Phase One Done
13 September 2011
Hey Team
Well I have one more week left here in America and the three months have flown by.
We, the full womens track team were based in Pennsylvania for most of our time over here and travelled to several races across the country. The Tour of Toona in Altoona, PA and then The Cascade Classic in Bend, Oregon the most noteable. The scenery is amazing as we get to race through in the Cascade mountains - it would definitely have to be my favourite road tour. Not to mention also stepping onto the podium in 2nd place on the Mountain stage this year.
As I flew over a few weeks later at the start of the season I still had three weeks left on my Visa - so when the rest of the girls flew home to NZ Craig and I came here to California, in the Salinas valley where we have been based a few times before, and in the early build up to Beijing Olympics. We have got to know many people in the area and really feel like part of the community each time we come back. We are being hosted by Jeff & Joan Linder who I first met when I was brought over here with the Jazz Apple Cycling team. It is so much fun to meet enthusiastic cyclists, and a special group of guys that I have adopted as my partners here are just feverish about cycling. So much that their alarms go off at 3.45am each morning and they head out for their 4.30am every weekday morning before work - they have been trying to convince me to experience this ride, but I firmly remind them that cycling is my day job so is meant to be done during the DAY!!! Night time is for sleeping!
We are currently staying just up the road from the Mazda Laguna Seca motor track and this Wednesday they open the track to cyclists - so there is going to be a whole lot of Zoom Zoom going on there. I rode up last week to check it out - see pic attached. "Its all about the Zoom Zoom".
So with one more week to go I have been reflecting on the past few months of training and things are definitely on track. Craig has informed me I have just completed my biggest month of training hours on the bike ever. So now that I'm as fit as ever, its time to head back home, start ramping up the weights in the gym a bit more and hit the boards on the velodrome.
We have a big track camp in Invercargill in October where World Cup selections are made, with on-going Olympic implications so the pressure will certainly be on. My first competition of the season will be the Oceania Champs, held in Invercargill 18th - 20th November, and then the World Cup season starts in Cali, Columbia in December. Well actually it starts in Kazakhstan in November - but with plenty of points in the bank from our World Cup series win last season we are giving that one a miss! Although I am a little disappointed to miss the opportunity to go and meet Borat and his technicolour suit! - I have heard that a look alike who resides in Tauranga was seen recently in Fiji though!
After Cali, we have Beijing in January and February the final World Cup in London on the Olympic Velodrome - which dubs as the test event for the venue. World Championships this year are in Melbourne from 4th - 8th April, so if there is nothing booked in your calenders we would love to see you jump across the ditch and support the Kiwi team! http://www.2012trackworlds.com
I have competed in a few local road races here in California and yesterday did a mass start 17km climb up Fremont Peak. It was a brutal 46min of climbing, where my heart rate averaged 196bpm for 37min. So my legs are now definitely ready to get back on the velodrome where there are no hills and onto my new Avanti Evo track bike. The early version of this bike that I rode to gold in Delhi is now in full production with the whole NZ womens track team riding them, which is very exciting. It is a super machine with so much research and development gone in to producing this final product.There is some really interesting info and background on the Evo story here. http://www.projectevo2.com/ It has even been named as a finalist in the design awards.
Off the bike I also have a busy few months ahead. I'm attending the UK Trade and Investment Function at the Cloud in Auckland with the NZOC - and am excited to get among the buzz of the Rugby World Cup as I have been very sheltered from it all over here in America where they have to put on uniform resembling NASA spacesuits to even contemplate stepping out on a rugby field. I am judging the Beef & Lamb Secondary School Burger competition in Auckland in October and am also involved this season with the Weet-Bix Kiwi Kids Tryathlon as an official ambassador, so can't wait for that to get underway. My role as an Olympic Ambassador is ongoing also with regular updates on the http://www.nz2012.com and other activities.
So a few more rides to be done this week around the Monterey Coast and up into the hills, before touching back down in Dunedin next week. Im home in time to make it up to Central Otago for the Cycling Otago big fundraising event of the year the Rail Trail 100 race. I think the organisers have teamed me up with Callum and P from the Breakfast show on Classic Hits - so I hope they have done their winter training! Cos of course we will be out to win it!!
Trust everyone has endured the chilly winter and are eagerly anticipating the summer sun. Meanwhile I have gone through five tubes of sunscreen and have still developed permanent white gloves & socks. But that is pretty much the extent of my worries, so things are looking pretty good on the road to London.
See you all back in NZ...........Go the All Blacks!
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