron

No wonder women shouldn't race bikes

2010-02-01T13:33:00.002+11:00

Self-confessed drug cheat Riccardo Ricco was recently quoted as saying "Cycling isn’t for women, it hurts too much" when commenting on his cyclocross wife's recent alleged postive test. Funny, cos she's recently had a baby, and I'd have thought that much worse than racing cyclocross.

But anyway, I now have photographic evidence that Ricco may actually be right:

After some flying efforts, the result was mental confusion, physical pain, exhaustion, and urgent searching for a puke bucket. Women shouldn't race bikes, it makes them look ugly, do ugly things and act stupid.

Nice skinsuit though.

RIP LoonyBike

2010-01-30T19:19:00.003+11:00

Today I picked up the dead body of my beloved Bianchi Luna, and brought her home. Dr Rauol did a a thorough testing of her little frame after her too close encounter last weekend, and the verdict was: dead. No more rides for my shiny disco queen bike.

So now I am going through the process of insurance claims and sourcing another frame of equivalent standard. How you do that on a 5-6 yr old model that was a limited production, is no longer available, and where the technology and models have progressed and changed will be an interesting one to be negotiated with the insurance company.

Anyway, I now have quotes for two framesets, which in themselves are not easy to get as 1) frames tend to come these days made up as complete bikes; bike company don't actually release many frameset types for individual sale and 2) stock is limited in Australia, and the shops are currently waiting on shipment from Italy.

So, while the next step should be resolved by next week ie getting the money from the insurance company, the bit after that ie actually having a bike to ride and race, may take some time unfortunately.

People have been saying to me that it must be exciting to be shopping for a new bike. Frankly, if you are not ready for it, it's one of the crappiest experiences a cyclist can have. I am kinda excited to be possibly upgrading, but its a couple of years earlier than I anticipated, so it's heavily tinged with sadness and scraps of denial to be parting company from a much loved bike.

At least her last riding day was spent racing and then hauling my arse home, which Princess Loony was good at. Glitter in bike heaven little bike.

Happy Oz Day

2010-01-26T20:03:00.001+11:00

aka gratuitous winery plug. Mind you, I don't mind plugging gratuitously when I get to drink it.

This one is a chardy pinot noir bubbly and with each mouthful I think it should taste like a refined apple cider. It's very clean and fresh and reminds me of snow melt. Funny, considering where it comes from. EIther way, it really is a bloody good drop...

PS Marty, still waiting on the prosecco ;-P

A Bright Afternoon

2010-01-25T19:40:00.003+11:00

well, kind of.

After my race, I hung around a bit, to watch the Men's B grade and catch up with a few people. The men's race was delayed with the crash in my race, and when Mr Wino retired, I decided it was time to hit the road and get myself to Bright. It was midday, and it was reasonably hot. I had fluids, I had eaten, I was ready to go!

what's with the ladder??

I took the road from Wangaratta to Everton, then after a stop for a coke and photo opportunity I hit the rail trail. I was tired, my saddle wasn't doing its supportive role as effectively as it should have (well, considering the scraping it had been through, it was actually holding up really well), my back and glutes were hurting, my brain was not in a happy place. And that was after 22km! So I decided I'd take myself off the main road, so I didn't have to contend with the traffic, ie one less thing to worry about.

The trail is slightly uphill all the way to Myrtleford, as well as being dead and covered in tree trash, and ant nest sand. I had my race wheel up front. Probably not a good combination, but post-ride I can vouch for the durability of Euros. So I pedalled along, at bike path speed (slow!!) and saw some cows, and some other cows, and then further along, some cows. The stockhorse stud was a feature amongst all the...cows.

Then I hit Taylors Gap. 4km of uphill. You got to be kidding me?? The road to Bright is flat!! Surely it's over soon... The only recompense was the awesome multi-km downhill section after. Until I hit the bridge. The one that was much earlier signed as "Rough Section Ahead" on the trail. Rough section? Ok, what does that mean? No sealing on the section? It's been ripped up?? Tree roots lifting.. o SHIT!!! my front wheel!! Why didn't you say BRIDGE you arsehole sign???? Thankfully it was short, but long enough to knock my eyesight out for a few metres. Triple ouch with lambs kidneys on top.

Along the way, I was very conscious of odd noises coming from the bike, in light of its experience the day before. And of course, when you listen, you hear all sorts of garglings and gurglings that you may not have otherwise noticed. So when I start to hear a clunking noise, I think ok, the saddle has finally given up (I had a brand new saddle in the backpack, just in case. Thanks Manon from Rock and Road Cycles!!) So I stopped and checked the saddle. Nope, nothing there. I get back on and keep riding. Clunk clunk clunk. I stop again and check the bottom bracket in case there is a split or fracture or similar there. Nope, all good. I get on and keep riding. Clunk clunk clunk. Then I realise. I have the zip of my Sam Miranda jersey done all the way down, and the zip tag is hitting the large plastic buckle of the waist strap on my back pack. Doh!! (and some big relief).

There were also some awesome photo opportunities on the way: a herd of steers pawing up a dust cloud around them, ochre rusted machinery in the direct midday sun, a row of rusty old bikes as a fence. But, I was on a mission, and have committed them to the memory experience instead, somewhat regretfully.

After Taylor's Gap and the Bridge From Hell, I hit Myrtleford and a lunch stop. It was 2.30. It had taken me 2.5 hrs to ride 48 km from Wang. I felt like shit. As I walked into the cafe, the owner took one look at me as I stood at the counter, said I think you need a glass of water, and passed me one. Plump is a great cafe, the owner looks like Stuey O'Grady with hair. He's not, as I've asked him before! So a 30 minute stop there, and I was back on the bike.

Five km down the road, my phone let me know it had an sms for me. I ignored it, gritting my teeth, determined not to stop. My quads were singing the death scene from Madam Butterfly, the rest of me ached, my butt had had a gutful of the saddle, and they were arguing like two kids in the back of the car. I had 45 min to go, and a small climb out of Porepunkah to deal with. I was on my way!. 10km later I decided to check the phone. It was Mr Flowerpants: I'm done, do you want me to come get you.

All I could think of was the river, and not doing that climb out of Porepunkah. That's how bad I was! So I said yes, put the bike down and waited. Half an hour later, I was sitting in the river, with happy legs and glutes.

Strolling through the AAC Village, I was impressed with how this has grown, and kinda wistful not to be able to stay and enjoy it. As it was, I caught up with a few long lost acquaintances. Hearing your name called out in an Audax crowd is a bit weird, you don't really believe it. We finally packed the car up, and dropped by Sam Miranda to collect the teschner, which had been babysat for me overnight. Got home by 11 pm, totally wrecked, after a stop for dinner at Milawa Pub, and feeding the mare on the way home.

The weekend was a huge whirlwind tour of cycling: track, crit and audax. Met some new people, caught up with old ones, debuted in my new kit (and made the local tv news at the front of a wheel race heat!!), trashed my guts on racing food, saw Janelle Smith's huge dose of tonsilitis (what everyone really wants to see - giant tonsils lol), ate some really GOOD icecream, hung out with my bike buddies, had a minor heart failure with the bikes, but mostly, I had a heap of fun. That's all you can ask for: joy from doing what you love. aaaaaaaaawwwwwwww

I've been Wanged! Critorama

2010-01-25T18:51:00.000+11:00

Mr Flowerpants left at 2am for his sub 10hrs of torture. How he did it on 2hrs sleep beats me. I got in 6.5hrs of sleep, breakfasted, suited up, and rode out to the crit course, 5 min by bianchi down the road. Not used to having to actually ride on the road to warm up, I cut laps of the course for 10km until the baby juniors started racing, then cut laps on the next block down. A few jump sprints with the backpack on is interesting!

Nine of us lined up to face the 600 odd metre rectangle, with some rather interesting corners. Corner two was at the top of a small rise, with a spoon drain and walkway pavers, requiring a careful line up each lap. Corner 3 at the end of the back straight narrows with the kerbing extending onto the roadway, and a sharp corner onto mid-road barriers to stop the supercrit-ters hanging their arses out on the wrong side of the road to become bonnet ornaments. Corner 4 was a fast roundabout with a heavily roughed up surface from heavy road traffic. It was going to be interesting.

Even more interesting was my complete inability to click my right foot in when we started. I went through the first corner unclipped and off the back. Once reconnected with the bike, I tried to make up ground over the next few laps without success, so I backed off to let my soon to be partner in arms catch up. Wendy and I worked together for the next 35 min, slowly being lapped, a few times, by the younger field. We worked well, swapping turns each lap, encouraging and supporting each other, and politely hurting each other as well.

Coming into the final lap, with a ladylike agreement in place (coff coff), we were confronted with the red flag at the end of the back straight. Four of the five girls on the front were either tangled in the barrier or with each other, bikes and bodies strewn across the road. OUCH!! "Keep going!!" I called to Wendy, it might be enough to change some places (feelings of concern were for later, post race). We swung through the corner, with Wendy slightly ahead of me, as I had sat back to get past the carnage before the corner. Instead of wacking the chain up onto the big ring, I took it down the rear stack, and got out of the saddle. As I did, the chain skipped, and I lost a vital second or two of momentum, and in the end, just couldn't make up the lost ground. Gearing error and tired legs gave me second in the race for first masters over the line, and a good win to Wendy returning to the road after a nasty fall a few months ago.

Wrap up on the carnage: Jo Hogan in the back of the ambulance with a suspected broken collar bone, Kate Riley also in the back of the ambulance; Sue McCarthy banged up, nasty gravel rash/road burn, two flat tyres and bent brifters; one other with nasty road burns.

A year ago I would have told you I am not a crit rider, and don't enjoy them. The last year I have made a liar of myself, and I just don't like Glenvale Crit :-) The Wang circuit is fantastic. Tight, fast, needing good lines, commitment, no fear at all. And more women to race it.