2012 in Review

2012 IN REVIEW

It’s been 12 months since I started this whole blogging thing, and a lot has happened since my first official entry on the 1^st Jan earlier this year.  It has been a year of highs and lows, as life generally is. Looking back though, I can definitely say that 2012 was a memorable one and exceeded any expectations I had back in Jan last year.

From January through to March I had some of the best form I’ve ever had on a bike and therefore had some awesome races.  I don’t think there was any one ‘training secret’ to the success.  It was more that I’d made sure to tick every box and I guess put in the ‘hard yards’ consistently.  Of course the highlight of the Season was most definitely winning the National XC Champs and it was great to do this while still supporting team Torq.  Gen and Dean, from Torq Australia, have supported me for the last 4-5 years. They took me on at a time when sponsorship was difficult to get and continue to support me even now that I am riding on team Anytime Fitness / Trek.

January7th, Road National Titles

2012 kicked off on the road out at the infamous Mt Buninyong, in countryVictoria.  The 100km course is known for its torturous 6-8min lung-buster hill climb.  The elite females had to make our way up the climb 10 times.  The race generally is decided in the last couple of laps when the group has whittled down to just a small bunch of notable hill climbers.

The aim for me coming into this race was to smash out as many laps possible and therefore make it a good solid training day in prep for the upcoming MTB Season.  In the end I lasted 7 laps with the bunch and probably could have stuck it out a while longer if I had of used my head a little more and positioned a little better.  Still, I was quite content to finish in the top half of the field for this one.

Positioning is the key in Road Races. While remaining at the front end of a bunch can call for much aggression and risk taking, it is quite often the best place to be!

January 21/22^nd, National XC Series Round 2 Buller

After winning the first National Round inPerth, I guess I had a little more pressure on me coming into Round 2 at Buller.  I certainly remember having a few nerves coming into this one!  The nerves built even more when I was forced to descend the last portion of the super D with a tyre that was very rapidly losing air.  Needless to say the last couple of jumps were more like roll-overs.

I decided on a conservative start to the XC race, which proved to be in my favour as I was able round up all those who started a little too hard.  This race proved to be one of my best for the season as I seemed to judge my pacing, nutrition, and technical skills well.

I was able to finish off the weekend nicely with a win in the Point to Point race, although I was a little lucky when my main competitor, Bec Henderson, flatted in the latter half of the race.  To be honest I had miss-judged just how taxing the terrain was and also how much fluid was needed.  Still, a win is a win I reckonJ

Never become complacent in planning out nutrition and pacing strategies. Both are crucial in endurance racing.

January 28-31, Wildside Stage Race Tasmania

This proved to be one of my toughest yet most enjoyed events for the year!  It was awesome to travel alongside and share the inevitable highs and lows of stage racing, with good friend Niki Fisher.

Wildside is an appropriate name for this event.  Tassie can certainly throw all sorts of weather conditions at you. I remember sweltering in the hot conditions on day 2, only to be near hypothermic on day 3 waiting for theGranvilleHarbourstage to start.  Sram were an awesome support during this event as they somehow straightened my severely buckled wheel following the descent offCradleMountain. I was able to ease the wheel through the remaining stages and take out overall honours.  Little did I know just how heavy the marble trophy made was as I attempted to lift it in the air at presentations.  Lucky for me the men’s overall winner, Sid Taberlay, was able to lend a hand!

Looking after the bike, during a stage race is just as important as looking after yourself. Both need to cross the finish line.

February 10-12^th, National XC Series Round 3 Canberra

The Canberra National Round was always going to be a hard one to win.  Local “young-gun” Bec Henderson had home course advantage and also I went into this race a little weary.  I hadn’t given myself a full taper for this one as I was using it to finish off a tough block of training before backing off for the National Champs in another 2 weeks’ time.  Also, after practicing the course, I had decided that the flatter power sections really didn’t suit my style of riding and I was going to need to pull something out of the bag to get a result.

In the end I was extremely pleased with my weekend as I claimed victory in the main XC race and 2 second places in the Super D and Point to point races.  This gave me the overall win for the weekend and also I had wrapped up the National Series.

When the odds are against you, just keep on fighting.  You will be surprised at what you are really capable of.

February 25/26^th, National XC Champs Adelaide

This was the big one for the year.  I had based most of my training around preparing for this race and for the first time in the Season had fully tapered.  So the legs were certainly fresh and ready to go on the start line. Adelaidehad turned on the heat and it was important not to pace too hard too early as dehydration and heat exhaustion were always a risk.  I think the fact that it was hot actually suited me quite well as I generally train in all weather conditions and try to not let it bother me.

The race panned out perfectly for me, as I was able to sit in 2^nd to 3^rd wheel for the first lap, move to the front on the second and then steadily gain time on the field.  Importantly I kept the mind on the job the whole way round each lap, trying to stick to a rhythm I knew I could maintain.  I had one of those days where everything fell into place and went perfectly.  These days don’t come around too often, but it’s an awesome feeling when they do!

Train in all weather conditions and you will be well prepared to race in all weather conditions.

March 10^th, Oceania XC Champs Rotorua

I was extremely excited to be racing the New Zealanders, and even more excited to be racing in Rotorua.  The place is of course known for its endless supply of awesome single track.  I made sure to stay an extra day so that I could enjoy the trails!

New Zealand’s leading mountain bikers, Rosara and Karen, certainly provided some strong competition.  Both have produced top 10 finishes in World Cups, and it was always going to be tough lining up against them on home territory.  As it turned out I had quite a solid day on the bike and fished up 3^rd and within 4min of the NZ duo.  The loud cheers from the Townsville Rockwheelers crew, made me push that much harder.  I felt like I had even more of an advantage than the locals, with my own personal cheer squad out there!

While the race went well for me, I was also lacking that top end “punch” over the shorter climbs and felt that my accelerations weren’t quite up to scratch.  Looking at my training I think that perhaps I had been putting too much emphasis on the longer km, and my short anaerobic power wasn’t where it needed to be.  Certainly something to work on!

Constantly look over your training and evaluate race performance.  Work on your weaknesses

The Oceania Champs was my last race in team Orange.  I was a little sad to be ending my journey with Torq Australia; however I was also excited for some new beginnings. Richard Peil, manager of the Trek / Anytime Fitness team, had kindly offered his support over the 2012 International Season.  I would just have to get used to the Purple team colours!

I was also extremely excited to pick up a new sponsorship deal with Momentum Energy.  This company have proved invaluable in their support throughout the 2012 Season and now into this year.  I certainly would not have been able get to and take part in as many races if it wasn’t for their generosity.

March 17^th, World Cup Round 1 South Africa

After a quick stop home, it was onto South Africa where World Cup number 1 was to be staged.  This time round I took my mum as support crew. I wasn’t quite sure if the trip would strain our mother-daughter relationship.  In the end I think we bonded quite well, although I certainly tested the waters with a spectacular crash and resultant visit to hospital.  The crash occurred on the last lap, off one of the large jumps.  I’m still unsure as to how the crash happened exactly, but I must have lost concentration and landed totally wrong. I was knocked out cold for a good couple of minutes and then pulled off the course.  My mum handled the situation very well and was invaluable support through the ordeal. It was particularly disappointing to miss our planned safari day and instead recoup for the rather painful journey back home.

Always keep your mind on the job and concentrate on the track ahead.  Mistakes happen when the mind wanders.

So I had hit a bit of a low point after my DNF in South Africa and had some lingering injuries to work through.  It was at this point in time, I was lucky enough to pick up a new sponsorship with Lifecare.  The expert physio treatment couldn’t have come at a better time!  The healthcare professionals at Lifecare Croydon have continued to keep my body in tip-top condition through regular treatment as well as regular supervised Pilates sessions.  The subtle exercises don’t feel like much at the time and indeed involve more mental concentration than physical exertion.  However, the ability to engage those gluts and deep pelvic muscles does play a huge role in maintaining pelvic stability and pedal efficiency on the bike!

April 14^th, World Cup Round 2 Belgium

At this stage of the game I was 100% committed to giving it my all in the remaining 3 world cups prior to Olympic Selection.  After finishing the domestic season undefeated I was certainly in with a good shot at selection, however I would also need to show some form against the World’s best.

Well I certainly wasn’t prepared for the freezing conditions Belgium greeted us with.  No amount of layering proved sufficient to take away the wind-chill factor.  I don’t think the temperature climbed above 4 degrees for the women’s world cup race.  The cold air, combined with jet-lag, resulted in muscles that simply wouldn’t fire.  I kept thinking of Jen’s Voigt’s famous words, “shut up legs” throughout the race.  In the end I was a fair way off the pace and quite disappointed with the result.  I would simply have to re-group and train hard for the remaining 2 World Cups if I was to stay in the running the for Olympic Games birth.

Always dress for the conditions. Muscles don’t work when they are cold.

World Cups 3 and 4, France and Czech Republic

The following 3 weeks was always going to be a hectic time, involving a lot of travel. Adequate recovery in b/w the intense race days would prove crucial.  Remaining healthy for the period of time was my number one priority, however this proved the one thing I couldn’t do. In fact I suffered with a virus for almost the entire trip!  Looking back, I guess I could have done things slightly differently and maybe wrapped myself up in cotton wool a little more; however this is always easier in hindsight!

Trying to race while still fighting a virus is not all that fun.  However I was in the position where I had spent a lot of time and money to get overseas and I certainly was not going to just give in. I can honestly say that I put in 110% until the finish of the last race in France and I certainly have no regrets.  The Le Bresse World Cup was actually one of my favourites as it involved an awesome course with a long single track climb and gnarly descent.  I think my body had started to come good for this one. Following a frustrating first lap where I was forced off the bike and had to walk the whole climb, I actually started to move through the field.  I was a little way off getting the desired top 30 position; however it was pleasing to finish the World Cup Campaign with a more positive raceJ

Following the disappointing International Season, it was time for an extended break.  This included some time totally bike-free, as well as some much needed ‘fun rides’. After following a strict (yet self-inflicted), training program for a full 12 months, the ability to just go out and ride with friends and some of the athletes I coach, was refreshing. The feeling of cruizing through some sweet single track and ‘nailing’ the tricky sections sure does put a smile on my faceJ

Throughout the winter and Spring months in Australia, I have travelled a fair bit to take part in the many events on offer around the Nation.  There are certainly many to choose from these days!  I haven’t put any pressure on myself to perform, but instead have just really enjoyed each race.  From the sandy trails of Margarite River to the endless maze of single track in Forrest and even those long hard fire-roads  in the Southern Highlands, it’s been a fantastic 6 months of riding!

So thanks so much to all of my awesome sponsors throughout 2012.  I am aiming for an even bigger and better 2013 ahead!

Anytime Fitness / Trek MTB Team, Momentum Energy, Torq Nutrition, LifeCare, 4Shaw, Adidas, Stable Base and Daymark