IMPENDING DOOM!

Not really...but we are edging ever nearer to the start of the racing season and it feels like there is so much I need to get done, talk about, rant about...etc!

The awesome 17 strong ladies collective & manager Neil.

I missed posting again in National Obesity Awareness Week mainly due to being off-Island to attend the VCUK team launch. This was awesome, very pro, and we received a fabulous motivational speech from Wayne Greenhalgh, the boss at VCUK. We all left feeling very much part of something special, and part of an overall cycling family willing to accept and encourage all regardless of status or level. It's exciting!

After arriving there was a formal introduction of each team which included a quick Q&A session. Some photographs and of course - CAKE. It was lovely to see families and friends arrive to support their respective participants. Again the event overall promoted the idea of the VCUK concept being very much a community driven, development based organisation. All we struggled with was fitting the (almost) whole women's team on stage! There's so many of us! 

Mavics have been better days.

So anyway this week is just a very quick update, now we've had a team launch it's time to start knuckling down on the meaty stuff. I've almost completed my "away" calendar for the year bar some missing events. I'm glad to have this pre planning done now as it gives me some focus for the next month. My first events will be a small circuit in York on Saturday 7th March, followed by one of my favorite - the circuit RR at Pimbo in Skem. If you remember, I did reasonably well in this last year barring my rather silly decision to try and break on the last corner to avoid the sprint. This time round I'll play my cards a little closer to my chest - there's a team to work with this time so the options are boundless. 

Weird sensation standing on these!

Following that there's some slightly more challenging RR's on the horizon, knowing how my climbing is I've been concentrating on improving this over the last month, including refining my diet to promote a little weight loss. It's working but I've accepted the fact that my skills definitely lie elsewhere, as such I'm hoping I can keep my head on and maybe do a little better in bunch sprints this year. My old brain doesn't like "the fear" - so basically this side of winter has been working on upping my levels of #HTFU. 

In preparation for all of these exciting things I've actually been chipping away at improving my gear too. The other half bought me a delicious set of Gaerne shoes at Xmas which I've finally just got round to having fitted with cleats & some custom Sidas insoles - which feel like miniature hugs for my feet - kindly done by our on-Island dealer Andrew. 

Lovely kit! 

There's also some new wheels in the post which should hopefully give me a little bit more of an advantage over my powertap training wheels, certainly in the weight department if not anything else. Then of course all the beautiful Champion System kit! After our first drop of stunning winter & race gear I've also popped an order in for a Speedsuit - one of those properly fangled techy paint on jobs. Hopefully all these salads will permit a "no tear" timetrial situation. 

So that's where we're at. If you're around Skelmersdale or York early March, or Capernwray at the end of March then come and watch some racing! 

See you on the start line!