Vic State Track Titles

Sat-Sun 10-11 Dec: Vic State Track Titles - finally here. The weekend I had been training up for since I picked up the track bike 3 months ago - time sure has flown really quickly! From getting used to riding without brakes, to learning how to ride on high cadence, to getting out of the start gate - something new every week - finally time to bring it all together. 

10 Dec: 500TT and 3k Indiv Pursuit


Conditions were really humid at the track. First up was the 500TT. I took off from the start gate - this time a little more confident than the metros. The first quarter of a lap felt good - but somehow I just could not get fired up. Somehow it felt like I was riding a pursuit rather than a 500m sprint and just wasn't focused. Stopped the clock at 41.7 - 0.2s slower than I did at the metros. Neither happy nor disappointed with my effort - it was just one of those where I had totally mucked it up. Oh well - next time. 




 3k Individual Pursuit. My opponent was a scratchie - so it was just me against the clock. No one to chase or be chased by, I just had to keep an eye at Simon doing my schedule. First lap I was down - it was the start as usual -  but today, I knew not to let that first lap mess around with my head. Next few laps I was going pretty well - constantly up on schedule - just focusing on my breathing. Final 5 laps - I started fading. This time though, it was that slow fade, cadence slowly dropping - though nothing like that panting, moving all over the bike I was doing the last time round. 4:11. A whole 4s off from my attempt at the metros. Though no where near the girls from Canberra that ripped the track (3:42 was the winning time!), I was pretty happy with my effort that only being my 3rd attempt at the pursuit. Looking forward to taking off the next 5s now.. 

First slurpee in 15 yrs after a humid arvo on the track

11 Dec: 100lap Points Score
Rocked up at the track early to watch the sprinters rip up the boards. It was great fun watching the flying 200m - boy were they fast!! Learning the line they took was in itself a learning experience. Next up were the match sprints. Certainly interesting watching the different tactics each of the riders employed.

It was a while before our race started with the U19 men and women up before us. 100 laps - that was 20 laps longer than everyone was expecting, but I wasn't fussed. Racing my first elite points score, my goal today was to finish the race. Had just gotten some new FastForward racey track wheels from BikeNow - some new bling to play with. I couldn't really get a proper lunch down, but knew I had to keep the fluids up and nibbled on bits and pieces before I was off.

Points score bike ready with the new wheels from BikeNow

The race started off at a fairly moderate pace - but soon things started to pick up. Unsure of what pace to expect, I didn't go for any of the earlier sprints. With about 70 laps to go, 2 of the Canberra girls broke away from the main bunch. I tried keeping the pace high but could not quite get some of the girls in the bunch to work. Everytime I swung up after a turn, the pace dropped back down, and eventually the 2 girls broke away. I had nothing to lose, and wasn't going to blow up energy trying to chase them down. The 2 girls eventually gained a lap on the field, and the girls in the main bunch were now racing out for 3rd place.







Unlike the previous few points races I had done, the girls today weren't as willing to pull turns up the front. There were a couple of times where the whole bunch would end up riding on the blue line and some of the girls who were riding 2nd wheel double swinging up with the rider in front who had just pulled a turn. At times it did get rather annoying, and one of the girls even nearly taking out my front wheel.




With 40 laps to go, I suddenly had a massive stitch in my guts. Urghh...It hurt so bad thata t one point I had to sit up and clutch my tummy. "Can't get drop, can't get drop"that was all I was thinking. At this stage, one of the girls had already pulled out, and another one had already taken a lap out. I still did not have any points but was still with the main group. 





20 laps to go - still had quite a bit left in the tank and I tried to keep the pace high. Had a shot at the 2nd last sprint - 5th by a tyre's width - just out of points. 10 more laps - not long to go. Heard the bell go off with a lap to go - again had a crack, and finished 5th on the final sprint - again just out of points. Finished 7th out of the 9 starters overall without any points. Happy to finish today - and now knowing what to expect, will certainly have a crack at the sprints next time. And congrats to training buddy Laine Hammond for taking home the Bronze - great work!! 


I certainly enjoyed the weekend of racing - and definitely looking forward to coming back next year with a lot more experience and a full year of training under my belt. Thanks to Simon for coaching and supporting me over the weekend,  BikeNow for their constant support with equipment, and certainly the rest of my Quickcycle training buddies for lending me equipment (thanks Mitchell Barry for the helmet and Liam Dove for the chain ring!) and having fun as we raced together. 


For now, 3 days off and it's the National Omnium this Thurs and Friday! 6 races -Flying Lap, 20k Points Score, Elimination, 3k Individual Pursuit, 10k Scratch and 500 Time Trial. It'll be a much much more challenging ball game this time - but certainly looking forward to the race. Come down and support us Victorians!

SKCC Crits - Getting close..

Sun 4 Dec: With quite a number of mates riding the Tour of Bright, I wasn't sure what to expect at the local SKCC crits. No track this weekend, and with the slow taper going into States next weekend, I was only down to ride one race today. Had a stack out training the day before, and was still feeling a little sore and bruised in the hip. Bike working, legs working - no biggie. 


10 or so riders in A grade - more new faces - definitely bigger than expected for a ToB weekend. Two weeks of finishing 3rd and just out of the money, I was certainly keen to have a go at a place.  The wind was howling today, and a massive headwind on the finishing straight too. 

Taking a corner (Photo by RobM)

Like the usual - the pace was on/off. Attack..easy..attack..easy. With the headwind, I wasn't too worried about the solo breaks getting too far off - it would have taken a really strong TT rider to break off from the bunch. I had forgotten to start my Garmin, only realising a third through the race, and had no idea how much time we had left on the clock. It was difficult to plan an attacking strategy, and I could only trust my instinct and kept a constant eye on the commisaire's sign each time we rolled past. With a slightly sore hip, wasn't going to try anything today. 


3 laps to go - and the pace picked up. A few attempted breaks - but patience, patience, patience. Bell lap. I had gotten caught up the back, and no choice but to move up alongside the bunch. In that last lap, the burning question is always when do I jump? ... "Now? Wait? Now? Wait?" 


Came out 5th wheel out of the last corner and sprinted for the line - again, trying to chase down the riders that had already gone off in front.  Rider in front had slowed down, saw a gap and went through. Finished 2nd - finally in the money! Again, had started a bit late on the sprint - they say it all comes with experience, and I'll work to getting the timing right - one day. 

Final sprint - chasing down the sprinter in front (Photo by RobM)

No 2nd race this week - was still a little sore and went for a spin down with training mate Chloe instead. With the music, crowd and commentator - the atmosphere at the SKCC crits are great fun - and certainly look forward to racing there each week. But some busy weeks planned ahead, and will be back next year. 


Meanwhile, it's back to the track coming weekend for the State Titles - 500TT, Individual Pursuit and Points Score. Then racing the National Omnium next Thurs/Fri. Some pretty big guns have entered - will certainly be a full on 2 days - and heaps of learning experience. Come down to DISC to watch if you can - there'll certainly be some exciting racing going on those 2 days. :) 

Vic Metros: Finding that zone...

Sat 26 November: Vic Metros Championships. I had entered both the 500TT and the 3k Individual Pursuit. 500TT – I was looking forward to better my time from the Omnium last week. 3k individual pursuit, the full distance for elite women – hmm.. this was 1k more than what I’ve ever done – a first time and I’ve only had one go at training over the full distance – not sure what to expect – a little nervous.

With juniors right up to masters categories, boys, girls, men, women, the velodrome was buzzing with noise. Plenty of riders, lots of activity going around. Absolutely loved it!

Pushing off the starting gate in the 500TT (Photo by Leanne Cole) 

First up – 500TT. Today I stepped up to the gates with a little more confidence than I had from the weekend before. I knew what I had to do – 500m is not that far – I just had to go hard – real hard – from the gun. Bang. I kicked once, twice. Lifted the back disc wheel up – for a split second I thought my wheel had locked up. Oh cr…kicked – it was fine. Lifted the wheel another time. Hmm….a really really wobbly start – I had to make up for it now. I quickly revved up and focused every bit of effort into the ride. Heard the cheers from my Quickcycle team-mates, heard the bell with 1 to go – I was absolutely pumped. I put all I had into the final lap – looked up as I crossed the finish – 41.5s. Two whole seconds off my attempt last week. I was stoked! Putting it in perspective – it wasn’t that quick a time. Came in 5^th overall out of 7 riders. Yet today, I knew where I could have made up time. I could analyse each bit of my ride – split each bit into its individual blocks – and put it together again. Can’t wait to try out the 500TT at States in 2 weeks!

Next up – 3km pursuit. With only 4 riders in our category, I just needed to qualify for the finals. Jammed my knee right into my bars from the gun – ouch! No time to think – just go. I wasn’t sure what it was – but I just could not quite find a rhythm in the first 4 laps. I was moving up and down between the black and red line – I was wobbling all over the place. I was trying to make up the time lost from the start in the first lap – but it certainly felt like I was trying way too hard – too hard to maintain a steady pace. Alright this has to stop. Lap 5 – a little lactic kicked in – and I focused hard on keeping in control.  The next 4 laps were brilliant – every lap I found Simon standing on the pursuit line – I was finally back on schedule. I was in that zone.  Lap 9 and just like that – I lost it. One minute I was flying, and the next I had nothing in my legs. I was massively down on schedule and again, felt my bike moving all over the place. I was tensing up again. Every lap seemed to take forever – Simon was now shouting for me to lift and increase the pace. The more I tried, the slower I got. I was almost in tears at this point. Something was just not quite right today.  2 laps to go and I knew I had to give everything I had. With 1.5 laps to go – Laine who I was riding against caught me and rode past. Bell lap and I tried to give one final lift to finish it off. And just like that it was done. 4:15. 12s slower than I had aimed for. It took me 2 whole laps before I could finally bring the bike to a stop. I was disappointed – I knew it was my first full distance pursuit, yet, I wanted to do much better. I found out later that my front wheel was flat from a slow leak – so who knows what it really was – nerves, or a mechanical. Whatever it was, I shook it off and was keen for another shot – I now had to ride off for the gold medal.

Grimacing in the pursuit (Photo by Leanne Cole) 

With the massive thunderstorm outdoors, the air in the velodrome was cold – and sleepiness was now starting to sink in. I changed to a bigger gear as I knew my legs were a little tired and I wouldn’t be able to rev as quickly. Somehow this time I was a little more relaxed going into the ride-off. I knew what I had to do. The legs felt heavy from the start. Probably a bit too much gear. With 8 laps to go, I was totally stuffed. Could not spin – just riding along. I tried and tried, but just could not find that pain zone, that TT zone. 6 laps to go - I just had to continue convincing myself not to give up and just ride on. The harder I tried, the harder it got. Heard the bell go, gave it one last effort, and just like that, it was over. Didn’t get caught this time, but I had lost the ride off. Finished in 4:17, 2 seconds down from my earlier effort.

With Gold Medallist Laine Hammond 

A silver medal at the Metros – a reward for the day’s effort. Thanks to Mitch Barry for lending me his aero helmet, Simon for the support and the wheels, and all the parents and other mates who were supporting me. Although a little disappointed at not having rode to my schedule, I knew where I had gone wrong. I was actually trying way too hard! The pursuit is just like swimming – the more you struggle, the more you thrash at the water, the more you drown – it’s when you’re relaxed that you find your streamline and just glide. Watching the likes of world champions Alex Morgan and Jack Cummings pursuiting that day – super aero, super stable, legs just spinning – they’re almost just floating. I certainly hope to try and follow their footsteps. State Titles in 2 weeks – can’t wait to ride the pursuit again!! To find that zone – the zone where you don’t feel a thing, the zone where you’re just floating and letting everything go… 

Omnium!

Sat 19 Nov: Victorian Women’s Omnium at DISC. 5 events – best all round cyclist takes home the championship. I couldn’t help thinking about the event the whole week prior. It was like that something that sits at the back of your mind – constantly popping up.  I was really nervous yet really looking forward to the race – half of me wishing I had had taken this up earlier in the year. The 2 months of prep had gone by really quick – working with Simon to put the mental, physical and tactical building blocks together in that short time– and Saturday’s championship certainly arrived sooner than expected.

Race bike ready to go for the 500TT and Flying 200

Event 1: 500TT

2 laps. Flat out. Focus. I’ve come to love that sound of the starting gate. The 5 beeps - that final countdown before you kick off.  Sitting down waiting for my turn – I could feel my heart pounding. Put my hand on my chest. Breathe. 5,4,3,2,1 – I was off. Just rev, just rev. Come on Grace. The bell rung – that gave me the next boost. And then it was over. Just like that. I looked up at the scoreboard. 43.6s. Disappointed.  My start had let me down. 12^th/16. It had come down to tactical error.  I was close to the bottom of the ladder. Shake it off. I still had 4 more events to go.

Event 2: Flying 200

I was a lot more calmer now. Starting to loosen up a little. The flying 200 is one of pure speed. Winding up in that 2.5 laps to a maximal effort. Technique, technique – which line you took in the wind up mattered. It wasn’t just all about that final 200, but how you build up towards that maximal effort. 2 laps to go – I climbed to the top of the banks. I could hear Gary Hammond down below screaming ‘up, up, up’. I was going a little too slow, needed to wind up the gear a lot more.  And now. I got out of the saddle. Used the track as best as I could. Bell rung. And I was off. Had to go flat out. Stopped the clock at 13.9s. Finished a little better this time round. – 1.75s off the leader. Still 10^th/16. Again, technique was where I had come undone. 

Event 3: 5k Scratch

20 laps. Just like the weekly club racing. I was feeling a little more confident here. With them mixing up the U19s, Elite and Masters women we had a really big field. Pace was kept high. Everytime I rolled through, I tried to keep my position at the top of the field. Constantly trying to fight for a position. Finding the gaps. Who’s wheel to follow? Which gap to squeeze in? Yet, it was exciting. Those split second decisions all mattered. Bell lap. The sprinters were climbing over the top of me. I should have made the move earlier. Too late. No room to move – had to follow the wheel in front. 40m from the finish. I heard a yell of ‘up’ from underneath me – someone was trying to come through from underneath and then bam. A crash just next to me. Oh crap. It all happened so quick. No time to look, I drove for the finish. Finished 7^th/16. Much better this time round. I was pumping with adrenaline now.

All ready for the 2k Indiv Pursuit - 

Event 4: 2k Individual Pursuit

8 laps. I had been waiting for this event. Another gate start. This time much more prepared – nerves were shaken off. Go. Lap 1: I was down on schedule. Lifted the pace. Lap 2. I was now faster than the schedule. Good – hopefully I had made up the time I had lost on Lap 1. Lap 3 – another one faster than schedule. Great! I was pumped. But, I had totally lost count of the number laps I had to ride. Didn’t know where to look. I was strarting to get distracted. Lap 4: Another one above schedule. Good. But how many laps left? How much more in the tank? Really distracted now. Lap 5: Above schedule again. I really wanted to scream at Simon as I rolled past him. How many laps? Why wasn’t he telling me how many laps?  I could feel a bit of lactic acid building in the legs – breathing was starting to get heavy. Lap 6: There it was. That magic number I was looking for. 3 laps to go. On the board. Found it. Despite the lactic build-up, seeing the number of laps to go was almost surreal. I had finally found the answer I was looking for. And I think I pulled back just that tiny little bit to keep a bit of reserve. Bad mistake. Lap 7: Downhill. I was now down on schedule. Oh crap – all that hard work in the previous laps – spiralling down – fast. Legs were burning. Come on. Just focus. Lap 8:  Bell lap. Had to give everything I had. Every little bit. I had to empty the tank. Lifting each leg was hard. Just had to drive to the finish line. 2:47. I was stuffed. Finished 8^th/16. A little slower than I had hoped. Yet, I knew I had given everything I had on that last lap.

Event 5: 10k Points Race.

Finally – a longer race! 40 laps. I had managed to spin the lactic acid out from the previous race. I was certainly pumping now. Gear felt good – legs felt like they were floating. Race started. Got pushed onto the duckboard – first blunder. Crap. Jumped back in immediately. Sprint 1. Sprinters went. Finished 6^th. I wasn’t worried yet. Every intermediate sprint I tried – managed somewhere in the top 6. 10 laps to go – a lot of the sprinters had now dropped off. Good. I saw the girl I was trying to beat drop back.  3 laps to go – I was pulling the front. Not quite sure what to do. To roll up? Or just hold an easy pace up the front?  I opted for the later. Backed off the pace. Bell lap – I waited for the jump before I went. Wrong move. Should have gone earlier. Finished 8^th/16.

Overall, finished 8th/16 and 5th/7 in the Elite Category. I certainly enjoyed every single bit of that day.  From the highs to lows, the satisfaction to the disappointments, I enjoyed every minute of it. The omnium is certainly a great mix of events with races against the clock and bunch races. Just the learning in itself was brilliant – I felt I had just matured a lot more in just one day. Coming out now with times on the board, a whole long list of things I want to work on, and new goals and challenges set – I’m certainly looking forward to the next training session and the next race on the track. Mega thanks to Simon for his help that day – coach, mechanic, mentor – supporting me through the whole day, taking my times, changing my wheels and chain-rings – I almost felt like a pro for a day. And congrats to Shannon McCurley, Laine Hammond and Jessica Laws who took 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd respectively.

Next up – Metros Championships coming Saturday. 500TT and 3k Individual Pursuit. Will be going in with a whole lot more confidence – and certainly with a whole new challenge to beat the times I had last weekend!    

Footscray CC Track Race - Turning Nerves into Adrenaline!

Sat 12 Nov: First ever open track race!! Can't believe how quickly the 2 months have passed since I've started proper training on the track - time surely has flown - and all the state events are here. 


Finally came to terms that I'm too short for a Small size bike - and bought my 2nd Planet X track frame that morning - this time in the X-Small. Fits like a glove this one. (let me know if you're keen on buying my other frame!! It's amazing - that's why I bought the exact same one!)  Had coach Simon help me out picking up and building up the bike. Thanks Simon! And as we were building up the bike a few hours before the race he saw it in my eyes - "Are you nervous?". "Yeah, really..." was my reply. Thought I had a poker face - but my eyes were the give-away.. lucky they make mirrored visors!  The velodrome was already starting to buzz with noise from the juniors race before ours, and I certainly couldn't help feeling the nerves. 


As I sat watching and cheering on the young kids, I knew there was only option - to channel every single bit of nerviness into kinetic energy - and make them pedals spin! Fast forward to race start. 

"Sucking in the atmosphere whilst watching the young kids race before it was my turn" 

Race 1: 8 lap scratch heart-starter. There were about 20 of us racing - split into A & B grades - all racing at the same time. Plenty of international riders, VIS, NTID - just had to focus on my race. Certainly was a heart starter with the pace picking up right from the start. Big bunch, no brakes - the Hawthorn Roast a couple of weeks back certainly helped with the bunch experience. Chose a wrong wheel to sit on - and had to go over the top on the last lap. 4th in B grade ( didn't realise one of the girls had gone up the front and was sprinting for 3rd) - somewhere mid-bunch overall - not too bad a start. 


Race 2: 6 lap Handicap qualifier. Being my first race - I was riding first up from the 155m mark - meaning having to ride for 5 and a bit laps. By now, adrenaline was starting to pump through. From the gun - got a push off from Simon, a little stumble not realising when to stand up, but I was pretty soon on my way. Just like a pursuit, I tuck in and spun the legs as quickly as I could. Held it out for 3.5 laps solo before I finally got caught. Swung up, and sat on the 3 riders that had caught onto me. Knowing we had a good gap - ease up a little on the last lap - finished 4th overall - and I was through to my first final! 


Race 3: 12 lap win/out. Kinda like a points score with 3 sprints, except that if you win the first sprint, you're automatically the winner and you can then pull out. Sweet. Being B grade only, the pace wasn't too bad from the start. I thought we had an extra lap - but the bell rung at 7 - and I could not quite get over the top the sprinters who had gone ahead of me. No points for finishing other than first - I ease up a little (shouldn't have!), and someone else jumped - again the bell rang a lap earlier than I expected - had another 'oh crap' moment. Well 2 sprints down - one more left for 3rd place - no excuses this time. Someone else had gone off the front - and having done a bit of chasing - I swung up for the others to have a turn. 2 to go and the pace backed off - the others were tired - and I knew I had to do the work to bring  the rider back. 300m out I chased as hard as I could - but alas the gap had grown too big - ran out of laps - and settled in for 4th...again!


Race 4: Handicap final. 14 riders were through. Legs were starting to feel it now. Again - I was at the 155m mark - though this time I had someone starting just in front of me. This time I had Mitch Barry push me off - thanks Mitch! - had a couple of false 'get ready' - before finally the gun went! With someone just in front - I could not jump hard at the start and had to wait till we were on the banks before I overtook the rider and took off. Same like the first handicap - I rode as hard as I could, but my contact lenses were starting to dry out - and before I knew it I could barely see a thing! Crap! Blink - blink - managed to get one lense it - sensed I was caught and swung up with 2 laps to go. The sprinters jumped on the bell lap - again I copped the full blast of wind in my face. Both lenses had moved - and I could barely make out anything - except moving figures going off in front - fast! I knew I had to just finish it up - and held my line as best as I could. Finished 7th overall. Pretty happy with that effort. 


Overall, not too bad a performance for my first open race. Certainly drew heaps of learning experience, and was great to be able to race amongst national and world-level riders. Managed to meet the rest of the Malaysian National contingent who were racing that night - which was cool. And spoke to world keirin champ Pocket Rocket Azizul Awang too!!  Sucking in the atmosphere of the cheering crowd was brilliant - thanks to the other kids' mums and dads and a couple of mates who were there cheering me on. Having someone scream your name certainly makes you go a whole lot quicker! 


Every race I pick up something new - it's been a massive learning curve thus far. Form's starting to fall in place - hopefully we've timed it right. Next up - State Omnium Champs coming Saturday - bring it on!! 

Funny bird, and cycling H's

Sun 6 Nov: A hot summer's day of racing finally. SKCC/NeometroBeller  were holding a points score at the crits  today - 2 intermediate sprints, and 1 final sprint - brilliant! 


Missed my first alarm clock and literally jumped out of bed half an hour later. Phew - still an hour before the crits - there goes my plan of doing a longer warm-up, oh well. It sure was warm enough today! 

At the start line (Photo by Adrian Vlok)

Women's A Grade - 17 starters. Starting to recognise a lot more riders in the peloton now - good. The race kicked off on neutral lap, and the pace soon picked up. Chased down a few of the early attacks - and I could almost feel my late breakfast coming up. Alright relax..breathe. 


18 mins - whistle blew. Intermediate sprint 1. I was somewhere mid-bunch. Round the 3rd corner - some girls went. Oh crap - no gaps..caught inside. Had to wait till final corner - sprinted - but it was too late - 4th place - just missed out on points. No worries - still another 2 sprints left. 

The peloton (Photo by Adrian Vlok)

A rider in another grade crashed. No breaks this time - so everyone was on neutral. It was starting to get really warm - gotta keep the fluids in. Bridie O'Donnell came up and introduced herself - gave a little pointer on taking the corners. Didn't realise my back wheel was swerving a bit wide - had to lean in a little more. Thanks for the tip Bridie! 


Funny moment - a silly bird decided to tempt fate by walking in the middle of the bunch. 1 lap - the bunch avoided it. Next lap - it got caught mid bunch, flew up and Amy Bradley screamed. Sorry Amy - I was just behind your wheel and almost fell off my bike laughing. Next lap - revenge! Amy pulled one foot out, chased down and tried to kick the bird. My ribs were starting to hurt from laughing. Ok - back to racing - time to focus again. 

For you Amy! :) (it's pink too!)

30 mins - I knew the 2nd sprint was coming up.  Moved up - and was neck and neck with 3 others up the front. It almost like a cat and mouse game. Whistle blew. Round the 3rd corner - everyone was waiting. Ok now - go! I jumped  - sat down for the final corner - open road to the line. Sprinted. "Is this really happening?" I looked left and saw Nicole Whitburn just passing me - "should I bring in the next kick??" "but this is a points score - there's still more racing -  oh crap - there's the line!" 2nd place. Was happy with that.


We both soon eased up and pulled back into the peloton. Really warm now. I was hurting. Face my starting to tense up. Relax! Chased down more breaks - brekkie was starting to come up again - ok, sit tight. Not long more to go. I heard my timer go off  - saw the sign - 5min+3 laps. What??!! That's an extra 5 mins of racing! Cusses going through the peloton. 
I was starting to lose a bit of focus. A little nudge from Bec Domange - "you need to get up the front". That shook me out of my daze. "Ok cool!" I found my way up. 


Focus. Focus. The heat was really starting to get into me. And the longer racing too. 3 laps to go. Not long more. Bell lap. Not too bad a position. Need to move up a little. Coming out of the 3rd corner - ok, now. I committed to swinging right - rider in front was swinging wide too.  "Argh! Where did that curb come from??" I had totally forgotten about that extra piece of cement sticking out there. I saw that gap narrow every milisecond.  Had to pull back. The sprinters had already started on the left. Crap. Saw a small gap to my left - and another gap. Managed to find my way to the front - but it was too late. Coming out of the last corner, the front sprinters had already gone. It was race over. Finished 6th.  


Next up - Men's D Grade. 47 starters.  No intermediate sprints for this one. Phew. The temp had hit 31 deg and I was already feeling pretty stuffed from the earlier race. First 15 mins of the race - I was somewhere mid bunch and slowly worked my way up near the front. Lots of riders out there today. Next 15 mins. I was pretty focused on the wheel in front, but with every bit of energy starting to seep out of my system, I found myself lapsing in and out of focus. Come on - shake it off. 10 mins to go - BikeNow rider Tom came up and asked how I was feeling. "About to vomit" was my reply. Sorry Tom, can't do much today - I really was struggling. 


Don't give up. Just hang on. Last few laps - I was slowly dropping further and further back. Come on - don't let that gap go. Got to finish with the bunch. Last 2 laps and the pace really lifted. I saw a flurry of colours fly past on my left and right and could almost see the front riders 50m in front. I really had an empty tank and not much left. Just finish it. I was nearly at the back out of the final corner and pretty much just spun my way to the line. Phew! 


Hot day - hot racing - had lots of fun in the race and learned heaps out on the course today. Came up with a  new theory on my cool down today  - H words are a cyclist's biggest challenges - heat, headwind, hills and hunger - and when you overcome them all - you're home! 

A rookie move..and my first track enduro race..

Sun 24 Oct: Back to the SKCC crits. First race of the points series. The improvement I’ve been noticing week after week has been almost scary, yet, it certainly brings about a sense of curiosity to see how far I can really push myself.

Woke up feeling a little sluggish – pretty sluggish actually. Probably due to the warm weather and I had woken up with my shirt drenched in sweat. Was going to head down to the Latte Laps session that morning to pick up a skill or 2, but could not pull myself out of bed. I really needed that extra hour of sleep in today.

Hmm…everything sure feels heavy today, I thought to myself as I rolled down on my warm up to the crits.  I was already in the small chain ring and tried as best to get the legs moving.

With the first race of the points series (there was extra prize money and extra awards up for grabs), the big guns had certainly come out to play today. More new faces in peloton, more team kits out there today. With both Jenny Mcpherson and Nicole Whitburn in the mix – it certainly was going to be an interesting race.

We rolled off – with a scooter leading us out round the first lap. 2^nd lap and it was get go. Things were quick right from the start with everyone throwing attacks left right and centre! A new pair of shoes up for grabs for the most aggressive rider – everyone was certainly keen to have a crack.

The scooter following us at the back of the peloton.. (Photo by Rob M)

Managed to bridge one of the early breaks – but boy, it sure felt like I was hauling a sack of bricks around. I even had to soft pedal through the corners, and I couldn’t help thinking that it must have been the hill training the day before. No time for negative thoughts – just focus on the race. I tried to move up the peloton, but lap after lap I kept on getting spat out the back. Weird – the pace was high but certainly not unbearable. Every corner I was trying to crank down hard and found myself doing a lot of work. I need to move up! But no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t quite spin the legs. I took a quick glance at my cassette sprocket – I was pushing a 52-19 – a 52-19?? That’s like somewhere in the low 70’s of gear ratios. I really must be tired.

A third way through, I eventually got dropped on one of the corners. Bugger. I tried to TT for 2 laps – I wasn’t going to quit. Every glance at my speedo – I was pushing a ridiculously low speed. No quitting. No quitting. Onto the 3^rd lap, and eventually I was caught by 2 riders in a break. Ah well, gave it all I had. Certainly was a little disappointed with my performance but I knew I had given it my best shot.

Was really feeling like a sack of bricks at this point.. (Photo by Rob M) 

After a brief chat with my coach to reflect on the race, I handed my bike to him whilst I returned my race bib. “Your back wheel wasn’t fixed in properly and your brakes were rubbing!! Grace!!” Haha..no wonder my bike felt like a tonne!! A rookie move – certainly one not to be forgotten – and always, always check your bike before you race! Oh well, mistake made, lesson learnt, certainly not one to be repeated.

A power nap and some food, I headed down to DISC for Hawthorn CC’s (HCC) Sunday Roast track race. I was certainly excited, yet nervous – 80 laps round the track – works out to 20ks – but 80 laps sure sounds like a lot! Well, at least there’re no brakes to worry about (or be worried about?) this time!

The predicted rain didn’t eventuate, and it was really warm inside the velodrome. Well, good training to get use to the heat for the summer races. Fixing up my gears, this time, I certainly did a double take to make sure my back wheel was aligned and the nuts were done up tight.

The arvo kicked off with a 30 lap scratch warm-up race. Those young kids were pushing the pace from the get go. 5 laps to go and I eventually got caught behind someone who had blown, could not quite get over him, and ended up having to pull out. That’s alright, a warm up and I was more nervous about the bigger race later that day.

Next up – my first elimination race. Rules were simple: a few laps of rolling, then the last person every 2 laps gets eliminated till 3 riders were left to contest the sprint. Sure sounds like fun! With too many riders in my division, we were split into 2 groups. I was allocated to the 2^nd group. As I sat spinning on the rollers watching the first race unfold, it looked like heaps of fun, and I was itching to get on the track. With about 10 or so riders, I lasted about half way through till I was eventually eliminated. Certainly can’t wait to give that type of racing a crack again!

Now it was time for the big one – the 80 laps points score. First 5 riders across the line every 10 laps score points but you had to finish the race. I was well warmed up by now, and certainly starting to get the hang of riding shoulder to shoulder. After about 30 laps of getting the feel for the race, I was keen to have a crack at scoring a point or 2. But gee, those sprinters are sure quick! So every 10 laps, I tried something different each time, but had not quite mastered finishing in the top 5. No worries, today’s plan was to get the feel and finish the race. Being a fun and friendly racing atmosphere, we had more experienced guys shouting out moves – move up, stay down etc. – it certainly was great having them in the bunch.  Last 10 laps, I was still in the race – not long more. 2 laps to go, having just pulled a turn, I saw a gap and managed to swing into 5^th position – not too bad a place.  Bell lap – I stood up and sprinted. Revving as quickly as I could – I ended up finishing 4^th in the final sprint. I had earned a spot on the points ladder – no where near the winners - and will have to learn to climb up eventually.

A great day of racing overall at the track, and I certainly enjoyed myself. It was definitely a fun and friendly racing atmosphere organised by HCC. A big day of racing done – another power nap before dinner. Can’t believe November is just around the corner – just received my racing/training calendar – and it certainly feels like I’m on a caffeine overdose just thinking about the races. Super duper excited!!

A win..and learning the craft..

Sunday 16 Oct: A week off the local SKCC club crits led me in search for a race alternative – Glenvale crits hosted by Carnegie Caufield CC. The 25k commute was a nice warm up, especially with a strong tail-wind all the way out.

I rocked up nice and early, bid a few of my training mates g’day and proceeded to sign up at rego. I was a little nervous from not having raced that course before, though the pre-race recce sure helped as I start to become aware of the small, yet important course details as I mature through the sport.

I proceeded to sign up for Men’s D grade (knowing mates who ride faster than me in there), but was told I could not as the records showed that I had previously won a B grade men’s crit. What the??  This handicapping dilemma has happened a few times now. Not sure what all the clubs have going on with the cycling records. Enough said. A small negotiation followed, and I ended up settling to ride in Men’s C, which meant having to wait around for another hour plus.

The icy bay winds made for a long and teeth-chattering wait having not brought enough clothes. Warm up wasted, oh well. Settled down for a coffee, got chatting with a few friends and cheered my mates who were racing in B and D from the sidelines. Once they had finished, I immediately proceeded to warm up the cold muscles again. And the rain came – a massive downpour enough to soak you to the bones. Oh no. Had all fingers and toes crossed that they wouldn’t call the race off as we huddled under the shelter. It came, and it went. A 10min delay, Mr Sun came out and it was race time!

Focused (Photo by Michael Eaddy)

 A fairly big group with 35 starters. Again, with the wet course, I had no idea exactly how long we were racing for. As I looked around, I spotted 3 other women in the group – all with the bright pink headbands on their helmets - today’s goal will be a race against them – CCCC awarded the first 2 women home. And off we went.

With the wet course, everyone was a little cautious at the start, but things immediately got moving after the 2^nd lap. I set on to chase down any pink headband riders who were in front of me. 3 of us women were constantly jockeying for bunch position - often appearing one if front of the other. I spotted an early break by a few of the men go – but decided against attempting to follow with none of the girls on the break. The pace immediately pushed higher as the bunch worked to reel the break back in.

As the clock ticked down, it was only myself and 1 other girl racing it out. With the bunch getting tighter and tighter, and at times riding single file, things were really starting to hot up. About 5 laps to go – another surge in the pace. By this time, 2 men had already broken away and the men were racing for 3^rd place. I caught onto a swarm and really had no idea where I was in relation to the other women. Focus. Just focus on what was going on in front.

Digging hard (Photo by Michael Eaddy)

Bell lap. Riders were beginning to jostle for a front position on the last corner. Another surge in pace. Not long to go – hang on. Out of the last corner, I dug in hard and sprinted – trying to find whatever empty space there was to the line. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted another pink band sprinting and closing in fast on the other side of the road. We were head to head. Few more meters – come on! I was absolutely committed to the finish, gave it all I had – saw the line – and thrusted my bike forward. Yes!! I had won the women’s race!

1st woman across the line, finished somewhere in the top 10 – I was absolutely pumped. Racing amongst that bunch was a great eye-opener and a good learning experience. Despite the wet roads, this was my first race where everyone held their lines well in such a big bunch. It was also definitely great learning to be part of the peloton and watch the race-craft of the other stronger and more experienced sprinters.

Win #1 of the season – that sweet feeling and a great confidence booster! Thanks James for a new pair of BikeNow knicks, and Leon for a tub of Sukkie ‘lemon crush’ race fuel.  Keep racing, keep learning and keep riding.

1st envelope of the new season. (Photo by Nic Hamley) 

It's all in the saddle..

The more miles I've been putting into the bike - and the niggles were starting up again. First my back, then my knee, and the worse bit - saddle sores. Eek! Like any endurance sport, the more miles you put in, that's when you start noticing those annoying pain. Leave them for too long and pretty soon you'll realise you're down with an injury and have to take time off. With the summer racing season around the corner, I needed a solution - and a quick one too. 


Being a big believer of getting the right fit on the bike, I kept on asking my coach if I looked alright on the bike. Everything looked fine - stem length was right, seat height was right, fore/aft distance was right, cleats were in the right position- but those niggles were a constant nag. I didn't want to sound too whiney, but yet it was a constant bother. And with the increased number of miles on my new training program - it was a love hate relationship with my bike. 

"Specialized test saddles" (got mine from BikeNow)

Well the saddle sores were a sign - and I knew it had something to do with the saddle. I had read on the internet once how the wrong saddle could be a cause for back pain as well. With the new Specialized test saddles in store at BikeNow, manager James Storer soon got me onto an ass-o-meter to find the right width saddle. 


The cool thing about the test saddles were that they had the standard sizes printed up the top - 130cm, 143 cm and 155 cm.  And within each size, there were various different types of saddles too - some with longer noses, some with more gel padding, and some which were a lot more racier. Once I had the correct width sorted out, I started testing out the saddles one after another. The knee pain and back pain immediately went away!! Brilliant! Now it was about finding the most comfortable one. With my racing, I spend a lot of my time in the drops and hence the nose length and width mattered a lot too. After a couple of weeks of trying -I've finally found my perfect one!  And just like that, with a snap of the fingers, my longer rides were a lot more nicer and a lot more fun too. 


Finding the right saddle is like finding the perfect running shoe. My perfect running shoe may not be your perfect one. I've got really flat feet, whereas you might have a really high arch. Just like shoes, you can't really read reviews about saddles and randomly pick one. Ok, sometimes you might be lucky - especially if you're a guy as a lot of saddles are catered to the boys. The first thing that riders normally question is their bike fit, but very rarely is the correct fitting saddle a point of contention. If the saddle is somewhat comfortable, most riders would settle for it - and it isn't till the long rides that the niggles become an issue. 


Well, I certainly learnt a number of things throughout this process: did you know that a saddle too narrow can force you to lean onto one side and aggrevate one knee? or not support your pelvis and start pushing on pressure points that cause back pain? or a nose too wide that starts causing chafing around those important bits? 


Different brands would work for different riders and just like runners, every rider would have their favourite saddle brand and type. It's cool that Specialized do test saddles with the try before you buy approach. Just like walking into a shoe store and trying out a pair of runners. And certainly, the guys at BikeNow for being ever so patient in helping me get the right fit. So if you're going through that finding the right saddle for your bike, I'd certainly recommend trying out one of those test saddles. It's certainly made a world of difference for me - I used to dread those long training rides, but definitely looking forward to the 100-k-er this weekend! 

Muddy spray..

Sun 9 Oct: Woke up to overnight rain and wet roads. Rain had stopped. Good - that meant the crits were still on. 


Women's A Grade - 12 starters today. Though we did have Aus's 2008 ITT champ Bridie O'Donnell who had been riding in the pro peloton in Europe amongst the mix today. Cool! The wet roads meant the corners were a little sketchy and there was crap all over the ground.  


About a third way through a break managed to form. Soon 3 riders were in the 10s break. The peloton constantly kept them in sight and held pace, no one wanting to bridge just yet. Nevertheless, our bunch kept on shrinking with one after another dropping off from flat tyres. 


Just as we were settling into a rhythm to start chasing down the break, a crash happened in the other grade, and we were put on neutral for 1 lap. But the group of riders in the break did not slow down! Within half a lap, the gap had grown to 30s, and we lost sight of the riders in front. The race for a place was pretty much over then - and it was soon a race amongst ourselves. 


Last lap - I took the lead and pulled the bunch. Out of the final corner, did a semi-sprint to the finish line - a race for a place was no longer in contention and I was keen to save my legs for the next race. Finished 2nd in the bunch. Oh well, got to learn to spot the breaks next time. 

"Concentration..." (Photo by Marisa Farrell) 

"Working hard to bridge" (Photo by Marisa Farrell)

Men's D grade - must have been about 40 riders. It had started pissing down again, meaning the roads were now even wetter. They decided to let us ride around on neutral till it was safe to bring it up to race pace. 15 minutes of neutral riding - the rain eventually stopped - we were brought to a halt and real racing begun. 


From the go - the pace was high. It was almost like everyone had that inner kid in them wanting to break lose. With lots of water still on the road, everyone was braking before the corners. Argh - it was so annoying! Brake - chase - brake - chase. 


With the neutral riding, I had no idea how long we were racing for. The commisaire wasn't sure at the start either. As one point, one guy with a bike 4 sizes bigger tried to push me off the wheel I was on - his handlebars ended up hooking onto my arm. Bugger. I held firm and pushed back. I wasn't to let that wheel go. No bullying mate! 


Didn't see the 3 laps to go sign and before I knew it, the final lap bell rung. Oh crap, I had just lost a couple of spots with one rider blowing up in front of me. I tried as best as I could to make up the lost spots, but with the race pace gone up significantly, could not quite get near the front going into the final corner. Finished about 10 or so. 


With the wet roads, it made for a somewhat sketchy day of racing - though good fun nonetheless. Mud and spray all over - it certainly looked like I had just been back from mountain biking. A flat on my tubulars meant I had to walk the final k home. Eek! Some sealant by BikeNow mechanic did the trick and won't need new tyres just yet.  Cleaned my bike for the 2nd time in 2 days - hopefully this spring rain goes away soon! 

Aaaaaa...drenaline...

Sunday 2 Oct: First criterium race of the new summer season!! Been patiently waiting for the crits all winter  - and it's finally here. After a horrendous Melbourne weather week, we had nothing better but blue skies and sunshine to kick off the racing season. 

"My first race amongst the A grade women" (Photo by Marisa Farrell)

A recent win on the road meant it was finally time to make the move up to Women's A Grade. 45min + 3 laps. Went about my usual warm-up, a few words of advice from the coach, and pretty soon I was lined up amongst the fairly huge group of 20 starters. BikeForce, Prime Estate and SKCC Race Team were the few dominant teams there  - I was a little nervous just looking around the field. Breath. 

"Focus!" (Photo by Robbie Moore) 

The race kicked off and I was soon sitting amongst the peloton. 10 mins in - the attacks started being launched by those in the teams. Every couple of minutes someone would attempt a break. It was almost like sitting in a car of an L-plater - accelerate, slow, accelerate, slow. With some decent headwinds on the course, the attacks weren't going to last - just sit tight.  Today was about learning to recognise the riders of the peloton - picking out their strengths - learning who the sprinters were, who the domestiques were. Knowing who your competitors are definitely goes a long way. 


 Beep..beep. I heard my timer go off. 3 laps to go. The pace started picking up. 2 more attempted attacks. Patience. Patience. I started making my way up to the front of the field. 2 laps to go - swamped. Lost my position up the front. Bell lap. Managed to creep up to the front of the peloton. Round the last bend before the final corner, Prime Estate lead out went with sprinter Nicole Whitburn. BikeForce chick tailing them. (Note to self: Gotta start learning some names soon). Boxed in. Crap. They already had 2 bike lengths gap. Saw a space and jumped. Out of the final corner, I stood up and sprinted. Too late. Managed to close it down to 1 bike length settling in for 4th/5th position. (probably needed a photo finish but they only paid down to 3rd anyways.) Top 5 placing in my first race up a grade - stoked!!! 

"Racing amongst the men" (Photo by Marisa Farrell)

Adrenaline still pumping, a few lessons learnt from the earlier race - I was onto race number 2 for the day - men's D Grade. I hurriedly signed up, grabbed 2 snake lollies from the rego desk and was soon lined up ready to go. 37 starters. A much bigger field. 40 mins + 3 laps. The field was a little strung out at the start, with the riders not really sure what to do. Riders were jittery with that being the first crit of the season. We had riders trying to overtake on the inside of the corners. One guy who did that even screamed  - "Give me a chance!" Suicide attempt I call it. Nervy peloton - best stay up the front, and focus!! 


10mins + 3 laps. I was really starting to tire. My sinuses had started to play up again from the hayfever. Should have had some energy food during the break. Running out of fuel. 2 riders jumped and went for the break eventually managing to gain about 1/3 lap from us. I spotted fella BikeNow compatriot Tommy Weereratne coming on the outside and immediately jumped on his wheel to chase them down. He was pushing the pace really high - I dug hard, and hung on. We caught them. Great chasing Tommy!! "Keep left!" "Keep left!" We heard the dreaded sound of the marshals telling us to keep left and slow down to let the B-graders lap us. The bunch immediate caught on and swamped us. 


2 laps to go. Someone in front of me swerve. Sitting tight on his wheel I followed. Guy behind me clipped my wheel. Arggh. I stayed up. "No crossing wheels!!" someone shouted. "Thank you!!" No crashes. Phew. 1 lap to go. Not much left in the legs. Dug hard. 2 guys went off - I had nothing left in me to chase. Needed fuel. Out of the final corner - I tried a sprint. Finished somewhere in the top 10 - 7th I think. 


Great racing overall and I was happy with the season opener. Lot of learning - tonnes of adrenaline! Am already hungry for the next win. Time to train hard and build on the experience.