The last few months of winter training have
really flown by and the start of the 2016 season has really snuck up on me! But
before talking about that, I’m happy to say I have been selected for the St
Andrews University Individual Performance Programme. This is a real privilege and it gives me
great opportunities such as strength and conditioning sessions and funding to
help me achieve some of my goals for the year.
Unfortunately since my last post I’ve also
been ill lots, the end of October and start of November were almost completely
written off by a lymph gland the size of a golf ball and an extended course of antibiotics
(ughh gross I know!). After recovering I launched back into training only to
hit my end of term exams. The riding
took a back seat as the books came out. I’m happy to say I passed my exams - so
obviously it worked!
The Christmas break was about training and
adventuring, the latter by hitchhiking to Budapest for charity. (Got there –
took 3 days and very little sleep) I went back to uni feeling good and excited
for the term ahead. And then I got ill
again… Even more unfortunately I got ill on the weekend of the World
Cyclo-Cross Championships, which my awesome parents took the whole family and
my CX-mad friend Eleanor to as a treat for my 18th birthday. Despite
being ill, the whole weekend was unbelievably exciting but in true CX tradition
it poured with rain. This didn’t impact
on the atmosphere, which was electric and these Belgian crowds really know how
to party! Being so close to some of my sporting heroes was amazing and I did
scream my head off when Mathieu Van Der Poel went past every lap. After two
days of standing in the cold, the glamorous life continued as we got back to
Edinburgh at around 11pm on the Sunday night and I was up at 6.30am on the
Monday to get my train back to St Andrews for 3 hours of lectures, 3 hours of
labs and a tutorial. Ah well I did choose this life, and I’m loving it!
After I shifted that cold, thankfully
without any drugs this time, I pushed on with a hard month of training and was
feeling like I was making progress as my first race approached.
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| Some of the beautiful scenery in Fife |
The season opened in a similar fashion to
last year with the St Helens CRC Pimbo Road Race, round an industrial estate in
Skelmersdale. The circuit was 3kms long with the women’s race being 18
laps. Around 60 riders signed on and the
field was a really strong one with the UCI level women’s team, Drops Race Team,
teams from the British domestic scene and GB Breeze riders to name a few.
I always like to arrive at races in plenty
of time so when mum and I arrived at sign on just before 10 it gave me two
hours to get from sign on to the circuit, sort my kit and warm up. As we had
plenty of time mum decided to provided some light entertainment whilst trying
to park the van on the muddy verge on the finishing straight… I wont say much
more but we did end up taking bets on how many people would be needed to push
the van back onto the road…. I won the bet with 6!
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| All smiles on the start line! |
On the start line, the sun was shining and
I managed to get on to the front line so got a clean start when
the race got
underway. The first lap was, I will admit, a bit scary as I had a massive near
crash as the bunch flexed in size and the riders on either side of me both
squeezed me causing my bars to get caught under the arm of the rider on my
right, we both had a huge wobble but held it but I then got pinged to the left
and my front quick release clanged off the frame of the rider on my left.
Luckily through adrenaline and speed we all stayed upright and pedaled on.
The laps ticked by and suddenly there was a
mass surge up the finishing straight as we entered the first of two prime laps.
I knew these sharp changes in pace could put me in trouble but I felt strong
and stuck in the bunch fine during both the prime laps. The race really lit up
and there were people pinging off the front every lap but nobody could get any
distance on the bunch due to the number of teams with riders prepared to chase
down attacks.
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| Race face going strong- Photo Credit: Daniel Styler |
With 4/5 laps to go we were all together
and I started to move forward while still sheltering in the wheels as much as
possible. Then with 2 laps to go I spotted the Drops team starting a lead out
for Lucy Shaw (the winner of the race), and well, who would turn down a free
ride to the finish on the back of a UCI team lead out train. So I followed them
as they moved forward and on the last lap as we turned left onto the long
finishing straight I was starting to have to push it just to follow the wheels.
As the sprint opened up I got pushed into the gutter a little but kicked hard
up the little finishing rise to get every last bit of strength out before I hit
the line. It was my first women’s bunch sprint finish and the buzz I had
afterwards was incredible! I was so over the moon to have been up the front at
the end of the race and I suspected a top 15-20th finish. It was
only the next day, when I saw the finish video and official result, that I saw
that I had finished 10th! The
result means a lot to me as last year’s Pimbo was my first ever road race and I
got dropped and lapped. This year I knew I was fitter and stronger but the
field was also a higher caliber and a top 10 finish was not something I thought
possible.
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| Pimbo Finish- Photo Credit: Daniel Styler |
My next race was last weekend, representing
my university at the British University and College Sport (BUCS) Track Championships.
As I hadn’t raced on the track for about 18
months, I was a bit nervous as I headed south with the Edinburgh University
team. The journey was entertaining with
chaotic diversions, cars getting lost and a queue on the motorway for the last mile
before the hotel. Crawled into bed 11.30pm and was very glad of a lateish start
of 8am the following day.
On Saturday I had the 3km pursuit and then
the 500m TT, followed by the elimination and points race on Sunday. The first
stressful time of the weekend came when my headset came apart in my hands, as I
tried to change my stem/handlebars. Following some mad running around asking
everyone and anyone to help, the nice guys at Evans sorted the issue and I was
back on track with just enough time to calm myself down and warm up for my
pursuit.
As is the style with track racing we were
behind schedule so the organisers cut the length of the pursuit to 2.5kms so
only 10 laps of suffering! I was a bit shaky off the start but I settled into
my ride and felt ok. Then I heard a roar
of encouragement as I came into one of the straights. I was fully aware that
this wasn’t for me as the rider I was against whooshed past me. This was, I
must admit a little disheartening, but as this rider went on to win the whole
event I didn’t feel too bad. In the end I finished 14th and I’m
satisfied enough with that. The 500 TT came and went without my performance
making much of an impression.
The next day I lined up for the Elimination
and as we rolled onto the track I maneuvered myself to the front of the bunch
to keep safe for the first few eliminations. It worked for a bit and then it
was my sister, Louise, vs me for an elimination. I tried to go over the rider
in front of me and Louise dived under and she got it! So that was me out but I
had enjoyed the racing. The 10km points was next and almost straight from the
gun there were attacks and I had to kept pushing to try and stick in the back
of the bunch.
After the first sprint the group bunched up.
I was riding at the bottom of the track catching my breath and as we came round
into the back straight all I saw was a pair of wheels coming in to my
peripheral
vision. Next thing I knew I was flipping over my bars and on to my
face. I’ve been told it was a spectacular crash and it even made someone spill
their tea in track centre by giving them such a fright.
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| on the startling of the points race |
All I knew was that I was lying on the
track and my face hurt. Suddenly someone grabbed my neck stopping me from
moving and a load of people appeared asking various questions about what hurt
etc. All I wanted to know was if my bike, wheels and glasses had survived and
demanded someone take a photo. Bike was fine but glasses, front wheel and
helmet were write offs. After being scraped off the track I got patched up by
the medics but had to go to A&E to get the cut on my chin looked at. Fair
play to my sister though, who after checking I was alright got back onto the
track, raced on and got 8th then packed up everything and got me to
hospital.
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| always smiling! |
More patching up at A&E and then the
long drive home. I was really pleased to crawl in to bed and even more pleased
to be starting uni Spring break so I could get a long lie!
The next few days were quite tough as I was
stiff and sore all over and just felt low in energy. By Thursday I was feeling
much better and after a short spin on the turbo I was feeling much more like my
normal self. Hope the recovery continues as on Sunday I am off to Mallorca for
a week of riding with my ERC clubmates. I am so looking forward to this!
I’d like to say a quick few thank yous,
firstly to everyone at the uni sports centre, especially Allan and Luke! And to
the boys in the uni cycling club for putting up with me getting dropped on the
hills all winter. To everyone who helped me at the track too and check I was
ok, I was overwhelmed by everyones kindness. And finally to my teammates at
ERC, you always make me feel so welcome when I sporadically turn to the club
rides and I really appreciate the support you all give me!
Until next time!
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