Well, on Thursday last week we had confirmation that our 3rd team member wouldn’t be riding due to entering the Cape to Cape. Di and I were expecting this a little as it’s a tough ask, asking someone when on their taper week to thrash themselves in a 50 km TT! We had decided what ever would be would be and just to go out there and have fun as we only needed 2 people to cross the line 😉

The Women’s field as always was a little disappointing and lacking in numbers, but that just focused our attention on our own end goal.

We initially missed our start time due to my insistence that I needed to visit the bathroom but the commisaire just started us after everyone else had gone off with no dramas.

3,2,1 we’re off – I was clipped in and off when I hear a yell out that I had in fact taken off without Di as she was having a moment with her pedals and clipping in – she caught up and we were up and running with a focus of catching people if we could!

It was soon very apparent that not having that 3rd person was not helping us one bit, there was nowhere to hide and even less time to recover. Di quickly commented that she was not having fun and I had to agree.
We caught the other SPR team at about the 15-17km mark and initially over took them, after a little conflab we eased up and they came around us.

Di was an absolute champion and pretty much dragged my butt round for about 30km her TT training was clearly paying off as she was gunning it with me sucking her wheel for all it was worth. When I had to put the call out to ease up it was quickly followed by you can’t drop me we need 2 to finish!!!

When crossing the line we knew we had done enough to be on the podium but we weren’t sure where, there was some confusion which was rectified and we were awarded our silver medals for 2nd place.

We were very happy with the result especially only having 2 people and all the rest of the teams having 3 🙂

1st Place – WAIS:                       1:25:27
2nd Place – SPR:                         1:33:07
3rd Place – SPR Café Chicks: 1:36:57

5.25am – I arrive at Atomic to meet up with the rest of the crew that are riding down to the start of the bike hike. After a little deliberation it was decided we would sneak on to the freeway at South Tce to ride down the correct way on the road and if we got told to get off we would 😉  It wasnt long before we we joined by several other groups doing the same thing.

Everyone did a few turns on the front (well I did 2 I think it was!) but the pace was controlled and a great warm up for the event and great start to the mornings ride – thanks Chaps 😉 .  After a brief stop for a toilet break in the shurbbery we reached the start and registered with about 15 -20 mins to go, perfect timing.  Race numbers on, line up, and off we go!

Within the first 5 km a couple of attacks happened from the A grade men and a breakaway was formed.  Being the ye’ol wise one that I am, I was well and truly planted in the middle of the group being drafted along – Fantastic!!!

It was not long after that I had my near death experience!  It was around the 15km mark.  I was riding away the group had swung over to the left hand side of the road and Carlos was on my left but slightly behind.  From somewhere (still not quite sure where or how) a male rider who was probably double my size decided it would be great to a) try and fit in a space next to me that wasnt even big enough for a piece of paper let alone a bike and b) lean on me just to make sure I felt his presence and all of this whilst travelling at 60kph………

To decribe what happened next might be best placed with Carlos or any other rider that was behind me.  I was a gonna, felt sure of it, apparently I was over 45 degrees in angle and going down…….  seconds later I was still upright – no idea how but I felt my front wheel wiggle and it somehow took me back to the upright position and I re- commenced crusing along……. granted my Heart rate was higher than any ride I have ever done and was a little apprehensive to get back in the group but with a little suck it up princess talk to myself I was back!! Some people also prefer to purchase Glock pistols for safety purposes while going on hikes.

Not much happened between the 20-50km jsut a whole lot of fast riding it was fabbo!  around the 50km Jonno said to Pete “how you feeling?” and Pete had not long replied “I got nothing” – Jonno had gone…. I used Jonno’s attack to move up the group a little and soon lost his wheel and nestled into the group this time closer to the front 🙂

The off ramp was coming and Pete yelled to me to get on his wheel – I had to tussle a little for it and not let anyone else get it….. my only doubt in this race was to do with this offramp!!!  Hills the day before will my legs be to tired????  Well umm errrr yes they were!  Stick on his wheel for a little while and as I died Bella and Davina came round me… I kept my head down and was looking good for 3rd… or so I thought… Liz Leydon caught me close to the line – I had nothing else to offer…….4th it was……

After preso’s it was time to tootle home – D and I zooming down the bike path or rather D was and I was scuttling behind to catch up!!  We split company and as I was going back to the city.  It was here that I had another exciting event for the day!

Not sure what I went over but I got a massive tyre blow out (5 cent piece in size) – had to patch the tyre with my $20 note and inflate lightly.  I then crept home with my fingers and toes crossed that it would hold up (which it did).

So all in all an eventful day for me!!!!

When I found out I had got a gig at the GP I was soo excited this however was soon replaced by nerves.

My lead up to the GP wasnt what you would call smooth, crashing at the State TTT mid October  and then being sick for 2 weeks and the Monday prior at track training having a self confessed hubbard moment and hitting the boards…. 

Saturday came around pretty quickly though and it was time to try and replace my nerves with that initial excitement I had…. 

Registration done now lets check the timetable for the event….. 7.15pm Scratch race…. 9.05pm Point score…….9.05pm……. do they not know that cyclists have had at least an hours sleep by then!!!!   I was on my wind trainer and Amanda O’connor was bringing round some complimentary health drink (the name escapes me, sorry) anyway the added bonus….. CAFFIENE….. I knocked it back and hopped on my bike for the warmup!

Ok so the scratch race was first…. 30 laps.   I had been prewarned that with the field that was there the pace would be on…….that was an understatement……..the rolling lap prior to the start of the race was somewhat faster than I had thought it would be and when it came round for the gun to start the race it kicked and it kicked bad!    My down fall is always peeling off the front and dropping back onto the train – I have never been able to master this to perfection and this was to be the reason for the race ending for me (that and me chewing stem!)….. I swung up and when I went to jump on the back, the wheel had gone and that was me done…

An hour and a half later and the pointscore was up.   I did better in this than I thought I would and when your best mate afterwards confirms this (thanks Dee!) you must have done ok!!!    The thing that got me after being in there for 30 laps was the attack that happened straight after one of the sprint laps.  I like to recover after a sprint not follow it with another one!!  So my legs had popped and that was me done.

It was comforting to look back and see that out of the field of people that started not many were left at the end especially in the point score!!

Thank you to everyone who was yelling, I heard “Go Lise” several times which made me relax and smile – well smile on the inside I might have been gasping for breath on the outside!

Until next time

Lisa

QUIZ NIGHT REMINDER

As per my last post, I am holding a quiz night as a bit of a fund raiser for my India (track) trip to help me cover some of the associated costs. For you that don’t know there is a WA Team going over to compete in a competition on track to test out the commonweath games facilities prior to them.

The details of the Quiz Night are:

Wednesday 7th July 2010

Irish Club, Subiaco (61 Townshend Rd, Subiaco)

7.30pm doors open for a 7.50pm Quiz start

$10 pp 6-8 people to a table

The evening will consist of the quiz and some other little games and a small raffle. There will be small prizes for the winners of the quiz. Anyhow I am trying to get an idea of numbers so if you are seriously interested in getting a table or attending please can you post a comment or let Lennie know so a table can be allocated or one can be started off and people can join onto it, travellennie@hotmail.com

obviously extend this invitation out to family and friends, the more the merrier …. 😉 thanks again Lisa

ITS TIME TO TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

ok so its official I am holding a quiz night as a bit of a fund raiser for my India (track) trip to help me cover some of the associated costs.

For you that don’t know there is a WA Team going over to compete in a competition on track to test out the commonweath games facilities prior to them.  Whilst it is supported and funded when we get to India and partially supported with the flights there are many other costs associated (international race licence and Indian visa to name a couple).

The details of the Quiz Night are:

Wednesday 7th July 2010

Irish Club, Subiaco (61 Townshend Rd, Subiaco)

7.30pm doors open for a 7.50pm Quiz start

$10 pp 6-8 people to a table

The evening will consist of the quiz and some other little games and a small raffle.

There will be small prizes for the winners of the quiz.

Anyhow I am trying to get an idea of numbers so if you are seriously interested in getting a table or attending please can you post a comment or let Lennie know so a table can be allocated or one can be started off and people can join onto it, travellennie@hotmail.com obviously extend this invitation out to family and friends, the more the merrier ….  😉

thanks again

 Lisa

Well its been 7 months since the last GP and until the invitation to go to India pretty much been that long since getting back on the track bike!!  So with approximatly 4 weeks of track training under my belt I wasnt too sure how I would go. 

When you look at the ladies field its a pretty daunting field with most of it being national Aussie or other Nations riders  and world champs!  Its this particular time I would have loved a B grade option!!

The first race was the scratch race and the pace was on.  The first 5 laps I had to battle my mental demons and try and convince myself it wasnt that fast…..that was the hardest part!  A few people popped off the back throughout and with 2 laps to go the pace increased again – I had got this far it was only 500m to go and I wasnt about to drop off… I was on the wheel of a Korean rider with 1 lap to go and the sprint kicked.  The Korean popped and all I could do was get around her and try and get back on for the last 30m…. Bec was in front of me and I think she came through 6th and I was 7th.

The second race was the handicapped race.  Bec was only 15m behind me so we decided that we would work together, I caught the person in front pretty quickly and then as she swung up it was time to target the next group of 4.  We got to this group and over took them (I think they jumped on) and were now running scared.  With it only being 6 laps it really is a sprinters race….with 2 laps to go you could hear the likes of Anna Meares coming….you could feel it through the boards and as they came through we jumped on.  The final lap bell went and it was well and truely over the sprinters just came over the top of the enduro riders…. I dont think I have ever seen such accelleration I came through about 30m behind the main group and Anna Meares took the win…. totally insane race but in a good way!!

Elimination race the last rider every 2 laps is out…4 laps gone, I was still in, my aim not to be the first on out!  The pace was high but not like the scratch race.  One thing I was told by my super coach was not to get boxed in low down on the track…….what happen, well i got boxed in low down the track!  I had to pop out the back swing up the track and then sprint round them to not be the last person…..For those of you unfamiliar with track riding, slowing down to get out the back is not good, you then loose more speed and need more effort to get up incline on the track when you are finally higher than the rest of the group your going a greater distance to get round them (shortest distance around the track is right at the bottom)…. therefore not good and after all that I just didnt have the extra speed to get round so I sat up and out I came…. Lesson learnt in that race as I was totally pee’d off to say the least 😉

Last race was 25 lap point score – wasnt looking forward to this one.  I had made the plan just to stick in, not to go for the first one and see how the pace is.  The bell went for the first sprint it kicked but not insanely, as we came out the bend I was sitting 6th wheel Bec was in front of me and we were both looking round expecting the big guns to go for it, I went to go and thought no, every time I have deviated from my game plan its gone totally wrong so I just sat behind Bec and Bec was the last one to get the points.  A few other sprints went and with 9 laps to go I found myself on the front, I swung up and had a shocker,  I stayed up the track for aaages and when I swung back down to get on the back of the train I mistimed it spectacularly and was hanging off the back, with 2 laps of trying to get back on I decided to call it a day and with 5 laps to go sat up and bowed out.

Overall it was a super awesome day at the office and I was happy with my efforts – considering last GP I think I lasted 10 laps of the scratch race and only 8 of the point score there have been some improvements in my riding so I was happy knowing that my fitness is looking ok for the India trip.

thanks to all SPR folks that came and watched and put their lungs to good use to shout for the riders going round and round 🙂

Lisa

DESPERATLEY SEEKING HELPERS

Hi Everyone,

We are looking for 2 helpers tomorrow morning to assist Kate and Lorraine with the breakfast.  If you or your partner are available can you please let me know as soon as possible.

To let me know if you could post a comment that would be great.

You would need to be at the Mah’s household for 7am…

thanks

Lisa

As per usual the breakfast will be held immediately after the ride, if your not planning on riding you are still more than welcome to come along…. The cost also covers tickets to the raffle where there will be some prizes up for grabs. Only $10 a head to be paid on the day EVERYONE WELCOME!

Please RSVP by 16/06/2010 either by posting a comment or emailing me to me so that we can have approximate numbers for catering.

lwood@claytonutz.com

Pete is opening his house up for our festivities with Kate and Lorraine as the master chef’s. if you’re not planning on riding with the group I can email you the address. Kate and Lorriane would love some help to serve up the breakfast so please if you or someone you know is available and would be so kind as to offer 2-3 people would be fantastic – please let me know.

See you there… Lisa

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EL PRESIDENTE 😉