Winter's here!

I've been meaning to write a blog for a wee while now without knowing exactly what to say or write about. So in the end I've decided to just start typing and see what happens, wish me luck!! Or maybe it should be me wishing you luck if you're about to read this....

My last blog was on the Ladies Tour of Norway. One of the definite highlights of the season! Unfortunately I'll always remember this race alongside an extremely tough time in my personal life. Ultimately it was this that led to me finishing my season earlier than anticipated and the really hard decision to withdraw from Ras na mBan, a race I absolutely love! The best way to describe it is I'd just lost my mojo a bit, kind of run out of oomph. So instead I just had a bit of fun for my last few races, went into them with no pressure, raced on instinct and it worked out pretty well with 3 wins from 3. Nice to end the season on a high and maybe go some way to restoring my mojo! I'll never forget riding back to race HQ after taking the win in the Feewside  Women's road race to see my auntie and uncle there to support me, it was the best surprise ever!!! Thank you B & A, in so many ways!

Taking the win in the Feewside Women's RR. 

So then it was time for some end of season recovery. Something that surprised me this year was that I was actually looking forward to racking my bike for a while, taking the chance to get my head together and let my body recover. Don't get me wrong, after a few weeks of very little peddling I was starting to go a bit stir crazy but now that winter training is in full swing I'm glad I took the rest! You're always going to lose a bit of fitness during your off season break but it's not like starting from scratch no matter how much your head tries to convince you it is during that time off the bike!

After previous winters of not really seeming to get it totally right on the clothing front, this winter I decided to sort that and invest in a decent wind/waterproof jacket and gloves. Cue toasty rides and no more grim days in the saddle wishing I was anywhere but out in the freezing rain, sleet, snow and wind, result! Am I painting a nice picture of winter training in the North East of Scotland??...

To save turning this post into a total waffle, I think that's a good a place as any to stop. Before I say cheerio though just want to say a few big thank yous to some people: my family for always being there no matter what and supporting me through all these life "adventures". My friends for always making me smile and for just being able to pick up where we left off no matter how long it is since we last spoke. My coach for all his continued support, sometimes I think he deserves a medal! Dave Brown (http://www.academysportmind.com/) for helping me believe and bring out the Honey Badger! 

Last but not least Phil Weaver and IKON-Mazda team for such an ace season, it was a blast racing for the team!

One of my favourite photos with the team apart from KB being AWOL when it was taken (Photo credit: Huw Williams). 

I'll not leave it so long before my next update...

Thanks for reading,

Jools. 

Ladies Tour of Norway Stage 1

Sitting in Oslo airport waiting for my flight home it's a good time to reflect on the past few days racing the Ladies Tour of Norway. What an ace experience, I've learnt so much and definitely gained confidence racing at this level with some of the best riders in the world!

First things first I need to say some big thank yous to the people who made the trip possible. The Racing Chance Foundation, a charity supporting women's cycling and providing opportunities for women to race across all levels of the sport. Heather Bamforth. Rene Groot. Alan Gornall and Steev Davidson for being the team's most excellent support crew. I really tried my best to keep Steev busy, thanks guys! The Fred Whitton Foundation. Thank you all!

I was meeting the team at Oslo airport to make the 2 hour drive to Halden, near the Norwegian-Swedish border, where race HQ was. Thankfully the hotel were very nice and provided dinner at 10:30pm, despite us being a couple of hours later than expected! Then it was straight to bed, leaving bike building til the morning. 

The stunning view outside our hotel front door in Halden. 

Saturday morning. Breakfast eaten, bikes built, numbers pinned and bags packed we headed off to the race start, which was a 30 minute drive away. It was hot! Coming from Scotland where anything in double figures constitutes a warm day, racing in the mid to high 20s was going to be a bit of a shock to the system...It was also pretty windy and Alan advised us before the start that the wind would likely play a part so positioning would be key!

The Racing Chance Foundation team lineup. 

On the start line for Stage 1. 

What surprised me most was the leisurely pace that the race started off at once the flag dropped. However never again will I say "I think this is the calm before the storm" because lo and behold almost as soon as those words had left my lips, everything went a little bit crazy! There was a special sprint at 20km, the border sprint, for the first crossing of the Norwegian-Swedish border. Attacks went in contesting the sprint but there was no let up. It just continued on to the first GPM (mountain points) at 32km. I found myself chasing wheels desperately trying to hold on as it strung out up the climb. Gaps opened up and I ended up in a small group chasing the main bunch up the road. Thankfully most riders in the group were willing to work so we formed an organised chase, riding through and off in pursuit of the bunch. The team cars then started to pass and I started to think "no this can't be it, we can't be dropped not even half way into the race!".  Cycling is a mental battle as well as a physical one so you can never let your mind tell you it's over, never give up! We kept riding and soon reached the back of the convoy. Only for the commissaire to pull several of the cars over and a rider almost went into the back of one! There was then another gap to close up to the next lot of cars. Some more chasing. I couldn't understand why half the cars had been pulled out, but later learned that there was a big enough group of us to ride back to the bunch that we weren't going to get assistance from the cars. As soon as we made it back to the bunch, I rode right towards the front for safety. So if the pace was to kick off again at least I'd have some slipping room and wouldn't be punted off the back! Thankfully things had calmed down a bit but not for long...

Rene had made us stickers for our top tubes that detailed where all the sprints and GPMs were, thanks Rene! So the pace ramped up again as we neared the first sprint. Having the effort of the last chase in my legs I desperately tried to hold the wheels. A lot of precious matches were being burned! 

Come the next GPM I got myself into a much better position before we hit the climb, so I had that bit of slipping room. This time the pace up the climb was much more controlled with one of the big teams sitting on the front dictating the pace. 

As it was so hot, drinking was crucial especially if you wanted to remain in some sort of hydrated state for the following day! I'd finished one bottle and sensing a lull in the bunch I drifted to the back and stuck my hand in the air holding my bottle. This lets the commissaire know to radio your team car up so you can get a fresh bottle. I checked with my team mates around me to see if they needed but they were ok so no sticking bottles down the back of my jersey this time. I just hoped that the pace would stay as it was and not suddenly ramp up as I was just off the back at the car. However a few other riders had also decided it was a good time to get bottles, including some from the bigger teams so I knew it would stay fairly controlled.

The last sprint points were to be contested when we hit the finishing circuit. The road back towards Halden, the town where the finish was, was very exposed with a pretty savage crosswind. The pace ramped up and the bunch was strung out in the gutter. I just focused on holding the wheel in front and hoped that I didn't have to close any gaps if someone in front dropped a wheel. 

Riding the finishing circuit pavé. 

The finishing circuit was quite technical with hairpin bends, sharp corners and cobbles. We arrived part way round the circuit with the last sprint prime over the finish line where it was then 3 full laps of the circuit to go. Small gaps were opening up and I managed to catch a group of 3 or 4 riders just in front. We were working well together but just couldn't quite close to the lead group up the road. We kept riding though, to limit the time gap going into stage 2. The circuit was actually quite fun! A bit like a crit at the end of a long race but it definitely helped to improve my cornering. It was take a corner at speed with the correct line or get dropped! I think it's safe to say that I was very glad to hear the bell for the last lap and then cross the finish line. 114km in the legs, pretty knackered but having learned loads, it was time to recover and focus on stage 2 the next morning. 

Team debrief after Stage 1. 

Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir

This weekend saw the first round of the Women's National Series, the Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir 2-day in Northumberland.  I'd missed this race last year with racing Energiewacht Tour so was really looking forward to it as the parcours were far more appealing than racing in the gutter on the flat roads in Holland!

Stage 1 was a kermesse style race, 10 laps of a 3km circuit.  It went off from the gun!  As soon as the flag dropped it was strung out and I was immediately in the red trying to move up the bunch and get into a safer position before we hit the circuit.  First time over the damn wall, fighting the crosswind and onto the descent dodging the potholes before bearing right over a little bridge, then a rider in front slid out on the corner.  I managed to dodge round but found myself chasing and the pace was so high that the leaders were soon riding away.  No one was really willing to chase as several teams had riders up the road so the group I was in stayed mostly together for the remaining laps (give or take a mechanical here or puncture there) and an hour later it was over.  Corrine had a great ride and finished 4th!  The short stage meant plenty of time for recovery (a 2 hour nap for me) and focus on Stage 2, a 90km road race consisting of 4 laps round the Derwent Reservoir.

We woke up to a dry, but cold Sunday morning.  When a man walked past at sign on cheerfully saying "have a good race, hope you get it finished before the snow comes", I thought he was just having a bit of light-hearted banter.  Oh how wrong I was....

Before I go on to describe the attritional Stage 2, there's a wee anecdotal clip to share.  The relevance of this will become clear as you read on, but makes me laugh at the random things that pop into my head at times!

http://youtu.be/Bkyyp6eBqUQ

The start of the race followed the same route as the previous day, but wasn't quite as manic.  Either that or I was more prepared and made it my sole focus to stay near the front of the bunch, especially as we went into the grounds of the Reservoir as the first testing climb was not long after and positioning would be key if you didn't want to get shelled early on!  I'm not quite sure when the rain started, or the snow, but I think this race is up there as one of the hardest races I've ever done, purely for the brutal conditions!!!  I thought racing in 37 degrees heat in France was bad.  This was the polar opposite (pardon the pun!) and most definitely worse!!  The pace was high in the first lap and the bunch had thinned out by the time we started the second lap.  There were a few attacks but nothing was really sticking until Joanna Rowsell's attack, that was to prove the race winning move.  Nikki Juniper jumped away and bridged solo to Jo and the two of them stayed away for the rest of the race, big kudos to both!!  As we descended from the village of Edmundbyers there was a big crash that took out about half the bunch.  I'd been playing it a bit canny on this descent each time.  It wasn't massively technical but it was wet and I knew that I could move up again as we turned left into the grounds of the Reservoir.  This meant that I saw the crash unfold before me and very luckily managed to avoid coming down in the mass of bodies and bikes strewn across the road.  The sound of carbon and bodies hitting tarmac is pretty horrendous and you just have to block out the screams from fellow riders.  As hard and unethical as it sounds, you just have to ride away.  All I remember seeing is a white bike flying up in the air and instinctively following the wheel in front as we dodged past it and began the chase to the riders up the road who had been ahead of the crash.  It took a pretty big effort and used up a few more beans than I would've liked to catch the group in front and I owe a big thanks to my team mate Bex for helping me out in the chase!  

As we rode along the top of the Reservoir in the most exposed section of the course the cold really started to sink in and I realised just how wet and absolutely freezing it was.  I think it had even started to snow at this point.  Sometimes in a race, I can be quite oblivious to the rain, but not then.  I remember looking down at my hand after struggling to feel my right shifter and seeing my fingers all curled up.  See the relevance of the clip above now!  At least those 5 seconds of thinking I had a claw hand to rival Jim Carey's took my mind off the searing cold.  Every time I tried to change gear all I succeeded in doing was pulling on the brake as I couldn't feel anything at all.  I came up with a bit of an unorthodox way of changing gear, but needs must, and I knew that if I could just make it to the final lap then it would be ok as there was no way I was getting that far and not finishing.  So that's when it became a psychological battle as well as a physical one to keep turning the pedals and remain focused when the cold just sapped every bit of energy you had.

Conditions were "challenging" to say the least... (Photo credit: Huw Williams).

The pace going up the climb on the last lap split the group and 4 or 5 riders opened up a gap.  This shift in pace actually helped bring some of the feeling back into my fingers, but also the burning pain you get with the return of sensation after being numbed by the cold.  The 3 km to go sign was the most welcome sight all day as we started the last descent from Edmundbyers.  With less than 1 km to go I decided to have a wee lie down on the bridge before the final climb up to the damn wall where the finish line was.  I think I just came into the corner a bit too hot, saw the wall coming at me too quick and with the cold and wet combo didn't manage to brake in time.  I hit the curb and blew my tire.  A get down so close to the finish was less than ideal but at least I didn't take anyone else down with me.  The Aprire/HSS Hire team car very kindly stopped and was met by me saying on repeat "I want to finish, I want to finish".  So they changed my front wheel, helped me get my shoe back on and I was able to ride the 500m or so up the hill to cross the finish line.

I won't dwell on the aftermath, it wasn't pleasant and I don't think I've ever been that cold in my entire life!  I think the entire peloton would agree, and a big thank you to the medical staff, team support crews and race helpers for coming to the rescue of so many hypothermic riders!  Respect to all the riders who raced in those conditions and thanks to my team mates and Phil for a great memorable weekend of racing!  Onto the next one!

Thanks for reading,

Jools.

It's been a while

How time flies!! That's winter over. Well when I say winter I mean winter training, not in terms of the weather!! It's the 1st April and it's snowing...

So it's race time again and my season started last weekend at the Dave Peck Memorial Road Race in Twickenham, round 2 of the Women's Team Series.

First race for IKON-Mazda in the Dave Peck Memorial RR. 

Sadly my race came to a premature end when I was caught up in a crash and my rear mech was broken. 10 miles to go and it was race over. Gutted and raging I think sums up best how I felt at the time.

Broken hanger

The same fate happened to Elle just minutes before when someone rode into the back of her, another busted rear mech, race over. If things come in threes then they definitely did in this race. Lexie was taken out by the crash but we are all so relieved that she's ok as what happened could have been so much worse!!! Speedy recovery Lexie!! Now I've had a chance to reflect and take the positives from the race I'm not quite so raging and thankfully it was just the hanger that was broken so all fixed now, phew!! 

I thought I'd have a wee recap on the past 6 months. Last season was emotional. There were highs but there were also low lows. I definitely learnt a lot last season and that will really help me this season.  I learnt a lot about myself both as a person and a cyclist. 6 weeks off the bike at the end of the season were a much needed rest for my body and my head, both were pretty done in. I only rode my bike about 4 or 5 times in those 6 weeks and it was just for fun, mostly on the "dark side" (sorry to all my mtb buddies!).  So come November 1st I was feeling refreshed and ready to rekindle the love/hate relationship with the turbo...in the shed...With no power in the shed this often meant training in the dark (daylight is often hard to come by in the winter months in Aberdeen!) with a head torch, gradually peeling off the layers as I started to warm up. We got quite lucky with the weather though and there weren't too many days when it was too icy or snowy to go out on the road. Although I did escape to Lanzarote for most of January so that was a definite bonus!! Lanzarote was ace! Great roads and good weather. Save for the wind... There were a couple of scary moments riding leaning sideways off the bike just to stay upright in the crosswind. I said I'd never moan about the wind back home ever again!

Life has changed a wee bit since returning from Lanzarote. At times it's been a challenge, but I'm really lucky to have the support of some truly great people, who have each helped in their own significant way. I recently posted this picture on Facebook and thought I'd share it again here. When I read it, it really meant something to me and instantly just helped put things into perspective in my head. 

Well that's about it for now. The second day of April, it's not snowing so hopefully yesterday was just the weather's attempt at an April Fools!

Thanks for reading!

Jools.