National Championships 2012

26/2/12

See footage of the event here

The biggest race of the domestic season had arrived all too quickly.  I had near perfect preparations leading into the event but this didn’t make me any less nervous!

Adelaide is of course renowned for it’s hot conditions at this time of year, however I don’t think I had been quite prepared for just how severe the conditions proved to be!  I did some early morning practice laps on both the Thursday and Friday, opting to stay out of the heat as much as possible.  I then spent most of each day resting in the comfort of air-conditioning and taking a dip or 2 at the beach.

It’s hard to describe the Adelaide XC course. There are no major climbs yet enough to break the field up, some tight single track sections and a few rocky sections but nothing overly technical.  In previous years i hadn’t been a great fan of the course, however i had been working specifically on my anaerobic power so could be confident in my prep for this one.

Race day came around soon enough and the forecast was for a scorching 39 degrees!  I had kept my fluids up for the previous 24hrs and continued to sip down the water as we drove out to the course.  I decided on shortening the warm-up routine slightly to keep the core temp down and not lose too much fluid.  I did however get a whole practice lap in and a 15min spin on the trainer.  I tend to need to get the legs up to speed before starting otherwise I can really lack that punch at the start.  The ice down the jersey worked a treat as I lined up on the start grid actually feeling quite cool.

The plan for me was to get a good clean start but then hopefully slot into 2nd or 3rd wheel for the first lap and then depending on how i was feeling try and take the lead from there.  This proved to work perfectly for me and i was able to open up a gap into the 2nd lap.  I then tried to remain smooth through the single trail and not lay down too much power early on as i knew the conditions could very quickly catch up with me.  I did slow a little throughout the race, but the other girls slowed even more so going into the last lap I was quite confident in the lead i had.  Saying this, i was extra cautious over this last lap, particularly on the loose descents where i knew a crash or a puncture could cost me the race.  Rowena Fry road a smart race and moved through the field to finish 2nd and Jodie Willett rode consistent lap times to finish in 3rd.  Young Bec Henderson won the U23’s convincingly to add another national jersey to the collection!

I can’t describe the feeling of finally claiming the National XC title.  I have been in the sport 10 years and it has taken me that long to get to where i am now.  It has been a long hard road and there are many people I really need to thank for helping me get to this position.

Torq Nutrition took me on board a few years back and I can’t thank them enough for the support they have given!  Not only has the product itself been a huge advantage, but riding as part of the Torq team has helped me grow in confidence and the support I have had at the races has been enormous!

My other sponsors Sram, Monza Imports, Continental, Cube, Rudy Project, Louis garneau, Stable Base Pilates Studio and Bicycle Superstore Knox, have all been major contributors to my success so thanks a million!!

Of course my biggest thanks is reserved for my partner Ed.  Those that know him will be aware of how meticulous he is in prepping the bike and making sure it is A1 come race day.  He has been my number one supporter since I first got on the mountain bike and I simply could not have got to where I am without him!