LATE!
OOooooops! Apologies all for taking two months to update this thing. You may have guessed that since the big move I've been incredibly busy!
Well, all has been going swimmingly here on the Isle of Man, we've been blessed with some great weather and as always the exposure to the terrain here has benefited my overall fitness greatly. I was going to do a geek-post but I think it might be prudent to update you all on where I'm at with racing, as it's drawing near to the close of the season 'n' all.
So I've done a few handicaps (25 miles long) - these are insane. In England we raced HC's like we'd race crits, very similar, typical kind of fast race. Over here, the handicaps are done in through and off (where riders in a group rotate in a pace line to share the burden of the wind at the front and maintain a higher speed), until of course you hit the last lap and then it's carnage. This really hurts, with pro's in the scratch group hunting us down, us little'uns in the slower groups push out averages around 25mph, with a constant paceline, to try to avoid being caught. This is AMAZING training, I've loved it. I can see why the cyclists here are so hardcore, with races like that (and the youth race these too!) mid-week it's given me unbelievable gains on my top end power. The last one is on Sunday, gutted, I don't want them to end!
Next up are the timetrials, I'd done a couple of these in Essex and got reasonable times. Again over here my overall power just seems to have shot up, I've gone from doing 27 minutes in the ten milers to a new PB of 26.34 on a road bike. I'm going to be hunting for at least a sub 26 in my first few of the new season and luckily have "inherited" a slightly oversized for me Planet X TT bike - can't wait to try it! I really enjoy these short blasts, it's a fantastic way to bury yourself and really test your legs.
Not so fun was the 25 mile, I've done one, I didn't enjoy it at all. I went off too hard, like I would have in a ten miler and quickly realised this is a blatant rookie mistake. Hopefully next season I can work on that.
Lastly is the road racing, again I've done one of these and it didn't end so great. Second-to-last but then the field was relatively small and I was the only girl out of a group of pretty quick blokes. It was 50 or so miles and a very tough mountain finish. I timetrialled it from the end of the second lap but the first couple was just the most amazing experience. It showed me that I've really come so far from falling off the back at the start of every race, to now riding in a peloton and keeping my position. What's more is I was riding next to Peter Kennaugh for half the first lap - something to tell the grand kids! At least I can say I didn't come last in a race against Kennaugh (needless to say, he won).
It's tough here, very tough. I've made some incredible gains over summer and am looking forward to my final big race of the year, the TLI National Champs in September. We're working on a training block specifically for this so hopefully all the hard graft will shine through. It's been a blessing being back on the Island in that I am much more confident to train on the roads, unlike in London where last years accidents really knocked my will to get out in the week.
Next season is even more exciting, I've started sending out enquiries and CVs to women's teams across the UK. I've had a few answers, some positive, some negative - but I'm holding my hopes up and fingers crossed the positive ones come through after budget time. The chance to ride in a women's team next season would be unreal, I have a good feeling about my future abilities and I think next season is going to prove that.
So how am I after my first full year on a bike and first season in racing? Knackered - but loving it 100% more every second. Apologies for the slightly rushed post and the fact that it's so late! I'll be back SOON!
Well, all has been going swimmingly here on the Isle of Man, we've been blessed with some great weather and as always the exposure to the terrain here has benefited my overall fitness greatly. I was going to do a geek-post but I think it might be prudent to update you all on where I'm at with racing, as it's drawing near to the close of the season 'n' all.
 |
| Training here is EPIC. |
So I've done a few handicaps (25 miles long) - these are insane. In England we raced HC's like we'd race crits, very similar, typical kind of fast race. Over here, the handicaps are done in through and off (where riders in a group rotate in a pace line to share the burden of the wind at the front and maintain a higher speed), until of course you hit the last lap and then it's carnage. This really hurts, with pro's in the scratch group hunting us down, us little'uns in the slower groups push out averages around 25mph, with a constant paceline, to try to avoid being caught. This is AMAZING training, I've loved it. I can see why the cyclists here are so hardcore, with races like that (and the youth race these too!) mid-week it's given me unbelievable gains on my top end power. The last one is on Sunday, gutted, I don't want them to end!
Next up are the timetrials, I'd done a couple of these in Essex and got reasonable times. Again over here my overall power just seems to have shot up, I've gone from doing 27 minutes in the ten milers to a new PB of 26.34 on a road bike. I'm going to be hunting for at least a sub 26 in my first few of the new season and luckily have "inherited" a slightly oversized for me Planet X TT bike - can't wait to try it! I really enjoy these short blasts, it's a fantastic way to bury yourself and really test your legs.
Not so fun was the 25 mile, I've done one, I didn't enjoy it at all. I went off too hard, like I would have in a ten miler and quickly realised this is a blatant rookie mistake. Hopefully next season I can work on that.
Lastly is the road racing, again I've done one of these and it didn't end so great. Second-to-last but then the field was relatively small and I was the only girl out of a group of pretty quick blokes. It was 50 or so miles and a very tough mountain finish. I timetrialled it from the end of the second lap but the first couple was just the most amazing experience. It showed me that I've really come so far from falling off the back at the start of every race, to now riding in a peloton and keeping my position. What's more is I was riding next to Peter Kennaugh for half the first lap - something to tell the grand kids! At least I can say I didn't come last in a race against Kennaugh (needless to say, he won).
 |
| Me in Manx Viking Whlrs club kit, courtesy of Manx Peloton. |
Next season is even more exciting, I've started sending out enquiries and CVs to women's teams across the UK. I've had a few answers, some positive, some negative - but I'm holding my hopes up and fingers crossed the positive ones come through after budget time. The chance to ride in a women's team next season would be unreal, I have a good feeling about my future abilities and I think next season is going to prove that.
So how am I after my first full year on a bike and first season in racing? Knackered - but loving it 100% more every second. Apologies for the slightly rushed post and the fact that it's so late! I'll be back SOON!
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