New Beginnings
I think I say this every time but I really must post this
more often as I think it has been a year again, so some of the information may
be a little sketchy, it’s been a flat-out year again!
Coming to the end of last year, having not raced any
triathlon due to the stress fracture in the foot I was starting to reflect more
and more on my future in triathlon/paratriathlon. I had killed myself trying to
find some fitness post injury, to trial for the GB team again and come up short as to be honest I expected, you have to
give it a go though, nothing ventured nothing gained. While I had been injured
though I hadn’t missed certain parts of training in the slightest, running
being one and transition practice the other, the only thing I can say I missed
was the races and training camps.
As much as I played mind games to try and convince myself
that I liked running, I really just don’t want to run and that is a big issue
when it’s a big part of the sport and training!
I think it was around Christmas that I decided to knock the
triathlon on the head, I always enjoyed racing but hated the run training,
trying to fit the training in was a pig to and just wanted to do something that
I actually enjoyed. Over Christmas I had also been invited to go along to the
GB pathway testing and training camps over the year. The first one was early in
January and while not particularly fit I did okay in testing not being much off
my PB on the power test, most probably because of being able to concentrate on
just one sport. I made some new friends, the coaching was brilliant at the
camps and testing and just all in all an awesome experience.
My introduction to road
racing
My first para road race came round on a horrendously wet,
windy and just miserable day but I felt up for the new challenge having never
done this pack kind of racing! We was mixed in with the Cat 4 able bodied which
is a miss mash of riders with no experience to some that have been racing for
years but never made it up to cat3. It didn’t stay a pack for long as everyone
went off at full sprint and I got dropped on about the third corner I think. I
couldn’t believe how fast they could hit corners on such a wet track (The road
races I have done this year have all been on race circuits, crit races) and by
the time I realised my bike that I had been kindly loaned that day would do the
same I was out of contact.
The goal for me then was to keep working on my fitness but
to work mainly on top end power to cover breaks and also more importantly just
on road craft! Next race up was National championships, both road and a 16 mile
TT which was another 6 miles longer than I had done before and with power
testing the day before the racing it would be a good test of fitness. Power
tests went okay improving right across the board so it was a good start, TT the
following day was horrendous and I just didn’t perform well. The road race was
a tough one again, just still didn’t have the power to cover and keep up when
the break happened early on again. I felt happier with my performance though as
I new with where I was at that point in time I had nothing left come the end of
the hour race.
Next up for me was Welwyn-Garden-City, it had been a couple
of months as I just didn’t have the money to race but new I had moved on
massively so was feeling very confident. It was a very technical, fast street
circuit around the town and I went out hard moving to the front and holding
position round the first few corners and round the bottom end of the course.
Unfortunately about a lap in the chain jammed up in the crank, I put it back on
and carried on but having had the pack go past me new it was over and when it
happened again it wouldn’t unjam so was time to call it a day.
My last race of the season was at Southend Cycle Centre, the
para was mixed in with cat 3/4 rather than just the 4, so a move up in class
which I saw as a positive. The circuit had a short hill with a kick at the end
of every lap and a downhill with a 90˚ bend at each start, which really suited
the lighter racer like me. I did eventually get dropped but made it to 20
minutes in this time and in a stronger field. So on reflection took this as a
positive and a big move forward as I had been getting dropped on the first
corner at the start of the year and in a weaker cat. I think after a good
winter I will come out the other side very strong for next season!
Iv been fairly lucky all year, having not crashed and have
been injury free too but have just had a bit of a pig of a week. First a big
crash on the rollers then had a bursa get infected above my stump and knee(ongoing
problem that I just have to manage) and
then finally a pretty heavy crash out on the road, hurting my ribs. I was
already on anti-inflammatories for the bursitis so the amount of pain from
pressure on the ribs but non from things like press ups say that it is probably
a break rather than just bruising or muscular damage. That’s just part and
parcel of racing/training though and whatever happens I love going out training
now which makes the training so much easier.
Thank you
It was also an honour to be asked by the ArcticOne charity to
be one of their ambassadors http://www.arctic1.co.uk/,
they are a brilliant charity and do great work. They have sponsored me this year
and helped with costs of races and travel and I have been along to some of
their events when I can make it. I was also taken on as a brand ambassador for PavBryan
Coaching http://www.pavbryan.com/ , so
it is really nice to be coached again, this time in a different sport and be
able to support a local company. The client group is also a very supportive
group who all have their own goals but work well together and makes it feel
like a club!
Other stuff
I’m still looking for work after finishing university last
year and it’s been very stressful as its been a real struggle but I’m nothing
if not resilient! Losing my prosthetist, Alan very soon to which is so gutting
as I have been with him the longest of all my prosthetists, he is brilliant at
the job and very knowledgeable as part of R & D for Blatchfords to but is
moving on so wish him all the luck in the world with his new role.
Think you will fail you probably will, think you will
succeed you probably willJ
Definitely need to update more often, had to really skim
over the year!!!
