Straight back into the training after the junior RR champs. No time to celebrate, with more races on the horizon. My next target the junior track champs looming ahead. Just this week I headed down to Glasgow for the first time in a few months to get some track training in before my events coming up next wkd. Two very intense days with Scottish Cycling back to back. The best way to prepare...
On Thursday's session we did a half distance rolling pursuit effort. I got a bit excited having not been on the track for a while and set off way too hard but as it's training you have to get used to pacing while making it hard for yourself too so... as long as I learn from it on the day. Then we split into small groups, and spaced ourselves out 20 meters or so apart. The aim was to for each of us to chase down the rider in front and stay ahead of those behind. It was a very fast exercise but I managed to handle all this sprinting at high cadence business and actually managed to keep with the other girls. Then we paired up and did a 2 lap effort while the other rider sat on and came through to do their two lap effort and then we had to try and hang on and sprint past at the end. Breathing hard, racing instinct kicking in I managed to come round both times towards the line, it was so exciting. Short hard efforts are so much fun on the track - that doesn't make me crazy though does it?? ;-) The next day was another intense session, but glad to have recovered from the previous day, we took to the track and began with some standing starts. Getting used to pushing off from the gun and getting the technique right. I was a wee bit shaky the first few shots, but after 5 or 6 goes at it I managed to keep my bike in a straight line and got up to a good pace. Then we did 3 or 4 (or was it 5 or 6!?) rolling 500 m TT efforts, they came by so quickly and it was so tiring I lost count by the end but I got through them all and worked very hard to try and put in some good times. Then the coach said we were going to do a couple of standing kilo efforts. I was last to go off and it was going great but then the legs hit "dying mode" and I was fading like a light. I finished my effort fighting the pain all the way to the line. Jumping off my bike and trying to get down the ramp proved difficult, I slowly stepped down, my legs completely buckled and I collapsed onto the barrier at the side and had to lean on it to make it to the bottom of the ramp. Ouch! That's what two full on days of track training does to you! Luckily for us, the coach had seen how hard we had worked and decided one standing kilo effort was enough. By this point it was music to my ears. Legs burning I jumped on the rollers and tried to spin out the tension building in my legs. An amazing couple of days training, and really pleased with my progress on the track.
I headed back up the road for a short break before going down to Stirling for my all time favourite race, Crit Under the Castle the very next day. But Saturday was still a very important day for me. An easy hour on the bike barely managing 10 mph avg definitely reminded me I had been training hard! And set me up for a perfect evening. We went to see our local hero, double Paralympic gold medallist, Steve Bate's talk in the evening. It was a very moving and inspirational speech and got the message across: if you work hard enough you can make dreams come true. Focus on the process not the outcome. He spoke from the heart and it was such an honest and touching moment, made us all realise how special he is. He never let his eye condition get in the way of his life, he turned what seems such a negative thing to something so positive and has achieved so many great things and gone on so many adventures because he truly wanted to.
At my race the next day I was still feeling the track sessions in my legs. Warming up with my teammate Amanda we managed to get first row on the start line. It was a fast and furious start. And didn't seem to calm down. Attacks were constantly being made by several different riders. I was struggling with the pace but managed to keep in there.... however I was sliding further back in the group and couldn't move up, getting dropped over the top of the main cobbled climb 30 minutes into the race with just 5 laps left to go. I couldn't believe it, I was desperate to make it to the end so I could ride up to the castle but it was looking less and less likely. A gap formed and I knew it would take a big dig to get back on. I had to keep the head on and focus. The quote from a previous edition of the Tour de France entered my head "It's not over until the fat lady sings". You never know. I had to fight and at least try and make it as long as possible with the bunch. I eventually rode back across and tried to move up into a better position in the bunch which was when two Jadan girls put in a big attack and exploded the bunch, I was fighting to stay on wheels as the other seniors tried to chase them down. It was a very impressive attack from them both and at this point I thought it would be a fight for 3rd place junior. But suddenly with just 2 laps to go my legs started coming back to me and I hoped that if I sat in, I might actually make it. We could see the two Jadan girls ahead as we turned up the steep long climb to the castle. Jenny leading with a good gap of 4 or 5 hundred meters and Rhona a hundred meters or so ahead of the bunch I was so desperately trying to keep up with. I could feel everyone suffering around me. Breathing hard, putting in a big effort, I got out of the saddle and chased down the girls in front. My legs came alive. Slowly picking riders off I managed to get into 2nd place on the road but the steep section at the top took a bit of a toll and a few riders came past at the end. Fighting every pedal stroke to the line, I hoped I was doing enough to stay ahead. I was. And I reached all my aims for the race. Making the podium for junior riders, with a 2nd place, and getting a top 5 against the seniors as well. A well deserved win for Jenny Holl though, an amazing attack that just blew us away and then kept her lead. (Masterclass is the word that popped into my head as she disappeared up the road!). I'm over the moon with where I am at compared to a month ago and can definitely take positives from this one.
I've learnt so much from the past 4 days and still buzzing! Roll on the track champs :D
