Last Monday evening we flew back from Italy following the Dolomiti Superbike. I'd had a great race and was feeling positive about my growing strength. Alas, on Tuesday morning I woke up with a sore throat and aches. I was hopeful that I'd be able to shake it off in time for my XC debut at the National XC Champs at Pippingford Estate on Sunday. I skipped all of my training sessions, slept lots, and ate bags of oranges. Eventually the sore throat and aches gave way to a head cold after a couple of days.
Pippingford isn't far from where we live so on Saturday I decided to go along and test ride the course, which was really good fun :) However, I still wasn't feeling that great and when I tried to get my heart rate up I felt rubbish. There were still 24 hours to go until the start and I was hopeful that I'd wake up on Sunday morning feeling OK. However it wasn't meant to be. I spent the whole night sniffing olbas oil and in the morning I still couldn't breathe out of my nose. I decided not to start :(
Monday, 19 July 2010
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Dolomiti Superbike, Italy
Last Sunday I raced the Dolomiti Superbike in Villabassa, Italy. This was the host of the 2008 World Marathon Championships - my first ever international race. It's such an amazing place and race that I couldn't wait to go back. I absolutely love to be in the mountains: the air, the buildings, the cows (and bells), the lakes, the climbs, the spectators........ I love it all. This is one of the nicest mountain regions I have ever been to and I highly recommend it.
The race is certainly a challenge. It covers 120km and 3822 metres of climbing. It's mainly fire road or asphalt, but there are a few nice single track sections and the final descent to the finish line is a lot of fun :-) :-)
Click the image to enlarge
The day before the race I met up with Liz Scalia (2007 British National Marathon Champion). We rode the final 20km of the course together and then went for pre-race food and coffee :-)
The race started at 7.30am which meant a 5am start for me and a more respectable 6am start for Dave. I made the mistake of warming up behind the start line. This meant that I had to find my way around the queue of 3600 riders to the front starting grid. What an amazing sight! The elite male riders were called up first and then the elite women.
I had a really good start and found myself riding the first climb in the lead with Birgit Söllner. Around half way up the climb I picked up the pace and I managed to gain a small lead over Birgit. With about 200 metres to go Erica Dicht passed me. She took 1st place for the mountain prize and I passed through in 2nd place. I managed to catch and pass her again at the bottom of the long descent. The course followed the river for about 15 km until the next climb and I was able to build a small lead over Erica. However, not long into the next climb Erica passed me again. She is like a rocket up hill! Once again Erica took 1st place and I took 2nd for the second mountain prize.
On the next long climb I looked back and saw that Pia Sundtedt was closing in on me, and at 60km she passed me. She reached the top of the climb about 100 metres ahead of me which meant I took 3rd place for the final mountain prize. At the bottom of the long descent I could see that Pia wasn't too far ahead, but she gradually picked up the pace and I didn't see her again.
At 90km the last big climb of the day started. It was here that Birgit rejoined me. We climbed together for about 5km until I was finally able to pull away for the remaining 5kms of the climb. However, with 20 km to go she was able to make up ground and give me company once again. Yikes! I knew that I had to dig really deep to hold her off and hang on to 3rd place. I put the power down and tried not to look back! As I approached the final corner to the finish line I looked over my shoulder. I couldn't see her. Phew.
A HUGE thanks to Dave (my amazingly supportive boyfriend) for competing in the feedzone race. He made it to all 5 feed zones with time to spare :-)
Results
Two of my great loves: Mountains and my bike
It was a great view from our hotel
The race is certainly a challenge. It covers 120km and 3822 metres of climbing. It's mainly fire road or asphalt, but there are a few nice single track sections and the final descent to the finish line is a lot of fun :-) :-)
Click the image to enlargeThe day before the race I met up with Liz Scalia (2007 British National Marathon Champion). We rode the final 20km of the course together and then went for pre-race food and coffee :-)
Coffee with Liz Scalia (Mongibello CHIX)
The race started at 7.30am which meant a 5am start for me and a more respectable 6am start for Dave. I made the mistake of warming up behind the start line. This meant that I had to find my way around the queue of 3600 riders to the front starting grid. What an amazing sight! The elite male riders were called up first and then the elite women.
I had a really good start and found myself riding the first climb in the lead with Birgit Söllner. Around half way up the climb I picked up the pace and I managed to gain a small lead over Birgit. With about 200 metres to go Erica Dicht passed me. She took 1st place for the mountain prize and I passed through in 2nd place. I managed to catch and pass her again at the bottom of the long descent. The course followed the river for about 15 km until the next climb and I was able to build a small lead over Erica. However, not long into the next climb Erica passed me again. She is like a rocket up hill! Once again Erica took 1st place and I took 2nd for the second mountain prize.
On the next long climb I looked back and saw that Pia Sundtedt was closing in on me, and at 60km she passed me. She reached the top of the climb about 100 metres ahead of me which meant I took 3rd place for the final mountain prize. At the bottom of the long descent I could see that Pia wasn't too far ahead, but she gradually picked up the pace and I didn't see her again.
At 90km the last big climb of the day started. It was here that Birgit rejoined me. We climbed together for about 5km until I was finally able to pull away for the remaining 5kms of the climb. However, with 20 km to go she was able to make up ground and give me company once again. Yikes! I knew that I had to dig really deep to hold her off and hang on to 3rd place. I put the power down and tried not to look back! As I approached the final corner to the finish line I looked over my shoulder. I couldn't see her. Phew.
Women's flower ceremony
A HUGE thanks to Dave (my amazingly supportive boyfriend) for competing in the feedzone race. He made it to all 5 feed zones with time to spare :-)
Women's prize giving
Results| 1 | Erika Dicht (Swi) Wheeler IXS Swiss Team | 5:44:05 | |
| 2 | Pia Sundstedt (Fin) Craft Rocky Mountain | 0:05:25 | |
| 3 | Sally Bigham (GBr) Topeak Ergon Racing Team | 0:11:39 | |
| 4 | Birgit Söllner (Ger) Team Firebike-Drössiger | 0:13:50 | |
| 5 | Barbara Kaltenhauser (Ger) Team Radsport-Oberland-Stevens | 0:18:25 | |
| 6 | Katrin Schwing (Ger) Trek | 0:28:20 | |
| 7 | Michela Benzoni (Ita) Lissone MTB | 0:34:37 | |
| 8 | Elena Giacomuzzi (Ita) Team Caprivesi | 0:34:44 | |
| 9 | Barbora Radova (Cze) Studio 2001 | 0:37:35 | |
| 10 | Carol Rasmussen (Den) Spurtstark | 0:53:53 |
European Championships, Montebelluna, Italy
I'm really behind in updating my blog. The last few weeks have been really hectic but I finally have a couple of hours to catch up with things, including the housework (however that can wait a bit longer.....).
A couple of weeks ago we flew out to Venice and drove to Montebelluna to prepare for the European Marathon Championships. I wasn't sure whether or not to go because I was only just able to get back into training following the problems with my knee. Ideally I needed a good block of hard training to try and get some form back. I decided to go, but to use it as another training race and not to taper for it. How could I miss out on a trip to Italy!?
click on the image to enlarge
The race was combined with the annual Gunn Rita Marathon and for the women it covered 98.5km (but unscheduled changes increased it to about 120km) and 2290 metres of climbing. We arrived a couple of days before the start so I pre-rode most of the course beforehand. On the first day I rode the classic route which included lots of fun singletrack. I was really glad I'd gone :-) :-) The next day I rode another third of the course which wasn't as much fun! It included more fire road and some long linking sections around the river. Nevertheless, the food was great, the sun was shining, my knee was OK, and I was happy.
The women's race started at 10.30am which meant a relatively leisurely start to the day - unlike the 5am starts that I've been getting used to. The downside of this was the temperature. The previous days had been really hot (30+ degrees) and race day wasn't going to be an exception. During the warm up I was already sweating. Lots.
The start through the town was slow and even on the first climb it wasn't as fast as I had expected. As we approached the first off road section I knew I needed to get to the first singletrack descent with the lead group. A rider in front of me over shot a gravel corner and lost grip causing her stop and unclip. I lost a few seconds and before I knew it I'd lost the front group and lots of other riders entered the descent before me. As we turned back up the next short climb the lead group were out of sight :-(
I rode with a group of 4 girls for a while and when we reached a long flat section I knew we all needed to work hard as a group to try to close the ground to a couple of riders ahead - Nina Gassler (Germany) and Laura Turpijn (Netherlands). Kristine Norgaard (Denmark), Arielle Van Meurs (Netherlands) and I all took it in turns (while a couple of other girls declined) and we were able to close the gap at the bottom of the next climb. We stayed as a group of 6 for the next few hours. It was a lot of fun to be riding with just girls for a change and all but two girls (not named) took their turn at the front.
During the last 30km our group of 6 became a group of two: Laura and I rode alone for the rest of the race. It was really nice to have her for company! As we were approaching the finish I had a déjà vu moment. Exactly the same thing happened in the 2009 EU champs in Estonia. On the long road section to the finish line neither of us wanted to take the lead. Laura sat on my back wheel so I eased off. We must have lost at least a couple of minutes as we gently rolled down the road. As we turned the corner to the finish line I looked over my shoulder to see where she was, the moment she pulled to the side of me I started to put the power down but alas it wasn't enough! She crossed the line a second ahead of me. We finished in 6th and 7th place. Exactly the same positions as last year. Weird! I have a score to settle in 2011 ;0)
Results
A couple of weeks ago we flew out to Venice and drove to Montebelluna to prepare for the European Marathon Championships. I wasn't sure whether or not to go because I was only just able to get back into training following the problems with my knee. Ideally I needed a good block of hard training to try and get some form back. I decided to go, but to use it as another training race and not to taper for it. How could I miss out on a trip to Italy!?
click on the image to enlargeThe race was combined with the annual Gunn Rita Marathon and for the women it covered 98.5km (but unscheduled changes increased it to about 120km) and 2290 metres of climbing. We arrived a couple of days before the start so I pre-rode most of the course beforehand. On the first day I rode the classic route which included lots of fun singletrack. I was really glad I'd gone :-) :-) The next day I rode another third of the course which wasn't as much fun! It included more fire road and some long linking sections around the river. Nevertheless, the food was great, the sun was shining, my knee was OK, and I was happy.
The women's race started at 10.30am which meant a relatively leisurely start to the day - unlike the 5am starts that I've been getting used to. The downside of this was the temperature. The previous days had been really hot (30+ degrees) and race day wasn't going to be an exception. During the warm up I was already sweating. Lots.
Warming up (even more) before the start
The start through the town was slow and even on the first climb it wasn't as fast as I had expected. As we approached the first off road section I knew I needed to get to the first singletrack descent with the lead group. A rider in front of me over shot a gravel corner and lost grip causing her stop and unclip. I lost a few seconds and before I knew it I'd lost the front group and lots of other riders entered the descent before me. As we turned back up the next short climb the lead group were out of sight :-(
I rode with a group of 4 girls for a while and when we reached a long flat section I knew we all needed to work hard as a group to try to close the ground to a couple of riders ahead - Nina Gassler (Germany) and Laura Turpijn (Netherlands). Kristine Norgaard (Denmark), Arielle Van Meurs (Netherlands) and I all took it in turns (while a couple of other girls declined) and we were able to close the gap at the bottom of the next climb. We stayed as a group of 6 for the next few hours. It was a lot of fun to be riding with just girls for a change and all but two girls (not named) took their turn at the front.
During the last 30km our group of 6 became a group of two: Laura and I rode alone for the rest of the race. It was really nice to have her for company! As we were approaching the finish I had a déjà vu moment. Exactly the same thing happened in the 2009 EU champs in Estonia. On the long road section to the finish line neither of us wanted to take the lead. Laura sat on my back wheel so I eased off. We must have lost at least a couple of minutes as we gently rolled down the road. As we turned the corner to the finish line I looked over my shoulder to see where she was, the moment she pulled to the side of me I started to put the power down but alas it wasn't enough! She crossed the line a second ahead of me. We finished in 6th and 7th place. Exactly the same positions as last year. Weird! I have a score to settle in 2011 ;0)
Results
| 1 | Esther Süss (Swi) Wheeler iXS Pro Team | 4:53:17 | |
| 2 | Gunn Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Nor) Team Multivan Merida | 0:01:07 | |
| 3 | Pia Sunsdedt (Fin) Rocky Mountain | 0:02:07 | |
| 4 | Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Felt Otztal X-Bionic | 0:06:13 | |
| 5 | Jane Nuessli (GBr) Credo-Bikes.com | 0:06:58 | |
| 6 | Laura Turpijn (Ned) | 0:11:15 | |
| 7 | Sally Bigham (GBr) Topeak Ergon Racing Team | 0:11:16 | |
| 8 | Nina Gässler (Ned) Rabo Giant Off-Road Team | 0:12:30 | |
| 9 | Roberta Gasparini (Ita) Pedali Di Marca Team | 0:12:56 | |
| 10 | Noergaard Kristine (Den) Rothaus-Cube MTB Team | 0:13:32 |
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Rocky Mountain Bike Marathon, Willingen, Germany
I'm a bit behind in updating my blog lately! Life is super hectic at the moment and mixing work, training, flying in and out of the country, and racing is sometimes a bit tricky ;0)
Immediately after the Trans Germany we headed off to St Wendel to check out the course for the World XCM Champs that takes place in August. Dirk (Team Manager), Lars (Team Mechanic), Dave (Team Supporter and my number 1 fan), Alban (aka Albanator) and I spent 3 days at a great hotel enjoying lots of lovely food, doing some biking and generally chilling out. It was really nice to spend time with the team without any race preparations for a change. Locals Marius and Sascha (Endorfin Solvis Team) guided Alban and me around the course. Thanks guys!
Our next stop was the Rocky Mountain Bike Marathon in Willingen. Dirk and Lars had to head off to Albstadt for an XCO race, so Dave and I hired a car for the drive to Willingen. Dave bought a road map and carefully annotated it with our route, which he predicted would only take a few hours. Dave drove and I navigated. As we drove into Willingen I folded the map away and looked forward to finding somewhere to eat, but within seconds of seeing the 'Welcome to Willingen' sign we saw the 'Thank you for visiting Willingen' sign. Huh? It was a much bigger town when we visited last year??? At that point Dave was suddenly hit with the realisation that perhaps there was more than one Willingen in Germany. After another 2.5 hours we finally arrived in the correct Willingen......Whoops.
The Rocky Mountain Bike marathon series always provide three different distances for riders to choose from on race day. At Willingen there are three different loops and you can stop after the first (50km), the second (100km), or the third loop (120km) depending on how you feel on the day. My plan, like last year, was to ride the full 120km route. Unfortunately my legs had other plans! I felt fine for the first 50km but not too long into the second loop my legs didn't want to play anymore. I decided that it just didn't make sense to push on and complete the full distance so I opted out and pulled into the finish to take 2nd place in the 100km race. This was a hard decision for me, but after a chat with Pia Sundstedt (Rocky Mountain) during the first loop I realised that sometimes it's best to make decisions with your head rather than your heart! Pia was also going to race the full distance but she reluctantly pulled out (due a bad calf injury resulting from a crash in the Trans Germany) after the first loop to take the win in the 50km distance race. Team mate Alban Lakata won the 120km race so it was another a successful day for Topeak Ergon Racing Team :0)
Looking back, it was obvious that I hadn't fully recovered from the Trans Germany the previous week. After 2 months out of training due to my knee injury I was using the Trans Germany and Willingen as training races. They served their purpose and I am now starting to feel stronger. Yay!
Results
1st Kristine Norgaard (Rothaus-Cube MTB Team) 4 hours 17 mins
2nd Sally Bigham (Topeak Ergon Racing Team) 4 hours 19 mins
3rd Katrin Schwing (Trek) 4 hours 41 mins
Immediately after the Trans Germany we headed off to St Wendel to check out the course for the World XCM Champs that takes place in August. Dirk (Team Manager), Lars (Team Mechanic), Dave (Team Supporter and my number 1 fan), Alban (aka Albanator) and I spent 3 days at a great hotel enjoying lots of lovely food, doing some biking and generally chilling out. It was really nice to spend time with the team without any race preparations for a change. Locals Marius and Sascha (Endorfin Solvis Team) guided Alban and me around the course. Thanks guys!
Our next stop was the Rocky Mountain Bike Marathon in Willingen. Dirk and Lars had to head off to Albstadt for an XCO race, so Dave and I hired a car for the drive to Willingen. Dave bought a road map and carefully annotated it with our route, which he predicted would only take a few hours. Dave drove and I navigated. As we drove into Willingen I folded the map away and looked forward to finding somewhere to eat, but within seconds of seeing the 'Welcome to Willingen' sign we saw the 'Thank you for visiting Willingen' sign. Huh? It was a much bigger town when we visited last year??? At that point Dave was suddenly hit with the realisation that perhaps there was more than one Willingen in Germany. After another 2.5 hours we finally arrived in the correct Willingen......Whoops.
The Rocky Mountain Bike marathon series always provide three different distances for riders to choose from on race day. At Willingen there are three different loops and you can stop after the first (50km), the second (100km), or the third loop (120km) depending on how you feel on the day. My plan, like last year, was to ride the full 120km route. Unfortunately my legs had other plans! I felt fine for the first 50km but not too long into the second loop my legs didn't want to play anymore. I decided that it just didn't make sense to push on and complete the full distance so I opted out and pulled into the finish to take 2nd place in the 100km race. This was a hard decision for me, but after a chat with Pia Sundstedt (Rocky Mountain) during the first loop I realised that sometimes it's best to make decisions with your head rather than your heart! Pia was also going to race the full distance but she reluctantly pulled out (due a bad calf injury resulting from a crash in the Trans Germany) after the first loop to take the win in the 50km distance race. Team mate Alban Lakata won the 120km race so it was another a successful day for Topeak Ergon Racing Team :0)
Looking back, it was obvious that I hadn't fully recovered from the Trans Germany the previous week. After 2 months out of training due to my knee injury I was using the Trans Germany and Willingen as training races. They served their purpose and I am now starting to feel stronger. Yay!
Results
1st Kristine Norgaard (Rothaus-Cube MTB Team) 4 hours 17 mins
2nd Sally Bigham (Topeak Ergon Racing Team) 4 hours 19 mins
3rd Katrin Schwing (Trek) 4 hours 41 mins
Women's 100km podium
Monday, 21 June 2010
Trans Germany
After missing out on two marathons already (Riva del Garda and Etna) I was reluctant to not start the Trans Germany. On the one hand I thought I shouldn't go not least because I hadn't trained properly since the Cape Epic but also because my knee was still giving me trouble. On the other hand however I had an overwhelming desire to try and salvage some of the race season. This desire won and the night before we were due to fly we hastily packed. The doctor advised me not to race, but in the event that I did (he has obviously had plenty of experience of non-conforming athletes) he told me to stop if the pain worsened. I had no particular expectations in terms of results. My only aim was to finish the races and in doing so get some much needed training.
We were greeted at Munich airport by Lars Hartwich (Topeak Ergon Racing Team Mechanic) and went straight to Garmich-Partenkirchen - the start of the Trans Germany 4 day stage race
The miles pass quickly on the autobahn ;-)
We had a couple of days to prepare in Garmich before the start: Lars took excellent care of the bikes; Dirk Juckwer (Team Manager) took care of all of the many logistics involved in stage racing; Werner Faust (Team Physio) worked his magic on my knee; and Dave assisted with anything that he could.
The weather forecast was unfortunately not predicting sun....instead we were expecting rain and lots of it. The day before the race I had to frantically look for neoprene overshoes and winter gloves in the local shops. I'd packed for summer (foolishly) and I clearly hadn't learned from my snowy experience at the Salzkammergut Trophy last July!
Sure enough we woke to the sound of rain pattering on the window and the view of the mountain was obscured by low cloud.....it was going to be a cold one; however at that point I wasn't exactly aware how cold! On the start line we were warned of low temperatures at the top of the mountains and possible snow so I quickly put my leg and arm warmers back on.
Stage 1: Garmich to Lermoos (82km/2158m)
I had a great position on the start line but despite my best effort to maintain it during the 'neutral start' through the town I managed to gradually get pushed backwards by the hundreds of riders enthusiastic to find their place just behind the lead motorbike. It was a pretty crazy start and people were rubbing tyres, crashing and skidding frantically. I was now in a bad position! I spent the rest of the stage trying to make up for the lost time and I slowly started to make up ground and work my way up to 4th position. As we climbed to the top of the last mountain the temperature noticeably dropped and despite the effort of the climb my hands and feet became numb. My hands were so cold that I could no longer drink, eat or change gear. Brrrrrrrrr!!!!! Once I started descending I also realised that I couldn't brake properly! My tentative descent saw me cross the finish line in 5th place.
Lermoos to Pfronten (75km/1863m)
On Stage 2 I was eager to (1) get a good start, and (2) have warm feet and hands!! In the morning I wrapped my feet in tinfoil and then cling film before sealing my ankles with duct tape. I also wore some of Lars' latex gloves under my winter gloves. I achieved both of my aims that day and I crossed the line in 4th position. This was the best I could achieve and I was pleased with the result.
Pfronten to Sonthofen (55km1830m)
Stage 3 was much warmer and I found myself lining up on the start line applying sun cream! Weird! Although this stage was short (very short for me and resembling more of a cross country race!) there was a really great climb near the beginning :-) I've not had a chance to test my new bike much so I was unsure how I would find the 39T Sram double chain ring but it was absolutely fine even on the steepest part of the climb. Once at the top there was a loose gravel fire road descent and I almost overshot a sharp left-hand turn. As I regained control I noticed a few riders by the side of the trail and I saw one rider lay on the ground with his leg raised in the air. A few riders had stopped to help so I carried on (trying not to look because I hate seeing crashes). On the next climb I heard the breathing of a female rider behind me. It was Elizabeth Brandau the current race leader. I was really surprised to see her and I noticed a fews cuts and grazes. She told me she was fine but that Pia Sundstedt (who was currently 2nd in the GC) was not so lucky - she had a nasty cut in her calf and had to be airlifted to hospital. It was only then that I realised that Pia and Elizabeth had been the riders involved in the crash. This brought back the memories of my crash in the Trans Germany last year and had the unwanted effect of slowing me on the remaining descents. I crossed the line in 5th position and 4th in the GC.
Sonthofen to Bregenz (74km/1366m)
The final stage was going to be fast. It began with a long asphalt climb (which I loved!) and then a long asphalt descent. It was important to be in a fast group at the start. I was thoroughly enjoying myself and at the top of the first climb I was 1 minute behind 3rd position, Milena Landtwing. I figured that I could possibly close this over the remainder of the stage. I worked hard to stay in my group and as we started the last climb to the final water point I decided to push on hard. I passed some of the male riders and despite the heat I reasoned that the harder I rode the sooner I would reach the top and be able to collect my final bottle. I took the final gulp from my bottle and together with a male Dutch rider we turned the switchbacks reeling in the riders ahead. Suddenly, I saw a group of riders, including Milena, coming down the hill towards us. What???!!!! It took a couple of seconds for me to register what was happening but this was precious time lost - about 300 riders had all gone off course. All of the riders behind were turning around and before I knew it was was at the back of a long queue of riders all trying frantically to make their way back down the hill. A sea of riders streamed down the hill parting to reveal the cameraman on the back of the motorbike looking dumbfounded!! At the bottom of the hill there was a long queue to get back on course and onto a narrow footbridge across the river. All of the slower riders that had been behind us at that point were then able to get ahead. This caused a log jam particularly on the singletrack where many of the riders walked. I started to get really thirsty at this point and a couple of people kindly gave me a quick drink. Thanks! My off piste expedition meant that I finished in 12th position that day and I lost 4th place in the GC by 13 seconds. C'est la vie! I must confess however that I was just a little annoyed for a few hours afterwards ;-) On a positive note, team mate Alban Lakata finished 2nd overall and Robert Mennen won the final stage. Awesome!!!
We were greeted at Munich airport by Lars Hartwich (Topeak Ergon Racing Team Mechanic) and went straight to Garmich-Partenkirchen - the start of the Trans Germany 4 day stage race
The miles pass quickly on the autobahn ;-)
Cruising at 185km
We had a couple of days to prepare in Garmich before the start: Lars took excellent care of the bikes; Dirk Juckwer (Team Manager) took care of all of the many logistics involved in stage racing; Werner Faust (Team Physio) worked his magic on my knee; and Dave assisted with anything that he could.
Lars' office
The weather forecast was unfortunately not predicting sun....instead we were expecting rain and lots of it. The day before the race I had to frantically look for neoprene overshoes and winter gloves in the local shops. I'd packed for summer (foolishly) and I clearly hadn't learned from my snowy experience at the Salzkammergut Trophy last July!
Sure enough we woke to the sound of rain pattering on the window and the view of the mountain was obscured by low cloud.....it was going to be a cold one; however at that point I wasn't exactly aware how cold! On the start line we were warned of low temperatures at the top of the mountains and possible snow so I quickly put my leg and arm warmers back on.
Stage 1: Garmich to Lermoos (82km/2158m)
I had a great position on the start line but despite my best effort to maintain it during the 'neutral start' through the town I managed to gradually get pushed backwards by the hundreds of riders enthusiastic to find their place just behind the lead motorbike. It was a pretty crazy start and people were rubbing tyres, crashing and skidding frantically. I was now in a bad position! I spent the rest of the stage trying to make up for the lost time and I slowly started to make up ground and work my way up to 4th position. As we climbed to the top of the last mountain the temperature noticeably dropped and despite the effort of the climb my hands and feet became numb. My hands were so cold that I could no longer drink, eat or change gear. Brrrrrrrrr!!!!! Once I started descending I also realised that I couldn't brake properly! My tentative descent saw me cross the finish line in 5th place.
Lermoos to Pfronten (75km/1863m)
On Stage 2 I was eager to (1) get a good start, and (2) have warm feet and hands!! In the morning I wrapped my feet in tinfoil and then cling film before sealing my ankles with duct tape. I also wore some of Lars' latex gloves under my winter gloves. I achieved both of my aims that day and I crossed the line in 4th position. This was the best I could achieve and I was pleased with the result.
Pfronten to Sonthofen (55km1830m)
Stage 3 was much warmer and I found myself lining up on the start line applying sun cream! Weird! Although this stage was short (very short for me and resembling more of a cross country race!) there was a really great climb near the beginning :-) I've not had a chance to test my new bike much so I was unsure how I would find the 39T Sram double chain ring but it was absolutely fine even on the steepest part of the climb. Once at the top there was a loose gravel fire road descent and I almost overshot a sharp left-hand turn. As I regained control I noticed a few riders by the side of the trail and I saw one rider lay on the ground with his leg raised in the air. A few riders had stopped to help so I carried on (trying not to look because I hate seeing crashes). On the next climb I heard the breathing of a female rider behind me. It was Elizabeth Brandau the current race leader. I was really surprised to see her and I noticed a fews cuts and grazes. She told me she was fine but that Pia Sundstedt (who was currently 2nd in the GC) was not so lucky - she had a nasty cut in her calf and had to be airlifted to hospital. It was only then that I realised that Pia and Elizabeth had been the riders involved in the crash. This brought back the memories of my crash in the Trans Germany last year and had the unwanted effect of slowing me on the remaining descents. I crossed the line in 5th position and 4th in the GC.
Sonthofen to Bregenz (74km/1366m)
The final stage was going to be fast. It began with a long asphalt climb (which I loved!) and then a long asphalt descent. It was important to be in a fast group at the start. I was thoroughly enjoying myself and at the top of the first climb I was 1 minute behind 3rd position, Milena Landtwing. I figured that I could possibly close this over the remainder of the stage. I worked hard to stay in my group and as we started the last climb to the final water point I decided to push on hard. I passed some of the male riders and despite the heat I reasoned that the harder I rode the sooner I would reach the top and be able to collect my final bottle. I took the final gulp from my bottle and together with a male Dutch rider we turned the switchbacks reeling in the riders ahead. Suddenly, I saw a group of riders, including Milena, coming down the hill towards us. What???!!!! It took a couple of seconds for me to register what was happening but this was precious time lost - about 300 riders had all gone off course. All of the riders behind were turning around and before I knew it was was at the back of a long queue of riders all trying frantically to make their way back down the hill. A sea of riders streamed down the hill parting to reveal the cameraman on the back of the motorbike looking dumbfounded!! At the bottom of the hill there was a long queue to get back on course and onto a narrow footbridge across the river. All of the slower riders that had been behind us at that point were then able to get ahead. This caused a log jam particularly on the singletrack where many of the riders walked. I started to get really thirsty at this point and a couple of people kindly gave me a quick drink. Thanks! My off piste expedition meant that I finished in 12th position that day and I lost 4th place in the GC by 13 seconds. C'est la vie! I must confess however that I was just a little annoyed for a few hours afterwards ;-) On a positive note, team mate Alban Lakata finished 2nd overall and Robert Mennen won the final stage. Awesome!!!
Robert triumphant with his stage win :-)
Monday, 3 May 2010
Two words feared by cyclists: illness and injury
After finishing the Cape Epic I was looking forward to spending a week relaxing in South Africa before returning home. However, the day after the race had finished I started to get a sore throat, aches and fatigue. I spent my last few days in S. Africa watching Dave surf and sitting by the pool while he was out riding. I wasn't too disappointed though because I knew that I needed to rest for at least a week afterwards not only to make sure that I was fully recovered before starting to train again, but also because I'd been having a problem with my knee for a few weeks.
I started to get knee pain while I was training in Afan, Wales at the end of February. I took advice from a couple of physiotherapists and decided to stop training during the two weeks running up to the start of the Epic. During the race all seemed to be OK until I used different pedals during Stage 6 - the new pedals didn't seem to give me as much float as my old ones.
When we got home I rested for a few more days before going out and testing my knee, but alas it still wasn't right. I was due to race at the Muc Off 8 hour enduro and I reluctantly had to pull out. I managed to convince Dave to swap roles for a day: I stood in the field handing out bottles and he raced. Never again! He complained the whole day and I got sunburn!
I tested my knee the following week, but again it still didn't feel right. It ached and generally felt uncomfortable inside. If I tried to ride it stiffened up and my kneecap would grate and crack. I decided that I should go for a professional bike fit to check that there wasn't anything wrong with my position on the bike. I spent almost two hours with Jon at Ride Bike. It was reassuring to know that my position was fine; however we did make small adjustments to my cleats.
I started to get into a vicious cycle of resting, riding for a couple of days, aggravating my knee, resting, riding, aggravating it again, and so on. I was fortunate enough to be able to get an appointment to see a brilliant Doctor in Manchester last week. He diagnosed a patella femoral problem caused by a biomechanical issue. Over time, poor biomechanics have resulted in exceptionally tight and shortened lateral muscles (retinaculum and ITB) which are consequently pulling my patella out of the femoral groove every time I bend and straighten my leg. This explains the disconcerting popping, grating, ache and pain. He gave me footbeds for my shoes to address my overpronation and valgus wedges to go under my cleats to help off load my kneecap. I need to loosen my lateral muscles through stretching and soft tissue massage. He advised me that gentle pain free riding is fine, but that a 100km+ race with more than 3500 metres of climbing was out of the question. We didn't board our flight to Italy and I didn't start the Riva del Garda marathon this weekend :-(
Me being me, I decided that I would go out and test the footbeds and wedges immediately. I managed a couple of zone 2 rides without too much discomfort, so after one day of rest I decided that I would take out my new hard tail and hammer it around some of our local trails in Wareham forest. Two hours later the discomfort and twinges returned. In typical Sally style I denied and ignored for a couple more hours until I was forced to accept that I do still have a problem. After an hour on the phone to the Doctor today I now realise that I have to acknowledge that there is no quick fix and that rehab is going to be gradual and progressive. Where I go from here now has to be guided by my knee and not by my overwhelming desire to just get on my bike and pretend all is fine.
I have now passed the phase of denial and entered a phase characterised by periods of frustration, optimism, anger, pessimism, and despair (not necessarily in that order and sometimes all at once!). We are not boarding our flight to Sicily tomorrow and I won't be on the start line of the Etna marathon.
My two new bikes are taunting me and calling my name, but I do have the power to resist. I DO have the power to resist..........
I started to get knee pain while I was training in Afan, Wales at the end of February. I took advice from a couple of physiotherapists and decided to stop training during the two weeks running up to the start of the Epic. During the race all seemed to be OK until I used different pedals during Stage 6 - the new pedals didn't seem to give me as much float as my old ones.
When we got home I rested for a few more days before going out and testing my knee, but alas it still wasn't right. I was due to race at the Muc Off 8 hour enduro and I reluctantly had to pull out. I managed to convince Dave to swap roles for a day: I stood in the field handing out bottles and he raced. Never again! He complained the whole day and I got sunburn!
I tested my knee the following week, but again it still didn't feel right. It ached and generally felt uncomfortable inside. If I tried to ride it stiffened up and my kneecap would grate and crack. I decided that I should go for a professional bike fit to check that there wasn't anything wrong with my position on the bike. I spent almost two hours with Jon at Ride Bike. It was reassuring to know that my position was fine; however we did make small adjustments to my cleats.
Bike fit at Ride Bike
I started to get into a vicious cycle of resting, riding for a couple of days, aggravating my knee, resting, riding, aggravating it again, and so on. I was fortunate enough to be able to get an appointment to see a brilliant Doctor in Manchester last week. He diagnosed a patella femoral problem caused by a biomechanical issue. Over time, poor biomechanics have resulted in exceptionally tight and shortened lateral muscles (retinaculum and ITB) which are consequently pulling my patella out of the femoral groove every time I bend and straighten my leg. This explains the disconcerting popping, grating, ache and pain. He gave me footbeds for my shoes to address my overpronation and valgus wedges to go under my cleats to help off load my kneecap. I need to loosen my lateral muscles through stretching and soft tissue massage. He advised me that gentle pain free riding is fine, but that a 100km+ race with more than 3500 metres of climbing was out of the question. We didn't board our flight to Italy and I didn't start the Riva del Garda marathon this weekend :-(
My new Rotwild R2 hard tail :0)
Me being me, I decided that I would go out and test the footbeds and wedges immediately. I managed a couple of zone 2 rides without too much discomfort, so after one day of rest I decided that I would take out my new hard tail and hammer it around some of our local trails in Wareham forest. Two hours later the discomfort and twinges returned. In typical Sally style I denied and ignored for a couple more hours until I was forced to accept that I do still have a problem. After an hour on the phone to the Doctor today I now realise that I have to acknowledge that there is no quick fix and that rehab is going to be gradual and progressive. Where I go from here now has to be guided by my knee and not by my overwhelming desire to just get on my bike and pretend all is fine.
I have now passed the phase of denial and entered a phase characterised by periods of frustration, optimism, anger, pessimism, and despair (not necessarily in that order and sometimes all at once!). We are not boarding our flight to Sicily tomorrow and I won't be on the start line of the Etna marathon.
My two new bikes are taunting me and calling my name, but I do have the power to resist. I DO have the power to resist..........
My new (and unridden) Rotwild R2 full suspension
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