By Jessica Weston Senior Coach - 7th March 2010
After having a bone spur taken out of my ankle back in an operation last October I was thinking that my fitness was nowhere near racing condition. But waking up to a cool, crisp, blue sky morning on Sunday I thought, what the heck, I’ll go to the race and enjoy a competitive ride. I was satisfied to come where ever and blame it on my ankle and lack of fitness.
Just before the start I was talking to Graeme Warren one of the photographers and an ex pro rider. He advised in light of my fitness level, to ride at a sustainable pace from the start, and then to burry myself for the last half of the last lap.
Off the starting line, what had seemed like a cruel up hill start on my practise lap was over in a flash and I was clicking down through the gears and cruised into forth place at the first corner. In the excitement I realised I had pushed myself a little too hard so I took a few deep calming breaths and settled into my own rhythm. As the long opening fire road section continued, I was pretty soon dropped by third place and I in turn dropped fifth place. Into the single track sections, with my race face on, the bike was starting to feel supple and lithe in contrast to my practise lap when it had felt awkward and uncomfortable. I kept my pace and settled down to time trail my way to what I hoped would be a fourth place finish. I knew from my heart rate that I could sustain the same pace until the end of the race.
Towards the end of the first lap the trouble started. I began catching the tail end of the men’s open race. I don’t know if they mistook me for a competitor in their race or if they didn’t like being overtaken by a woman, but I had to overtake nearly every one of them twice as they would burry themselves to re-overtake me after passing them the first time. The male ego is a strange and illogical beast?
Overtaking required a little extra effort and with the guys not making it easy by getting out of the way and even jockeying for position it was beginning to wear me out. Then just before we reached the quarry for the second time I noticed Cathy Thomas in third place just ahead of me sandwiched between two guys from the men’s race. Spurred on, I seemed to catch them up almost too quickly and nearly fell of as we hit a patch of thick mud. Cathy and one of the guys let me pass, but the guy in front battled handle bar to handle bar until I decided he wasn’t going to be in front of me for the steep climb in the quarry.
Not knowing whether Cathy was just having trouble passing the guys, or if she was tiring I put the hammer down. It was perfect timing and with Graeme’s advice still ringing in my ears I pushed with all I had right to the end.
What a race! I never thought I would get third, what a treat!
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