tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56570506531347449892024-03-19T01:14:37.338-07:00Jake Scott CyclingAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-17966576767780970942017-10-01T00:08:00.001-07:002017-10-01T00:09:12.564-07:00September<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';">Technically I've only ridden 2 races this month, but with 9 race days it still wasn't an easy one, this month has seen me race the Tour of Britain and the Primus classic. There's a lot I could say about the Tour of Britain but I'd like to keep it short and not go through an in depth stage by stage guide. First let me tell you that my month of racing came to a holt after Primus Classic, there were a few horrible days in Britain but the last day was far from ideal both mentally and with the weather, my immune system was low but I needed to ride Primus classic the weekend after, of course this lead to a few issues the last couple of weeks with a virus, and has seen my time racing in Belgium come to an end this month, there simply isn't enough time to find my full fitness back and aim for the result I want, of course I'm a little unhappy about this, but if I think how long I've held a good level for the last months and how my body has coped for the length and races I wanted it to I can't be too disappointed. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';">So Tour of Britain, I started saying I wanted to be in the break away and see where that took me, a jersey for me in the points or Mountains (small bumps) classification was a realistic goal for me, so in the break away I went, and it was a pretty good feeling to be the one who kicked it off, and not just left chasing the guy in front of me and waiting to see if that was the move for the day, the first day, the first attack I made, the first break away of the tour, honestly it left me thinking "that came a little to easily no?) with some points along the way I thought I wasn't going to be going up the road that easily again. The next day I'm in my second breakaway and I've now drawn level with the leader of the mountains classification, day 3 I took a day in the peloton, and it left me thinking that to be up the road was easier, just go one pace most of the day, sprint a few times and see what the end of the day brings, but my biggest effort all week came from this day, it was a move for the last classified points of the day, I jumped away from the peloton with the aim of catching the leaders and taking full points which would see me move in to the jersey, I only however took 1 point on the (small bump) but that one point was worth the effort as with no contenders in the break away the next day on stage 4 apart from me I was able to take maximum points and move in to the mountains classification lead by 1 point, it was like a massive game for me, trying to work out where people are, what I need to do and where I need to be and then doing it, personally I enjoyed it, more so the first 4 stages where the legs felt like they were only getting better and better every day. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';">The 2nd half of the tour wasn't as brilliant for me it has to be said, the TT was about saving as much energy as possible for the following day for me, but it was still a long day sat in the camper waiting for other riders and then waiting for the podium etc. Stage 6 was also another easy day for me, this day my legs felt good, there was no one in the breakaway to worry about and I made the front split in the end of the race, I knew the last 2 days had being easier for me and stage 7 was where I can do something again, and I did, I made the break away after riding across with one of my rivals, but he was not so close on the classification and I knew I was faster than him, unfortunately he did come to be the overall winner of the classification, but this day on Stage 7 after taking the first points on the climb more than convincingly he didn't wish to fight for the next and rolled over the line 2nd behind me, we were then caught before the last categorised climb of the day by the peloton. If your thinking like I was on this day "it's all gone rather swimmingly up to now, I have a strong lead in the classification, I know I'm strong, my competitors can see that and they know I'm ready to fight" then you'd be right. So stage 8, this was the where my leading position turned in to a chasing one, I was busy from the start, my game of chess some might say had back fired on me, I knew I had to watch 3 people with 18 points up for grabs on this day, and I could only let one of them go in the break away, but he was the leader of the sprint points and was being watched closely by his rival in 2nd place which was also 3rd place in the mountains points, it turned out that this wasn't going to be the move I had to watch for though, I was beaten in the end by having to jump across to a small group at the bottom of the first climb where the race eventually split because I thought it was possible to make the move and take more points that day, but when you enter a climb already on the limit you can't go much faster, and when the top guys start to attack and you can't barely follow with your legs from the last 7 days that is when you see a jersey disappear, and that's what happened. I worked hard for that jersey but I was beaten on a day where I thought attacking would be the best form of defence and it didn't work out for me, to go there with a realistic goal and lose it on the last day was a big upset, but I proved to a lot of people in a race that didn't suit me for an overall or stage result I was still able to aim for something and target an opportunity, and in the end I can look back on it and think, it's disappointing yes, but it was a flaming good week.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';">So after divulging in a few treats after Britain and feeling a little bit not at full strength I stood on the start line of the Primus classic the following Saturday, with very little training the last 6 days I had already said in the team meeting before hand that I would sit in the peloton, wait for my legs to get going and then see what happens in the end, the thing about this race after never riding it before is that the last 40/50 km are on my training roads, and so were the climbs, so I already had a small advantage. On this day I achieved my most confident riding of the year, I was up there on every climb, and when I missed a dangerous move close to the end I never panicked, it was one of my best ridden races of the year, but with the lack of training I had no punch left for the end and finished in a very reduced peloton. Following the virus that was diagnosed 2 days after the race I have being only riding easily the last 2 weeks, a big change from the start of the month.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';">I can say now that I'm pleased with this last year. Not the beginning perhaps, but when I let a lot of the stress go later on and took more responsibility and raced with a view for my own result it turned out good, and I started to enjoy everything more, now I know I can do it, it's about working for next year to follow this from beginning to the end. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';">First however I will return home for a couple of cyclocross races to bring my season to the end and shorten my winters training a bit. A massive thank you once again to the Dave Rayner Fund, Pedal Potential, and AnPost Chain Reaction, with out whom I would have not have being able to do what I've done the last 2 to 3 years in aiming to make a professional career possible. Now to see what next year will bring. </span></p><div><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkLVokaOqRGPTg7rSAswItTe3AG___sDhpebID4y_zum_MF513DPMKwxbOG6TmgO69UfkuXSmjJpa-_y-GxgB4BCVBXdvf4kH5FGMYywPDxr2zPO9NCn7KI7hyZC-k2krZ3gJL7t8xNs/s640/blogger-image-449407944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkLVokaOqRGPTg7rSAswItTe3AG___sDhpebID4y_zum_MF513DPMKwxbOG6TmgO69UfkuXSmjJpa-_y-GxgB4BCVBXdvf4kH5FGMYywPDxr2zPO9NCn7KI7hyZC-k2krZ3gJL7t8xNs/s640/blogger-image-449407944.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-41250956415011286672017-08-30T11:40:00.001-07:002017-08-30T11:40:13.743-07:00August<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';">Racing racing racing this month, the month that I always said was my main focus turned in to a very reasonable month for me, one I am happy with, but also the one that left me a little disappointed in the middle. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';">Starting in Het Hageland on the beginning Saturday of the month was very special for me, but to start somewhere close to where you live, when you've told people I can bring in what some might say is a half decent result is actually exciting, if not a little stressful, these races are the ones I know I can push forward with in my career, with the race close to where I live I was able to recon it a few days before, so come Saturday I knew simply, this is where I have to be in the front. Before these races every team manager will say the same things to there riders, simply stay in the front, or at least the way they say it is simple, I can do this, and in the final it left me a bit fresher than other riders, but with confidence for this race I got a little excited when I should have waited a few kilometres more, so when riders were able to bridge to the front, I was left dangling a little, but able to survive I came in 17th, I expected more, and knowing the mistakes I had made I decided to ride home, after all I also had a race the following day. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';">So Sunday came Havenpijl, the only 1.2 standard race I competed in this month, the plan was for a sprint in the end with another team mate, that's normally the way the race goes, but you can't just sit back and expect that, it was fairly easy until the finishing laps where after trying to drag a small break away to take the pressure away from the team I found myself in a group of twenty or more riders, with most teams represented and some carrying more than two riders I knew I just had to roll with it, see how it goes, we took a nice gap over the peloton but after a couple of laps it started to come down, with some narrow sections on the loop I pushed through the corners and took a group of five away, we worked well together and held the gap until the line, the only disappointment was finishing 5/5, I simply had nothing in the sprint, but to do 2 nice results in 1 weekend was very positive. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';">The next big goal was in Leuven, another local race, but a hard one with 4 reasonably difficult climbs In a 15km lap, this was to be the middle race of 3 in 6 days, before was Veenendaal on the Friday, I had a plan there to float reasonably under the radar and see what happened in the end, caught out of position I rolled in just behind the peloton of sprinters. So Leuven on Sunday, the legs were good, a break up the road under control, I was spinning around in the peloton feeling good, the speed was up a bit and I knew this would be the last opportunity for a natural break, from here I could ride straight to the front again coming off the momentum of the cars on one of the smaller climbs, or at least that's what I thought, on the way back through the convoy of team cars a commissaires driver decided that it was safer to let a motor bike through a small gap and slammed on his breaks coming to a near stop with me behind him, after heading for a seat in the boot of the commissaries car somehow I was able to avoid the incident, but after going very far sideways my rear wheel took a hit with the amount of pressure on it, not realising the severity of it I knew I had to come back to the peloton and quickly, let's say my plans to ride straight to the front did not happen, my legs were suddenly working so much harder and when we came to a flatter section I was suddenly getting dropped, knowing it could only be the wheel I opted to change it, but with a rampaging peloton and new wheel I was never able to come back, but for the kilometres I tired it was a lot easier with my new wheel, but that was race over for me. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';">My next big goal was Schaal Sels, I started the month off roading in Hageland, so I decided to finish it off road around Antwerp. With a couple of races in between which didn't bring amazing results I knew with luck hear I can come to the finish strong, the beauty of these races? There a whole lot of fun and it's not just about riding as hard as you can, but generally the stronger riders come to the end, but you also have to be technical and tactical, with gravel roads and cobbles it's a difficult race to even finish, and with the sectors so close to each other it becomes relentless, I knew I was strong so I decided to attack early, one guy came with me and I knew that if we set a nice tempo that we could get over the next sectors and come in the front when it split later, thankfully I was correct, and with the peloton in pieces after 70km I was sat happily in the front with a very reduced peloton, sector to sector the peloton was slowly reducing, and with different riders attacking but always coming back I knew I had to make sure I was in the front, but not on the front, there was no pressure on me other than to be in a good position. The winning move was eventually made around 40km from the finish, but there were points where it looked like the peloton could come back, in now an even more reduced peloton I knew I had a chance at a good result, and finally I remembered that I didn't have the sprint that I had in the earlier point of the year, so with 1km to go over some less brutal cobbles than we had previously tackled I attacked, this saw me come to the finish in 12th, a minute behind the winner, In a field almost full of world tour/ pro continental riders I was happy with the result, and happy I could take the confidence to attack in the finish, rather than waiting for others I took it up, and even if it was for the lower places it was a small reward for me, knowing that I can compete in these races. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';">Next comes Britain and I hope that the form can continue and hold to try and make a nice result there. </span></p><div><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3DfBZR54S4SQTr6qG-6nIbjrED_6zmS_L8aFhduzfyUJJQZ67EjfnlczgJ_SGgmmk9BOCGbEMtER3V_aEmZ3phScK4cO1ku3bVnFe9oFZwd-Y9m4_7Ax0H_UF9vXZ9jgQkDgGXqcarQ/s640/blogger-image-1694209952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3DfBZR54S4SQTr6qG-6nIbjrED_6zmS_L8aFhduzfyUJJQZ67EjfnlczgJ_SGgmmk9BOCGbEMtER3V_aEmZ3phScK4cO1ku3bVnFe9oFZwd-Y9m4_7Ax0H_UF9vXZ9jgQkDgGXqcarQ/s640/blogger-image-1694209952.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-32016459692586035462017-07-29T11:17:00.001-07:002017-07-29T11:17:36.848-07:00July<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';">Training camp in the beautiful La Molina (Cerdanya) with the teams amazing sponsor Cenit took up the first part of this month for myself, along with the rest of the AnPost Team. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';">It has to be said that Altitude treat me fairly well this year, the first days were hard as always but the rest of the training went better than I expected, with the knowledge of Marti from Cenit and how he made sure we weren't over doing it while we were there, but yet getting the correct training to bring us in a good condition was second to none, from blood tests every few days, to weight, to food, stretching and core sessions, turned this in to the most professional training camp I was ever apart of, I personally need experience with such things as altitude, going from last year riding easy around Livigno, to this year doing specific efforts almost daily was a bit of a change, but with everything that was being done for us from both Cenit and our brilliant staff I knew that to commit fully to the training wasn't going to be a problem. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';">On return from La Molina it was a case of a few days rest, time to take in a lot more oxygen, spending most of my time in Belgium that was really not an issue. A few days later the teams first pro Kermisse in Ninove, last year this was a race to find back the speed after altitude camp, this year it was a race to win, and so we did with our team mate Jonas Bokeloh, with every move covered it was a text book team effort, after covering a lot of moves early on myself trying to force them away I was pretty much over my limit when I found myself in the 7 man winning move, we never established a really big gap to play with so we were constantly pushing, on the last lap my legs gave in close to the finish, thankfully I was able to hold off the chasing peloton in what I can only describe as survival mode, no doubt coming from a mountain somewhere in Spain, and Jonas was able to take the win.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';">The next race for me Westrozebeke pro Kermisse. A race the team won last year but on a slightly different course, this year wind played a massive part in the race, I'm not sure everybody felt as good as they did in Ninove but it was a completely different race, after most teams had a rider in the race winning move the gap went out quickly, however lap after lap riders were puncturing from the move, we were hoping our rider wasn't one of them, eventually this turned out to be the case, with only 5 of us that day, 3 guys rode the front to try and bring the move back, with myself sat up the front waiting for a possible counter move the team was nearly there, but others weren't willing to make it, with a hope of still making it across to the move myself, I attacked, hoping others would follow and we could bridge to the front, it wasn't to be and we in the peloton were to fight it out in the wind until the end, it was a good race for me but I made no result from it, disappointing, but there were still signs that the altitude training is working and I am in a good condition.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';">My next race is on Monday, another Pro Kermisse in which I will see what I can do towards finally getting a result I can be proud of this year. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';">Cheers All</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: '.SF UI Text'; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: '.SFUIText';"></span><br></p><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cqM_9NCkHyIkxuioFQdXtOFEQeTdtSVTQMrDlY5xM8X9LjxEgWzOJT3_VQkJgh4YXYoTkhSs53YmOieKGeEmZ8jk4USoSClSXMSNcREGpXJH7Sib45t6j6t8U1N3EWk9dp9yGZoQinQ/s640/blogger-image--1613243814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cqM_9NCkHyIkxuioFQdXtOFEQeTdtSVTQMrDlY5xM8X9LjxEgWzOJT3_VQkJgh4YXYoTkhSs53YmOieKGeEmZ8jk4USoSClSXMSNcREGpXJH7Sib45t6j6t8U1N3EWk9dp9yGZoQinQ/s640/blogger-image--1613243814.jpg"></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-5333509559168844552017-06-27T12:57:00.001-07:002017-06-27T12:58:56.740-07:00Part 2<span style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">It's being a strange month, with no Nationals for me it was a case of getting fit for almost 1 or 2 races in order to then have a small break from the bike, the Month started with Mayenne, a 4 day race in France, with a few world tour teams involved it was a case of trying to find back some power, strength and speed for the 1 days to follow afterwards, the thing with a 2.1 UCI race means that normally it's more controlled until a certain point, and then everybody decides that it's time to destroy half the field, for me it was a case of getting the team in a good position and then leaving it too them for the last Km's, it's nice to feel your getting stronger with in a race, and although I'm always a racer I don't always have the racing legs. </span><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Next up was a double weekend in Belgium, finally I could race in Belgium again, I did so many weeks racing in France that it was nice to be back racing where I know I can, but the race in Saturday didn't go so Brilliant, the Vlaamse Ardennen was not a brilliant place for me to be in that weekend, suffering from Km 1 to then trying so many times to be in a none existent break away I blew myself up and out the back door fairly early on, DAY OVER. Sundays race started off nearly the same way, but after a relaxation period in the peloton it was heading in the right direction for me, the next speed bump however happened to be a puncture directly before the first of 5 defining cobble sections, due to a brilliant set of Judges however I was able to Join the reduced peloton after 15 + km's chasing both in the convoy and sections on my own, it was certainly a leg burner, after coming down to the finishing laps I thought I had used all my energy, I found my self near the cars again, but</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Managed to hold on to then join the front group with 1 lap to go, deciding that the best option would be then to attack, I thought if I had done all I had done before hand that maybe I am actually Super Man today, it turned out not and with 3 km's to go I exited the reduced group again with a big bunch of guys and rolled over the finish line to not Score anther DNF for the weekend, but what a difference a day makes. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The next event was later that week involving my Birthday, normally another day for me, a good meal with friends and a nice evening, but now I'm 22 somebody decided that it was time for my first ever dog, a wonderful gift and an amazing surprise, and I never imagined that something would give me so much of a push in order to help care for it "soppy I know"</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The last race of the month was Halle Ingooigem, a 1.1 with again more prod tour teams and almost every single rider absolutely flying for Nationals, a televised race in Belgium I saw this as an opportunity to Broadcast myself a little bit, in a 200km race and a hefty fight for the break eventually 2 guys were let go over a climb, and after feeling good and seeing a gap I thought "well it's not very nice to let them go all that way a loan" ok so I didn't, In fact I was rather hoping it was going to be a race harder than everyone thought with the heat of 35 degrees, that there would be a reduced peloton catch us with the small climbs and wind, but instead it caught me out, usually in those conditions I can do everything I need to have the energy in the end, but a few mistakes lead to my ending once again, but a bit of time on TV got me more that day than anything I had done the last few weeks, and also for the team. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">So again a rather up and down month for me, but now I look forward to Part 2 of the season. With full motivation this is what I believe to be my part of the season, the races in Belgium that I know suit me, and that big push towards the Tour of Britain, and to prepare for this we head to Altitude camp with in the next week for a 2 week block, I am very excited for this period and with work I know I can make it a good Part 2.</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjseKtezXansqHc20aTNcPaWgiiC6TeIGpVmp_kTvKUBvLVrW7fETGw2-1IcEk45IkdbDxqoPJAZlBXP8tDEjPw8E7Wx_vxmLLKlxKcZ6Hmectctd0INXxbBJ5AglrK1Km13GoAuqS_xXo/s640/blogger-image--295596384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjseKtezXansqHc20aTNcPaWgiiC6TeIGpVmp_kTvKUBvLVrW7fETGw2-1IcEk45IkdbDxqoPJAZlBXP8tDEjPw8E7Wx_vxmLLKlxKcZ6Hmectctd0INXxbBJ5AglrK1Km13GoAuqS_xXo/s640/blogger-image--295596384.jpg"></a></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-38376697520892156332017-05-29T11:42:00.001-07:002017-05-29T11:42:53.991-07:00May<span style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">So this month went from good to bad. After Bretagne I felt a little low health wise, but I had a little cold and knew I could race the next weekend in Holland, Overijssel, after all, the legs felt good, I felt good, so knowing it could go 1 way or the other after the race, I chose to start, I knew the course, I knew it was my sort of race, I had that confidence there that I could do well, and that's what I had being searching for through the early part of the season.</span><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">In the Team motor home the morning of the race I was surprised to be told that I would lead the team that day, or be the protected rider, it's something I wanted for that race and for a while, but I never expected it. The race went fairly easily for me, fairly standard Holland actually, fields, straight road, cross wind, head wind, cross wind, tail wind. I was in the first split most of the time in the race, but later on more riders came back and it was fairly calm with a very reduced group, my 2 team mates that had made it in to the front group McKenna and MacKinnon decided to go in a 5 man Break with around 40 km to go, I never had such a feeling in a race where I felt I literally had to just sit there and be in the front when it mattered, knowing the back end of the course I knew where that was, with a few teams trying to split the race further and more guys dropping out the back of the peloton we were then on the finishing laps, after riding across to the front group earlier on in the race I knew I had the legs for a good finish, and I could be up there in the end, after thinking attacking on the finishing circuit would be best, I saw there were to many teams with more riders looking to control it, so down to a sprint it was, it wasn't such a technical finishing lap but to be at the front is always the best place, or at least near it, learning from mistakes from the last few races I went later and in an easier gear and I only went forwards, the problem with sprinting is that a lot of people want to be in the same place and that's a busy place to be, but I found my way through the gaps fairly well and claimed a 6th, not a brilliant result but I knew now that I could lead a race now for the team when the form etc is there.</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The day after however the feelings weren't so good, I could feel the cold going the wrong way to What I had hoped, I thought with Saturdays race I would have sweated it out, and Saturday night I thought I had, but Sunday I went sharply down hill, and Monday I dropped off the edge. With a visit to the doctor I had a viral infection, there came the flash backs of last years early season, knowing I had to take time and rest that is exactly what I did, but it wasn't helping, it had got worse so I was now on antibiotics with rest, my body just needed that rest. That was 3 weeks ago now and I am now a week or so more back in to training, I feel with a lot lost, but hungry to get back and go, I know that the one thing that brings me on more than anything is racing, and then when I'm fit I can train well. So fingers crossed I'm back in to racing soon and can start to focus on my targets for the rest of the season. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-63359597726225974272017-05-02T08:25:00.001-07:002017-05-02T08:26:21.562-07:00April<span style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I don't have a Vlog to show you this month, truth be told I've being flat out from the start, between training and resting it was the last thing that sprung to mind between moving from the sofa and getting on the bike. </span><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I felt after Normandie in March that I needed rest, and it was never planned to happen, but perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that I came a little ill after Normandie and I made the call to have a 2 week build up towards Loir Et Cher, the 5 day stage race, to be honest I spent one week cafe riding, and when I say one week I had 2 days off, between sickness etc I felt I needed it. In Normandie I wasn't really climbing well, I was strong but not fighting or finishing strong. Now results and races can make you go 2 ways, but luckily I had 2 weeks after until my next race, one week feeling a little sorry for myself, and then 1 week + with Long hours and training between the hills etc, I'm not the best climber at all, but I also don't have the attitude that when I see or know there's a climb that I think, "oh well, today is over for me" it's a fight until the next people on the road have caught me, and with racing I don't get to train in the Ardennes as much as I'd like, so to work on it is difficult at times.</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">My 1st race this month was Loir Et Cher which started on the 12th, the day that saw the teams first win of the season with Damien Shaw, we spent 4 days defending the jersey before we lost it, that sort of gave me free reign for the final stage, because it was such a short stage around a town the classification was not going to change. My confidence to say to people and myself that I can do a certain performance or fight for a victory didn't come until this race, I was able to get the confirmation I was looking for between the stages that I needed too for myself to push. Everything in this race was for the build up towards Rutland Classic back in the UK, when I go home I always want to perform, better yet I want to win, and I thought that was possible in Rutland, here I was able to create the break away for the days race, and it was absolutely perfect in my mind with all the top teams in the UK represented, and my team mate Kasper, unfortunately with some bad luck we lost the person who we needed in my mind to survive to 2 punchers, his team then had to chase and we were left with 4 guys from the original 10 or so with around 20-30 km to go, Kasper eventually pressed on over one of remaining sectors with another British rider to try and take the win with me returning to the reduced peloton, that attack also did not survive, it ended up with a combination of 2 riders from British teams attacking on the last lap to fight for the win, eventually myself and Kasper went 6th and 11th after hanging on to the finish line. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Bretagne was up next, the 7 day stage race in France, I again thought it was possible to do a strong result here, and if anything a reasonable result came from where I least expected it, a bunch sprint, with 200 meters to go I thought I can win this, but I paid for my efforts in the early part of the stage and I was only able to hold on to the line and not push forward, again it was a 10th position for me, I'm never happy with these results, it only leaves me wanting more, that's normal for cycling, but again it's a lot more and a lot better than I was achieving in the UCI races before this. This week saw are 2nd win of the season with Kasper, the guy with the most race days in the team, he just keeps going, and finally he got what we all believe he deserved. The whole week was the element of team work, we didn't go in stupid break aways to ruin our selves, we went with the ones that counted and the ones that had the most chance of bringing a result, everything was covered, and on the one day the result we worked for came from the work we had done before hand. Although the over all basically went very far South for us on the last 2 stages I could only walk away thinking that things were changing, things are more consistent and the work for and from the team is finally starting to show. Now it's just a case of holding this feeling and fighting for a real result myself. </div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-57898171637271082952017-02-04T10:35:00.001-08:002017-02-04T11:10:46.550-08:00Nationals 2017<p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Something caught my eye last night over Facebook, I like to have a little scroll before I go to bed to see if there is anything new etc. last night I saw the head line of (as if British Cycling doesn’t have enough problems, riders revolt over 2017 National championships being hosted on Isle of Man)</span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Revolting I don’t know about, a little complaining maybe, but heres not my complaint about the matter, heres my view.</span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After reading through this first I would like to push the point I am 21 years old, and I am talking from my very individual perspective. So why even bother to write? its a rest day, I’m not doing much, theres so many one sided views on this subject, and I need to practice my english.</span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Let me confirm first of all that I am not a writer, and I am not wishing to step on anyones toes here, from my point of view I want to cover this subject on all angles, WHY? Because this is something that can possibly effect me directly, that Nationals is something that is always a target on my Calendar, to possibly have the chance of winning a white jersey in my last year U23 is something that would be very special.</span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Lets start with the Isle of Man its self, an amazing, beautiful and scenic place, simple as that, its close to the scenery of Yorkshire, but nothing comes close to that, of course I am a fan of my home county and that might be very one sided. I myself have visited the Island on possibly more than 6 occasions, I lost count to be honest, I’ve won 2 races at National level on Ramsey Promenade, I’ve trained there over the winter with friends when its being freezing cold, wet, windy, and its still a lovely place with a great cycling community at these times.</span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I’ll get to my point very quickly so I can talk around it later. The nationals in 2017 might already be crossed off the calendar for me, for one my Team of AnPost Chain Reaction has a very good Calendar in which I can race against selected World Tour teams almost every race, secondly, I am 21 years old, I decided 2/3 years ago now with the very helpful support of The Dave Rayner Fund and Pedal Potential that I could take the financial stress off my parents, after all I’d quite like them to have a nice retirement at some point, this is not against the people who support me or my team, but to take the money out of my account to pay for the Nationals myself, the money that I receive for racing and housing in Belgium does not make financial sense to me, I am grateful for every penny or pound I receive and do not demand or ask that people pay me more, for my year in Belgium, I do not have to ask for anymore.</span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A quick break down looking at the prices today (4/02/2017) . <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://3" dir="ltr" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="3" style="-webkit-text-decoration-color: rgba(69, 69, 69, 0.258824);">21st - 25th June</a>, British Championships.</span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">. Ferry/car - 232.00 pounds / Hotel - 200 euros / food - 100-150 pounds total: 500 pounds give or take</span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">. Flying is no option with 3 bikes, 3 bikes is obviously my option, but to compete that is the least I need, mechanicals etc - TT bike. Turbo trainer is also hard to fly with.</span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">21st-26th</span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">. Foot passenger - 74 pounds for 2 people, that way I could take all bikes needed, if it was ok to put 3 bikes somewhere on the ferry, I’ve done it with 1 before? Hotel - 300-500 euros. Food - 100-200 pounds for 2 people Total: 550 + pounds. Not including how to get around when there.</span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">so to conclude the car would be the best and cheapest option for me at 500 pounds, not the 1000 pounds that has been hinted at, although I could be wrong.</span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For comparison its costs me over 600 euros + for standard living in Belgium a month. Sometimes a lot more with medical bills etc. </span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Let me explain my recent nationals since turning u23</span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><ul class=""><li class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Abergavenny: Bad TT, a small cold in between and a good road race, was awarded a DNF after being pulled out while still racing for 30th/40th position.</span></li><li class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Lincoln: Bad TT, was on top form a few days before where I was 4th in a Belgium National cup race, came in fatigued and followed the TT up with a bad road race, was pulled out with 50 other guys. On returning to Belgium I had 2-3 weeks off the bike after burning myself out.</span></li><li class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Stockton: entered both races and never made it to Britain after illness struck 1 week before the event.</span></li></ul><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">My point? its a lot of money to spend not including the race entry to possibly DNF while still fighting for a position, to be sick before, to have a mechanical say on the last lap or in the beginning of the race without having a designated team car, some would say thats a gamble.</span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Also I’m not that daft I’d like to think, I understand that for one is bike racing, so they say “shit can happen” but for me I can live and spend a better month in Belgium or even Girona for that cost and Focus on something else. Those who are reading this thinking, well maybe he doesn’t care about Nationals then, or the Jersey doesn’t mean that much too him. The truth of the matter is I could talk you through every National championship I have competed at since I started bike racing, thats how much a stripy jersey means to me.</span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Its been very one sided so far on my side. So to the Island now and the cyclists who live there, I am certainly not one of Envy towards them, and to there parents etc that have paid to get them to National races since I don’t know what age, I can imagine the money they have paid, hotels, boats, fuel, food etc have cost them more than they are willing to add up, or could have paid for several holidays not to the main land of Britain.</span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So is it deserved that the Island gets a Nationals etc, I would swing towards yes, would it make more sense that they had a longer stage race for bigger riders/teams, I also think so, they already have the Isle of Man cycle fest (one day race), they have the junior and youth Tour, they used to have the International cycling week I believe, and through the years I have never heard a bad thing said about one of the races, they are races that bring people back, ones that people remember.</span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The difference? You are racing every day for these other races on the Island, for 5 - 6 days at the National championships you race twice, for me I could race lets say 236km in total those days, at the price I worked out that would work the best for me with out entry fees included would add up to 2 pounds 11 pence of the British realm a km, I wish I had travel expenses that paid like that, of course without sounding like a moaning young man, first of all I am from Yorkshire, and I am trying to make this as light hearted as possible. In Belgium, I am based here, I can enter a 180 km pro kermis for 10 euros, the entry fee of one race in Britain can be upwards of 25 pounds. </span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I know a lot of Manx people, I know the struggle to get off and back on to the Island to race, or even train in my case, I know also the late nights and the early mornings, I also believe to know however that there are certain benefits from the ferry company to help young riders travel to the main land, however I could be wrong on that point, that is something I overheard once, there are also designated trips where you can form a group and it is cheaper to get off the Island more for the youth and Junior riders. That’s just not going to happen for nationals unless your on a British domestic team, and I imagine that some team mangers as mentioned by others might not be sending there full squad there, which would be disappointing really. its expensive, most things in cycling are. For those who I know on the Island I also know that riders park there cars in Liverpool etc in order to knock the cost of travel down, like I said, I’m not envious of that. There’s also the case of thinking here that us people from the mainland are being hard done by here, thats also not true, switch it around and try doing those trips from the Rock most weekends.</span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">When I think of the Nationals for the moment I am trying to work out the best way to try and be there, I don’t think its necessarily over for me as of yet, I don’t believe in just saying ok its over, but I also think in the summer months to even start from Belgium to get to the Isle of man, it will cost me upwards of 100 pounds to even get to Britain, however I choose to to be here so that is my issue, I don’t like to talk about money, but to explain my position I’ve had to, and I understand that if the parents of such Manx cyclists were to add up the costs of there trips to Britain I would be most likely shot down in Flames, so for those reading from the Isle of Man I really hope I have not said anything untoward.</span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br class=""></span></p><p class="" style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">the smart thing here might be also to miss the TT, to cut my days down and just focus on the road race. Like I said, its just not over.</span></p><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-58645195694851629132016-08-30T12:29:00.001-07:002016-08-30T12:29:05.307-07:00I'm not looking for excuses.<span style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I don't know what to write about racing this month, in all honesty I find it difficult to write about racing when I don't have much to show from it, when there's been disappointments etc, but really it's been quite hard since the early UCI races when I was healthy, in good form and competing with the bigger UCI teams. </span><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">If I take you back to the early races maybe it's possible to understand why, on those 5 days in Besseges I was able to put in consistent results, not always high placings, but consistent, and then on that one day the good result I had. Is it true I look back on that sometimes and think, I don't have the feeling of then, yes, and as someone tells me it takes a lot of energy away from myself, but is it for lack of trying, absolutely not, Is it because I can't suffer when it gets hard, no I don't believe so, I don't know what it is, but when others are giving up I'm clinging on to some thought somewhere in my mind that it's possible I can come back here, but that's cycling to me, it's suffering, I'm always going to keep going. The last thing? Was the good result in Bessege a Fluke, it's been said before. Absolutely not, not the way I was able to ride that day and suffer to make sure I was able to take at least a bit of something from the day.</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I feel I haven't coasted off that result from the beginning of this year, I haven't given up somewhere along the line and said well that was a good result from February, that's not good enough at all for me, all I want is to keep pushing. Also to try and explain for the feeling I have, it's true it's difficult to not be able to follow it up and have at least some small feelings from some of the races, but it's certainly not from lack of trying. I'm not sure if I'll have that feeling again where I can have that edge over other competitors again this year, but I'm searching for it all the time.</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">So to talk a bit about racing from the last month, I had 2 bigger targets that I was really pushing for but both lead to disappointment, Dwaars door het Hageland, and Schaal Sels, I would describe them as smaller classic races, but possibly just as difficult. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Hageland was the race that was the first target, I can say I wasn't on brilliant form, but after the 2 days I spent riding and driving the course I knew that by just keeping out of trouble and staying near the front I could take a reasonably good result from the natural difficulties of the cobbled climbs and gravel roads, a puncture soon stopped that hope though, after I had missed a selection up front I knew with the difficulty and how the gap was sitting it was possible to get across on the difficult sectors, the course had another idea though and left me with a puncture before the first section of consecutive sectors, the chasing I did after only lead to small group after small group, and we were eventually pulled out later on. Afterwards was hard hearing that some of the guys from the original group I was in got back to the main peloton, and the others from that group I had passed before hand, but that's racing. I'd rather be pulled out from trying to come back than just giving up.</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Schaal Sels was a different feeling that lead to more dissapointment. The day before I raced also in a UCI 1.2 race. The first 3/4 I felt terrible with the heat, the last few laps were easy as I had the feeling that I was trying to push for a result, the result wasn't amazing, but I was a lot higher up than usual in a race like that. So Schaal Sels, I rode across to the break away early on and got settled in for the day, it was the perfect scenario, it wasn't hard over the sectors and the group was working together knowing that the longer we staid out front, the less guys there would be when the highly reduced peloton caught us. Unfortunately for me the course had taken its toll on my bike and lead to an incident which didn't cause a crash for me, but lead to some instant pain after a mechanical problem and hitting an object on my bike, I was able to chase back after fixing my bike, and after 15km with another rider who had also punctured on the course eventually we made it back, but with a stabbing pain in my leg every pedal revolution I was soon to be going backwards. After another 45 minutes of pushing through the pain, and the literal sand and dust storms from the convoy, I was still in the hope I was close to the reduced peloton, but after the last car passed me I knew it was no longer.</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I'm fairly literal when it comes to cycling, I believe you have to be, at no point have I said " I could have won this race or that race if it wasn't for this or that" but just to have the opportunity for a bit of luck on that day where there is only I that can make a mistake is what I really hope for. Just to push for another strong result. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I felt that maybe I should try an explain for the lack of results, maybe it's not appropriate or needed for some, but for the people who support me, and the team around me who keep working for me to be better, I do understand that I haven't given them as much as they've given me. However I'm not giving up, and I'm not finding it difficult to keep pushing for that, those or more results. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Cheers Jake </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDPBH9NPKYsdk2kZndn8MotyiRX36otU5qzPr5Eh83ykH__WfIxLjKwXKPfeID8Yhv_3_rV6iEnnPEH6wIpxE1rSSxeIl7dN6GMPGV3xUNMMQsjIzXoJ0eT8Z7DRMVkvA9VV1v_SfTQI/s640/blogger-image--1635960026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDPBH9NPKYsdk2kZndn8MotyiRX36otU5qzPr5Eh83ykH__WfIxLjKwXKPfeID8Yhv_3_rV6iEnnPEH6wIpxE1rSSxeIl7dN6GMPGV3xUNMMQsjIzXoJ0eT8Z7DRMVkvA9VV1v_SfTQI/s640/blogger-image--1635960026.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-90868395645659221162016-07-26T10:34:00.001-07:002016-07-26T10:34:03.564-07:00Coaching, planning, racing<span style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">This month has only seen improvements for me, the beginning of the month I thought had turned the wrong way again with a course of antibiotics, but if anything it kick started me again and reset my body. </span><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I finished my medication on the first training day in Livigno of our altitude training camp. Altitude training is something I have never done before, and if anything it effected me the most from the team, every day watching the guys ride away from me after looking at my heart rate, people telling me, "Jake enjoy the views, it's a lovely place to train" there probably was some nice scenery, but in a 6hr training ride I'd say I spent around 5hrs 50 minutes looking at my Garmin and my heart rate, making sure that I was doing as I had discussed with the coach.</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I can't say it was easy in the mind there for me, but it got easier when I was told there was no pressure, no worries just do what I was told. But still when people are riding away from you, I don't believe your a competitive cyclist if you don't question that for a moment, and also question the people around you. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">On return from Livigno after a lovely 10 hrs in the van I had a few days before my first race that weekend, I'll be honest when I say I didn't feel amazing and it took a while for my legs to get competitive, but when they did I was able to play with it a bit making the front group on the road, but after a while and the lack of racing in my legs I dropped back to the peloton, which to my surprise was around 25 riders, out of 150 starters only 55 finished, I saw that as a positive. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">My 2nd race back was another pro Kermisse, I turned up to see The world tour team FDJ there and several professional continental riders and continental teams, then to my surprise the Belgium Champion (Gilbert) was also on the start line, he eventually won the race. I was calm and relaxed and felt very good, a few laps in though that went down hill with a puncture, we were the last team car on narrow roads, so after the wheel change there was a lot of solo chasing, a bit behind the car, enough with out. Trying to catch a peloton at 45-50kmph is a quick way to go to deep, but that is better than just giving up and saying well it's not for me today, I eventually got back and made it another 6 laps before the pace came too relentless for me. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The 3rd pro Kermisse before my return to UCI racing when ever that may be was yesterday, we turned up with a team of 7 and for all the race the numbers were in our favour, I and Jasper were in the early break which eventually was joined by a bigger group, with my legs tiring later in the race and with 6 of us in the front group, I decided to hit the front with team mate Oli to pull a 4 man group back as we had no one from the team in there, as we closed the move Jasper was able to attack and take another group away, that was my job and energy done for the day and Jasper went on to win the race with me a minute or so behind. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I can't complain this month, I've returned to racing, I've made the moves that have eventually gone on to win the races, I've become fitter and I've become stronger, but I can't say I'm there yet, but certainly I've come a long long way from where I was a month ago.</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">When the doctor said to me last month that I would start to feel good half of July I was surprised he could be so confident, when my coach said one day you will just feel normal on the bike I wasn't 100% sure, but they were both right and I can't describe how good it is to be working with people who want to help, and the people that keep supporting me through out. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">As Dory says, just keep swimming. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Cheers Jake </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2QfDxPbuTpceQIBDgP7Sep9rVpS1-K0tfVn8VDOev21qOIwuSTNIIt0O4nkP1apX2ifBDjjcYkbSV7GBOwr4J28tCJw2VOC0NpTdO-z33om1AYc5LjrWwfB57A77v0kkK2dG2VxuGNk/s640/blogger-image--2135970843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2QfDxPbuTpceQIBDgP7Sep9rVpS1-K0tfVn8VDOev21qOIwuSTNIIt0O4nkP1apX2ifBDjjcYkbSV7GBOwr4J28tCJw2VOC0NpTdO-z33om1AYc5LjrWwfB57A77v0kkK2dG2VxuGNk/s640/blogger-image--2135970843.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-82233407649988022262016-06-24T10:54:00.001-07:002016-06-24T10:54:37.296-07:00Take 2<div>Why do we fall? So we can pick our selves up again. Anybody that's had there ups and downs in cycling will know that when your down you have to do something about it, take the advice, listen to the people you trust and do everything possible to return. It's what some people like to call fight or flight, don't fight and you have no chance of coming back. </div><div><br></div><div>It doesn't matter what injury you have, how long it takes, it is the same for every athlete, the hunger is always there, and they always want to be back to where they were. </div><div><br></div><div>I'm happy to say I've been able to start training again under the advice of my coach and the doctor, I'm listening to them and I'm not taking any chances, this set back is something that has taught me something somewhere needs to change.</div><div><br></div><div>I have looked at everything this month and also been able to speak with a nutritionist about how I can reduce my risks of having time off, been ill etc, but also how I can possibly come back to fitness a bit quicker. Now I'm trying everything to be back racing as soon as possible, but it's not going to happen unless I feel ready. </div><div><br></div><div>after the 2 weeks off I started doing some easy pedalling under the doctors advice to act as another recovery week, 1-2hrs a day spinning the legs. I started again last week with an easy endurance programme, easy longer hrs on the bike and not much else apart from eating and sleeping. </div><div><br></div><div>It's in a lot of people's interest especially mine that I come back as quick as possible, but the last few weeks I have seen a lot of people that are willing to help with that also. I hear every now and again, riders in Belgium that aren't necessarily from Belgium, "argh I don't like anything about this country, I don't have the help I have back at home". For me it seems that I can get help here as easy as I get it at home. But that's to do with the people I live with, and the team I ride for. For me that helps a lot and it's an advantage I am able to use. </div><div><br></div><div>For the first time in years I was able to complete a physical test recently, and I feel it's answered a lot of questions for me, first of all I do not have that feeling I had before my 2 weeks off, the feeling of weakness and no power, it will also now let me transfer my training to be more efficient, I can now train on heart rate which is something I haven't done for a number of years, but I am not able to train with power as I do not have use of a power meter, but the most important thing now also is, I learn to listen to my body, and admit when somethings is wrong.</div><div><br></div><div>With the talks I've had, and bearing in mind everything goes well, I plan to be back racing in the middle of July after a training camp with the team, there can still be a lot of races to ride this season and when I know where the condition is in the first races I can make aims and objectives from there. </div><div><br></div><div>P.s. If there is any possibility anybody out there can help me with with a power meter to use for the rest of the season please get in touch.</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks Jake </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4M8KT_wPttDr18NHaDqHAgW_Tfi06vR0jWdmWcb1l2Np0VzbF0581ZujoAb1HeR4t1LMYM5RH6mR2Zs_mocSMw-JT83TiYYG-HIcXrSrGt-IZFDb-yqwx10CxLNJPedEhMg5FBQeKiM8/s640/blogger-image-1235392308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4M8KT_wPttDr18NHaDqHAgW_Tfi06vR0jWdmWcb1l2Np0VzbF0581ZujoAb1HeR4t1LMYM5RH6mR2Zs_mocSMw-JT83TiYYG-HIcXrSrGt-IZFDb-yqwx10CxLNJPedEhMg5FBQeKiM8/s640/blogger-image-1235392308.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-49518426937854304482016-05-26T11:18:00.001-07:002016-05-26T11:18:30.917-07:00Step off, step away, come back<div>My mum use to say when I was younger (jokingly so I've been told) oh your a problem child. The people who I live with in Belgium also use the term (problem guy). </div><div><br></div><div>I'll start on a positive note, I have finally found out the problem to all my problems. First things first though, at the beginning of the month I started a specific training camp to bring me back up to fitness, it was 5 days of riding with long rides and focused efforts, eating, training, sleeping for 5 days was the perfect way to come back to a good level. I was tired towards the end of the camp but after 5 days I considered that normal. I followed the training after and then again followed it up with another team training day the week after, on this day I had that feeling like someone had a switch to my body, the guys who I were training with prior to this were riding away from me, it wasn't a race, it was a training day, and I felt that wasn't normal. </div><div><br></div><div>A few days after, my first competition back in Holland after a month away from racing, out of 150 + riders I was the last to finish in 72nd with a group of 30 riders, It was again easy to think with it been the first race back, after the illnesses and the training camp I was a little bit tired in the training prior to the race, ok it wasn't a good result, but it was also a hard race, and normally this was a good start to level up again afterwards.</div><div><br></div><div>The following day I went for blood tests after consulting with the team, because for them and me it wasn't enough, I paid for everything to be checked, normal blood tests and one very in depth test. My first results came back that evening, a couple of things wrong but nothing that could cause me major issues. </div><div><br></div><div>The Wednesday after my first ever pro Kermesse. In the start I was jumping around feeling ok, after a few attacks with some big riders the switch came back, and someone flicked it off. Im suddenly struggling to hold the wheels, after 130 km I pulled out. Directly I sat in the back of the van and asked my self what was going on, this really is and was not normal. </div><div><br></div><div>For the first time ever I was questioning my mental state, "oh it's all up stairs, there's nothing wrong with me" but for me to not hold a wheel isn't normal, my bike is where all my mental issues go away, it is in fact where I am at peace. The day after the feeling was there again, the feeling of nothing, a ride to the local cafe didn't help much either, soon after arriving I received a message "you need to come back I have your last blood results". </div><div><br></div><div>From that message I knew there's something wrong, it was the longest 35 mins back from the cafe ever (I'm sure we had a tail wind to) on returning back I was told that in my body and muscles there were no nutrients, no energy, nothing to push. After all the illness it had become to much, and my body said stop. The race I had pushed through with nothing I had managed to get through convincing myself to keep pushing. In all of this there was nothing I could have done, I consulted the doctor with my illnesses and followed the guides and trainings to the point every time. With the doctors advice I will now take a 2 week rest with out my bike in hope I am back riding shortly after. </div><div><br></div><div>Thankfully I now have an understanding why I haven't been able to produce any results over the recent weeks. It is now to focus on the second part of the season and find the shape where I can fight once again. It is not a good feeling to reward the people who support me so much with nothing, so here's a thank you to those who keep on pushing with me. </div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0mpCCFz2MEPkNGC1AwxYxlH8J3AEA0fBwbfbcPAlOoeQU6gFMJZGAlHovIJJkFByufn63PehGl0Cwiv-IprGZls1kwD8Cop_d5gmjRaxD43_jO6V3w6g2YsfLnHg8xia3OFgxvJSbj9s/s640/blogger-image-1649086553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0mpCCFz2MEPkNGC1AwxYxlH8J3AEA0fBwbfbcPAlOoeQU6gFMJZGAlHovIJJkFByufn63PehGl0Cwiv-IprGZls1kwD8Cop_d5gmjRaxD43_jO6V3w6g2YsfLnHg8xia3OFgxvJSbj9s/s640/blogger-image-1649086553.jpg"></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-78123825419136928352016-04-23T11:34:00.001-07:002016-04-23T11:34:46.061-07:00It is what it is.<div>In cycling, a lot of people see the person on the outside, the one with glasses, the one with the helmet, but it's true to say that people can't see the person behind that. A person can be totally different on race day to the one you catch drinking a coffee on a rest day. </div><div><br></div><div>Sometimes admitting that something is wrong for me is the hardest of things, I sit there debating with myself and half of the time don't resolve anything in my own mind, because of hunger because of willingness I'm not sure. However when I think now for a long period I'm not sure of the last time I trained to a good standard, or even raced when I felt 100%, That's how it's been going for a long time now, even before I wrote my last blog. It's not because I don't have the mentality for it, training is something I do well, it's because my body just hasn't allowed me through sickness.</div><div><br></div><div>It's really been a downward spiral from the first races I opened with in France, and when I have been sick I haven't allowed my self to build back up from the illness, it's always been straight in to a race, more so because I want to be back at a good level as quick as possible for goals I've set, but with doing that I'm now missing out on my bigger goals for this month, and some very exciting ones, which believe</div><div>me hits a lot harder than any illness I've had.</div><div><br></div><div>A couple of weeks ago I was planning the trip home for 2 races, I was sorting everything out which at the beginning of the season was a bit of an unexpected trip home, then yesterday I was ringing home saying that I won't be coming. After doing a training ride earlier this week over any little climb I was struggling to keep up or even breath, I truly believe I would have been dropped over a motorway bridge, I was to the doctor that evening and he informed me I had a lung infection, we talked through it and agreed to miss my first target to focus on the second one, but the truth is it's not clearing the way we thought and it's led to having more days off than originally planned. </div><div><br></div><div>I could still have made the trip home in hope that it cleared before the race next weekend, but to get on the start line in bad condition, to go straight in to a high level race, to maybe be dropped or pull out early in my home race would be a lot more disappointing than admitting I need time for this, and would neither benefit the team or more so myself.</div><div><br></div><div>So sometimes in bike racing the tough times are had away from the bike, to be suffering on a climb but been in good condition is something for me that makes</div><div>me happy, because there's nothing wrong, I can push through that, but pushing through this is not the way forward and doesn't benefit the rest of the season. </div><div><br></div><div>The thing I look to at the moment is even when I've not been a 100% I've been able to compete, not just for myself, but for the teams I've been riding for, there is definitely something there that I feel I can push this year, but it's finding a clear path for me to be able to do that and to show people I can. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11MK_Yczv51CKvQ93F6otmLLcEGSTzfeZKMKpJ5cxUWyLEbpATXbQchirZQFQhZvccYzgXq8RjZJY_jCldP6phNo0xS_LdomlsWfSMmWRuk1Y18lMbcsdHDcfeMS70B0psFKcbSZVTzg/s640/blogger-image-1878515782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11MK_Yczv51CKvQ93F6otmLLcEGSTzfeZKMKpJ5cxUWyLEbpATXbQchirZQFQhZvccYzgXq8RjZJY_jCldP6phNo0xS_LdomlsWfSMmWRuk1Y18lMbcsdHDcfeMS70B0psFKcbSZVTzg/s640/blogger-image-1878515782.jpg"></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-41295635799931979342016-03-30T10:03:00.001-07:002016-03-30T10:03:34.736-07:00Not bad, but not good.<div>Looking at this month, it feels a long time ago since I started the 3 days of West Flanders, but not only has this month felt slower, it feels like I've been fighting my body and my stomach the whole month, something I've never had before.</div><div><br></div><div>The annoying thing is that it seems to stop me for a few days and then I come through it, I've pushed through all my races this month feeling not in top condition, but I'm sure it's not my legs that are causing me problems, in every race this month even when suffering with outside issues I've felt like I've been able to give something, but at other points it feels like there isn't much in the tank. It is always the same with me, I fight through things until they stop, but that isn't always the best thing to do, but when I carry that mentality in to a race it helps a lot.</div><div><br></div><div>I have however been able to take positives from this month, I've been able to experience a lot more, there's racing in Belgium such as Kermesse/club level like I competed at last year, then there's the professional level. When I wanted to be somewhere last year, like at the front, it was a lot easier to be there, what I'm seeing this year is that literally everything is a fight, and if you don't fight to be up the front then in the wind you can be saying good bye very quickly, but even at this level I've had experiences where I've been able to fight for the front, but still I've had no results to show for it this month. </div><div><br></div><div>This past weekend however I had the opportunity to race back in my national colours of Great Britain at the U23 Nations cup of Gent Wevelgem, although still things didn't go to plan, I had a few issues a couple of days before again with my stomach, but I was able to regain some energy before the race started, the wind was up in the morning and it felt like a long wait to see when the moves would be made, but with knowing the roads of that area from the past months races I was in the front with a select group when the pace was really forced. Towards the end it was possible that the illness and the last few days had caught up with me, but I can be more than happy with how most of the day went, and the results the team achieved and took away from the race. </div><div><br></div><div>At the moment it feels like I am constantly questioning myself, how can I do this better, can I do this to help with that, am I going to be good when I hit the start line. I hope to find soon that feeling where I can be a bit more relaxed, but for the moment I'm still working towards finding that place and a few results to feel like that, not just certain parts of the race where I felt it went well. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MvID7OFPG1yN_e82cdMQ3lYhpfWw3Yjsg8zv9UpZPKlIbk0-67tVNpV3KfRmQiJErPJEtsVsYvqKqhRO73WV6Ko6a-W69zLkt9AIcByoaJOcr4L-LegQVxZxKZ9hIdJfpJRglC-USzo/s640/blogger-image-104449016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MvID7OFPG1yN_e82cdMQ3lYhpfWw3Yjsg8zv9UpZPKlIbk0-67tVNpV3KfRmQiJErPJEtsVsYvqKqhRO73WV6Ko6a-W69zLkt9AIcByoaJOcr4L-LegQVxZxKZ9hIdJfpJRglC-USzo/s640/blogger-image-104449016.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-56257825546142362572016-02-08T11:56:00.001-08:002016-02-08T11:56:54.765-08:00Hopla<div>So after finishing both Marseille last Sunday, and Tour of Besseges this Sunday, I am slightly looking forward to go into a small rest period after a hard 4-5 weeks training, racing and travelling.</div><div><br></div><div>I've never started my season this early before, the 31st of January to be precise, simply because I couldn't, Marseille was with in my early season plans to see how I measured up against the seasoned professionals. It was nice to blow out the legs on a hilly circuit around Marseille, however the final climb was to much for me, and I came to the line solo. The immediate thoughts were "hmmmm that was hard, I hope I don't perform like this all year".</div><div><br></div><div>The following morning I found out I had the chance to do Besseges, a 5 day Tour with a Time Trial on the final day. I went in wanting to gain more experience, but on the 1st and 2nd day there was a sense of, this is very different to Marseille, I can push here, but still I wanted to go day by day, not over doing it early on or getting over confident, the plan was to finish the Tour and get stronger, and then stage 4 came around. </div><div><br></div><div>I had survived the hardest stage of the race in the peloton with a few groups behind us (Stage 3) , a lot of the day was spent climbing and then on to a flat circuit to finish, been in the peloton was good for the mind its self, but I had a sense that it wasn't enough, that I wanted to see what it's really like out in front, stage 4 rolled around and it felt like a dark day, the weather had changed, the climbs still in the legs from stage 3. However when the chance opened up early on I took it, in my head as soon as I went I thought "ooooft mistake" in my mind it was going to take 2-3 minutes to cross the gap to the break, 40-50 minutes later I was there, I had taken on a fair amount of pain and effort that day, but the small reward was making it to the finish line and claiming 5th on the stage. </div><div><br></div><div>However after all that, I was more nervous for a 12km TT on the Sunday. But I stuck to my old warm up routine, and pushed on to the finish up the climb, the sensation was good on the flat, but the legs weren't able to push like I wanted them on the final climb.</div><div><br></div><div>It's been a very good learning experience the last weeks, and from these races I hope I can only go forward, for me there is not a result to relax on, I see it as a result to build on. There's elements of my racing and conditioning still to work on, but with the help I have it's possible to make those steps forward. </div><div><br></div><div>Cheers Jake</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8oOFF1NQdic8h0ez3ZynJS4eZ_OOz-3nIgbVcaMhoTTQDfRilQ5MM8HJyzo9gI-7Wj-b1PwzX72jlipS4FsGer9HQdIwI9UY9E4Yzc_LmmCHAn4OnCvEqRhvnpZLZcp4-HpH8I0gRoo/s640/blogger-image--529356842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8oOFF1NQdic8h0ez3ZynJS4eZ_OOz-3nIgbVcaMhoTTQDfRilQ5MM8HJyzo9gI-7Wj-b1PwzX72jlipS4FsGer9HQdIwI9UY9E4Yzc_LmmCHAn4OnCvEqRhvnpZLZcp4-HpH8I0gRoo/s640/blogger-image--529356842.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-57145522778104798052016-01-18T09:00:00.001-08:002016-01-18T09:00:31.986-08:002016 AnPost Chain Reaction<div>So as 2016 begins the usual new me, new year from a lot of people starts. For me a new team and a level up starts to begin. Through the winter I signed a contract with the continental Team of AnPost Chain Reaction, an Irish registered team based in Belgium, run under the name of Sean Kelly.</div><div><br></div><div>The standard and name of the team is what I've been aiming at now for a couple of years. In December we had our first training in Calpe, it was a good time for it just before Christmas, the chance to size the bikes, kit and meet the new team etc. An opportunity to ride in the sun was nice also, to concentrate fully on riding the bike. </div><div><br></div><div>So with Christmas gone and a few days of rest and eating un normal amounts I moved back to Belgium before New Years, a decision I took not only to be closer to the team staff, but for dryer weather that Belgium seemed to have at that point, I know it doesn't sound right, but it was a lot better than Britain. </div><div><br></div><div>So where are we now? I'm sat in a hotel room in Calpe on an easy day watching a movie on my iPad, easy right? We've been here a week and we still have almost a week to go, most days consist of efforts along with endurance training, the hours long, the efforts testing. However all is good in and for the head as I can start to feel things building towards the season start, which at this moment we wait to see when that is. This next week consists of again training, but also media work with the sponsors, so I wait and see how quickly this week goes before eventually flying back to Belgium on Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>To me since joining the team I can see how much support I have from the outside, followers in a way start to build, people that sort of know who I am regularly keep asking family and friends how it's going, I'm not one for telling people what happens every single day of my life, I just like to do what I do because I enjoy it, and I have the opportunity to do so and progress.</div><div><br></div><div>Moving back to<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> Belgium living where and with the people I do, with the support of close friends, a lot who have worked in cycling, or are simply connected to cycling makes life a lot easier, it Feels like home, which is very important, I spend a lot of time there obviously, and it can be the difference between having a good or a bad season for some people.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bwrJO4SdArzhCcB7Ve1HNZJR-Sjn7LhxlWvYWK1tsXnx9jVRWbHQA1-sVWk2vPm629rU6_auAf1QUsAXEwyf8pb2tstrNdlPtKTnaV209XalV77SYMQOzbM8RjiWt94e2hgobOBAqGQ/s640/blogger-image-758456399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bwrJO4SdArzhCcB7Ve1HNZJR-Sjn7LhxlWvYWK1tsXnx9jVRWbHQA1-sVWk2vPm629rU6_auAf1QUsAXEwyf8pb2tstrNdlPtKTnaV209XalV77SYMQOzbM8RjiWt94e2hgobOBAqGQ/s640/blogger-image-758456399.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-51190017702042391332015-06-07T02:56:00.001-07:002015-06-07T02:56:50.027-07:00From here to there.<span style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMyXh2tbki3Fct0bGmUq-o-Tti3dpSEsnC663Zkc3dvsQjMtfNWR9A0Z69t4HQQZLZzFWKdHFWLFaYqUUcHnFdp_DVOJMs94XIEp85ZqYNFk3eW8KBmtZlTYRhaQ661-mz8t1MjpSL09M/s640/blogger-image--606949289.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div></div>It's funny I'm sat here now wondering what to write, I'm not to sure what to put, what will make people interested. In a moment however I will know and this blog will begin to flow, in a nut shell that's what the last 4-5 weeks have been like.</span><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Coming back after injury and taking 8th in Merchtem on the 1st of May gave me a real spur, but it didn't mean that I could rest because I had one top 10, yes it's good, but the aspiration goes further than that, the aspiration is to step on to the podium, or at least that was the main aspiration up until a week a go. Last week in Wezembeek Oppem provided me and the team with what I've been saying I can do since I arrived. </span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Last Saturday I drove to the race, a race that my Ausi house mate won last year, admittedly I got a little bit lost trying to find the team parking, but ended up on the course, what I saw at that moment was that this race was going to be hard, windy, raining, punchy climbs and a long drag got me slightly excited, a bit like been Home Home.</span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Starting off, I eased off a bit because I wasn't under estimating any of the climbs, after all we don't do many races with what can be classed as climbs in them, so it was a guessing game to how I was going to go, the first lap was jumpy, but with a 15-20 minute lap there was plenty of points to make it happen. The second lap up the long draggy like climb was more jumpy, I'd had enough and went to the front to set tempo because the legs still didn't have the good feeling, looking back at the top I was with 1 other guy with a few bridging across, including my team mate, and a big gap to the peloton, so then I really pressed on, really that was it for the rest of the race, our group of 10 + whittled down a little bit more, but really apart from 1 rider slipping away it was down to the sprint in which I took out second in the group, and 3rd overall. Stepping on to the podium felt great and then stepping on it twice to collect best young rider was even better, it backed up what I had told the team I wanted to come to Belgium and do.</span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5AagT14MxmLl47luOx9HKvAo0BdTlHOzh6m_XkoP-UVU4zeEuoZfgOUDw4TgXItwrICgYKKyQcLxY_3O7d6iCbKnvYFAsfNfqlVgmo3eJk4nkHslLjz4EMUUE7YH2sZT8Xn7BZKkqKI/s640/blogger-image-548767345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5AagT14MxmLl47luOx9HKvAo0BdTlHOzh6m_XkoP-UVU4zeEuoZfgOUDw4TgXItwrICgYKKyQcLxY_3O7d6iCbKnvYFAsfNfqlVgmo3eJk4nkHslLjz4EMUUE7YH2sZT8Xn7BZKkqKI/s640/blogger-image-548767345.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Consistency is also key aim out here however, yesterday was another race at Zwevezele inter club, the legs felt good, again it was windy and the split took a while to go, but when it did there was 25-30 riders, and 5 from our team, unfortunately everyone was pretty cooked making the split which left us with no clear plan, a break got away and I was expecting a team mate to jump as I was on the front of the group, but it wasn't to be, but that happens, in the closing laps we nearly got the group back, and I got away in to a group of 7 or so, I was pushing for the win</span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">but knew I had done a lot of work previously, so decided to leave it down to our group sprint which lead to 7th overall. </span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Now its about continuing to train well and get everything right, I want to win, but I want doesn't get as they say, and as the support group around me keeps saying, it's all about continuing to work hard and making it happen, but also been smart.</span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Yesterday's race although not the result I wanted was a good hard day out which I could be happy with. After the finish however I heard that Josh had been involved in an accident and dislocated his shoulder, he's someone that in the race we can work well together and we don't need to talk much, we just make things happen, and make a plan at the end, so the upcoming races will be slightly odd with out him. </span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I'm in a good place and racing and life out here just goes hand in hand, for sure I'm happy how things are going, and as always it's forward to the oncoming races.</span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Cheers Jake<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjbNqqmao2VVIxyILhitKp0YW7J0hoPFC3EzsSyti-bdEijdBEx_wdu9m8c4tSIDQREINXYT6Cdtzok6vknuDIuV-kk1d8w3exe6F9F90yWgvOX-PDL9UJT0za56-x2FHPNgQDRCUqdM/s640/blogger-image-595479616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjbNqqmao2VVIxyILhitKp0YW7J0hoPFC3EzsSyti-bdEijdBEx_wdu9m8c4tSIDQREINXYT6Cdtzok6vknuDIuV-kk1d8w3exe6F9F90yWgvOX-PDL9UJT0za56-x2FHPNgQDRCUqdM/s640/blogger-image-595479616.jpg"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjbNqqmao2VVIxyILhitKp0YW7J0hoPFC3EzsSyti-bdEijdBEx_wdu9m8c4tSIDQREINXYT6Cdtzok6vknuDIuV-kk1d8w3exe6F9F90yWgvOX-PDL9UJT0za56-x2FHPNgQDRCUqdM/s640/blogger-image-595479616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3NB8pCVL11oWlauUsMpwnIU-Mp-hPOox2dAicug8dJeGrwH-gjMq_CnNqpYZloQJ_m0iVK16vtDCjj6yzrw02oOagyPniIfdPGTQcHL3rR_MgIKdbWVD1XLimHcALnp8Q6FDIWwzyfpg/s640/blogger-image--698160397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3NB8pCVL11oWlauUsMpwnIU-Mp-hPOox2dAicug8dJeGrwH-gjMq_CnNqpYZloQJ_m0iVK16vtDCjj6yzrw02oOagyPniIfdPGTQcHL3rR_MgIKdbWVD1XLimHcALnp8Q6FDIWwzyfpg/s640/blogger-image--698160397.jpg"></a></div></div></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-73518051456552859712015-04-12T03:44:00.001-07:002015-04-13T04:34:46.373-07:00A Bump in proceedings<span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">At the beginning of the year you sit down and plan the ideal year sort of speak, my trainings going to be X, my forms going to be Y, and at this point of the season I plan to have achieved Z.</span><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">But the thing with X, Y and Z although they don't change in the alphabet, they change in the sport of cycling, especially when you use them as an example like this.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The above is exactly what has occurred this last few weeks for myself, at this point of the season I wanted to have seen a decent result, and one that I knew was showing progress, however after pushing through some ankle pain for a few weeks prior to writing this I made a decision the other week to see what the actual problem was, it wasn't that I couldn't race as such, more that I couldn't train and every time I really applied the pressure on my pedals my ankle would greet me with pain, so when constantly been pushed in a race it takes some what of a battering, so much so that for the couple of mornings after I could hardly walk, which meant my training was starting to lack consistency.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">After it eating away at me I went to see the local Doctor out here in Belgium, I listened to him and the conclusion was to take a week off, or at the most light turbo sessions with no pressure been applied through the ankle, when I looked at my plans for the season etc, this situation was not in them.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">A week of light riding and resting really played with my head, I'm a bit hyperactive some might say, so from training nearly everyday to having a week virtually off I was driving myself mad. All I thought about was all the training and preparation I've done up to now and if it doesn't get better or get treated after this week, is this season going the wrong way. Natural thoughts, but then I started speaking to the people that can really get me back to where I want to be, and they talk about it in a way that, yes, it's not going to disappear, it's not going to be easy, but with work it will be manageable, and thinking about it now, that's all I need, I'm seeing improvements already, and pushing myself harder and harder, and I can start to see pinning a number on my back again just round the corner. Cycling it's self hurts in general most of the time, so I should be use to it by now.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I thank the people who are supporting me with there patience and understanding, and also thank the people working in the back ground to make sure I can progress once again.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">It's possibly a good opportunity to say thank you to my Dad also, he knows that it was tough for me, but he has really helped sort my recovery, and made me look at the different angle from which this situation can be approached, listen, work and then get on with it. But hey I'm only 19 and a mental blip every now and again is allowed, that's how you learn.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I look forward to the day I am ready to press on and race one again, which the way I've been feeling shouldn't be to far away.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Thanks to the</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Dave Rayner Fund</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Pedal Potential</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Edgworth Physio</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Healthcare Management Trust (HMT)</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">For helping me back on my way and for the advise and on going support.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySsUKE87crXlQGkIWX_NicvA0LjoOMLIcsMgmrO_tLUSQlgW2KNk7SpQ6ivW4YFO3McVl2A5WrNzDKoVFub1vGAsUgHQUyjuM-6UxzH5ccz7A6ETkzYIVPp8tzpb1IQNVIRLNCnlE704/s640/blogger-image-1331843790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySsUKE87crXlQGkIWX_NicvA0LjoOMLIcsMgmrO_tLUSQlgW2KNk7SpQ6ivW4YFO3McVl2A5WrNzDKoVFub1vGAsUgHQUyjuM-6UxzH5ccz7A6ETkzYIVPp8tzpb1IQNVIRLNCnlE704/s640/blogger-image-1331843790.jpg"></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-3497185210320050752015-03-12T08:41:00.001-07:002015-03-12T08:41:16.907-07:00Forwards<span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The first couple of races have being somewhat of a up and down process for me out here in Belgium, well maybe a down and up, but both to take positives from.</span><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Last week in Gent - Staden was a good race to take those positives from, for the few KM's with out problems I was sat up the front of the group feeling like I could take a result from this race, I knew there was a cobble sector about 80km's in, and I knew if I was up the front then the race could certainly be made there, coming on to the cobbles I moved up and was sat in the top 10, the hammer went down, but unfortunately so did my saddle, One of those strange occurrences that has now being fixed by adding a piece of Cola can in to the seat post, so it shouldn't be happening again.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Although I didn't finish, I was in good shape and made all the defining moves up to that point.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The next day however the repercussions of my saddle dropping had taken full flight with a dull pain in my knee which is why I had stopped in the first place. Safe to say that leading up to Brussels - Zepperen this is not what I had planned.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Up to Friday I had done a few rides, but only long and steady as it was painful to apply pressure in any way shape or form to my knee, I was tempted to not take the start for the coming weekend, but with the pain slightly easing I was hoping for the best, come Sunday there was a niggle in my knee, but nothing like the past days, and I knew I would get a warm up run from the team before the race so I gave it a go.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The race went fairly well problems aside, and after I got in to it I was suffering from the lack of efforts in the last week, not the knee pain. There was a big split that went up the road, and after that had gone clear I made the race in to a training day, so I bridged a gap to a small group that was off the front of the main peloton with 35km to go and staid away to the finish, it wasn't about the result of Sunday for me, it was the fact I had got a good solid effort in "the first of the week really" and that I had finished the race with little problems, unlike the week before.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I can hopefully go forwards from here and will be working towards moving up the peloton and gaining some results. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-13350054723359122402015-02-25T09:49:00.001-08:002015-02-25T09:49:37.195-08:00Belgium (Moving out and in)<div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">So the aspiration, perhaps dream of moving to Belgium is now very much in process, well it's happened, I'm here, I'm living, and the racing starts this Sunday.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I'm under no doubt that this first month racing/training wise will mostly be a learning experience, I've being here before, but not like this, there's plenty of racing but not to the point where you can perhaps race, recover, race at the minute, learning the roads, the group rides etc to train well is fundamental, and it's exciting to learn and to start making a routine you can live off.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">However it didn't feel like this Thursday, we set off from Home, Yorkshire at around <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://0" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0">3 AM</a>, this meant that we missed traffic and had a good run down to the Channel Tunnel, at first I was excited to see everything, but as the day went on the tiredness set in and when we arrived building the new bike and settling in soon became a testing experience, not an exciting one. The day after it rained, just like back home, I finished unpacking, I wrapped my bar tape and then I declared myself moved in, if I'm to be honest I don't really remember those first 2 days.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">From the first day to now my mindset and body is totally different, I'm not as tired as I was, and this house in Belgium feels very much like it's starting to become a home, there's a few minor things to do, but I can almost compare it to living in an old type farmhouse back home, everything's rather simple, but like I said it's becoming a home, and it's better that than thinking how am I going to survive here for 8 months of the year.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">It's great to have all my bikes and equipment lined up in the bike room also, sometimes it's nice to just sit back and look, very much feeling grateful and humbled to receive the support I'm getting this year, it now symbolises that the season is getting closer.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">With this Sunday's race come nerves, to see how everything's gone over the winter, to see if I'm on target to hopefully reach some of my early season goals, but with nerves comes more excitement, the cups half full, and not half empty.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">On to Sunday where I will be racing Gent-Staden.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Here's me in my new kit.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJUWlqHwkla4nPsLIWRhjRucFf_Td-vnat7D5dEryz4hDaBOgY-FNqVnGCj0EAb_LoJaWA1H-32niIrLfcqgLTYiOtZJOa0qj1WfXEopCdBfYqZOH8_w-Fh448KFUyUKMEdMNCwQWqtY/s640/blogger-image-1619367343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJUWlqHwkla4nPsLIWRhjRucFf_Td-vnat7D5dEryz4hDaBOgY-FNqVnGCj0EAb_LoJaWA1H-32niIrLfcqgLTYiOtZJOa0qj1WfXEopCdBfYqZOH8_w-Fh448KFUyUKMEdMNCwQWqtY/s640/blogger-image-1619367343.jpg"></a></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-52071865548002180742015-02-02T11:29:00.001-08:002015-02-02T11:29:58.912-08:00Training Camp<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbIwyS2aWoXBBkUfhBYqJ_22PJLPVOEPMnET1Qt4SvkORwRD5Ua5dyyPK7p-Nm9nqkrHtvfL7hviZqvtmr9RuQVvSgXXQm3vRqHK8n4HtOttsiSYc8TfzVWP80DUo5lltvES6EHvjuu8/s640/blogger-image--157061578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbIwyS2aWoXBBkUfhBYqJ_22PJLPVOEPMnET1Qt4SvkORwRD5Ua5dyyPK7p-Nm9nqkrHtvfL7hviZqvtmr9RuQVvSgXXQm3vRqHK8n4HtOttsiSYc8TfzVWP80DUo5lltvES6EHvjuu8/s640/blogger-image--157061578.jpg"></a><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">After the past couple of weeks in Mallorca I can now sit down and write about the time spent away training.</span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">It's funny however, before we went to Mallorca People would say "so are you going anywhere on a training camp" to which the reply of course was "yes, Mallorca" but Training camp is a funny word, a training camp to me is what Teams do, in the respect of members from the same team are in the same place, paid for by the team, and not having to worry about much else other than riding there bikes. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">So what have I just done? Basically I moved away from home for a few weeks to ride my bike, or Train. Yes, in different surroundings all be it, but it's not what the average cyclist thinks or what every one sees from the professional teams, there's not many benefits for us other than the weather, and even in Mallorca it's not always sunshine.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">It is if anything a lot harder mentally being away training, there's a bit of a routine, but there's so much time to play with that the routine keeps on changing, but basically a normal day is. Breakfast, training, dinner, cafe (for wifi), shopping, tea, movie, bed. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">We cook ourselves, we clean ourselves, in other words nothing is done for us, three 19 year olds that club together and get on with it, that's it, and it can be hard, very hard at times, just finding something to do with your easy days, that's what we have in common with the people who do go on a training camp (the professional teams), filling in our time trying not to stare at the ceiling, but that's about it, we however are also thinking about do we have enough to live well for next week? But when you do see the professional teams out training, I certainly think "that's where it's at, that's where I want to be one day".</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">However living a loan as such is all good preparation, a blessing in disguise perhaps, because the feeling we and I got there is exactly what's going to happen in Belgium as of the end of February + 7 - 8 months longer. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Now there's a fair bit to think about while your trying to fill up the day, and perhaps an experience I would say younger riders need before making a decision about going to live and race in Europe, if you can't do it for a short period, what about a monthly basis? </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">That's where the support from the likes of The Dave Rayner Fund and Pedal Potential come in for me, you will hear me say it over and over again throughout this season, and hopefully longer, but without who it would not be possible to race throughout this season.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-29875818982273967812015-01-21T09:14:00.001-08:002015-01-21T09:14:21.261-08:00Times passing by<div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5B4e224uNHx3lm5FaSfIwId7c7-bGF39HEauo-anTcTcrDe2UcYJTjABHZuh1J9XuyL-pl_ndmNJYtQ0XdWwsytldIduldSmAwpPDZevmOe8fYRb-fYB9CgxQS-rVVmsvB1BXT2xklqQ/s640/blogger-image-146411097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5B4e224uNHx3lm5FaSfIwId7c7-bGF39HEauo-anTcTcrDe2UcYJTjABHZuh1J9XuyL-pl_ndmNJYtQ0XdWwsytldIduldSmAwpPDZevmOe8fYRb-fYB9CgxQS-rVVmsvB1BXT2xklqQ/s640/blogger-image-146411097.jpg"></font></a></div></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The picture above was taken at a local cyclocross round in Todmorden a few weeks ago now, after seeing the photo it got me thinking.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">A single day can bring a lot of thoughts to a persons mind, positive, negative, misleading. However threw all these thoughts knowing where you really are and the people who are around you keep you grounded.</span><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Since leaving college last year much has changed, this winter is the first time I've had an actual job sort of speak, cyclists are known for sitting down with there legs up, however I still need something to keep me busy and earn myself some money. Strangely work is a very enjoyable place to be, and it is from work that I've started to realise I over complicate little things, make them out to be a problem.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">What made me realise this was that one day I was simply grabbing a coffee from the machine, and I was stood there staring at it, someone said to me "what are you doing, what's taking you so long" I turned round to say "well, I can't decide wether or not to have milk in my coffee" to which the response was "wow, I wish all we had to worry about in life was that". Obviously that's not the only thing I think about in my day to day routines, but it certainly made me think about the wider world and 2015. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">For now however I find myself in Mallorca preparing towards the oncoming season in Belgium, the weathers a bit better here so it makes the harder longer training rides a lot more bearable, I'm not constantly thinking about getting home and being able to feel my toes and fingers again. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I'm not a fan of talking about what training I do, I don't really feel that someone needs to know I've done x or y on a day to day basis, it's the one thing that I do not over complicate, I get on my bike and ride, and there's little I would change. After All people and teams don't tend to recognise what riders do in training, they're recognised and remembered for there results.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Cycling can be a rough world, training can be hard and sometimes it's easy to get wound up, but 9 times out of 10 it's forgotten about the next day, it's that move on and get on with it attitude, and you don't want to let it eat away at you. You'd be resenting the sport and the people around you if it was the case.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Moving to Belgium this year is strangely only a month away, it's come quick, but the excitement is building, people have told me some days will be hard, but again I'm excited to get on with it and adapt to life in Europe. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Now I have the fact at looking forward to be living with 2 Irishman a Manxman and another Yorkshireman in just over a month, no complications there then.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Cheers <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5657050653134744989.post-89362406799121173052014-11-24T08:02:00.000-08:002014-11-24T08:02:27.944-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4BzEVYzqeAc77Ij6xzpXy7oQC1ML53OvTzXIaaoWYo3fLJLHABAymODQHrDJzBXj0zHAdBd6YzW7HI1sU_BAaqDOJBpgOhxLzFxD0Mq7wmynxutK58CQivId5m4ugKFcAKKdmS35Y8ts/s1600/photo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4BzEVYzqeAc77Ij6xzpXy7oQC1ML53OvTzXIaaoWYo3fLJLHABAymODQHrDJzBXj0zHAdBd6YzW7HI1sU_BAaqDOJBpgOhxLzFxD0Mq7wmynxutK58CQivId5m4ugKFcAKKdmS35Y8ts/s1600/photo.PNG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
It's funny, people look at me and make an assumption. (That facial expression I have) Then people speak to me and start to get an understanding. "Your in your own world there lad they say". I believe what people see is a mix between, passion, seriousness, focus and a hint of Madness. <br />
<br />
Here is how it is, and possibly what I'm thinking about.<br />
<br />
When opportunities are to arise I always pursue them, if it's the correct opportunity I'm there, I don't let it go, there I believe is the passion people see, (That dog like instinct perhaps that follows my nick name). For me every year there's a setback, they happen all year but always on different levels, everyone of them however is like a little grieving process, but compared to what's happened in the past it's minuscule, you get back up because you know the opportunity isn't missed, I've pursued it as far as I can and I've fought my own battle. Yes you may annoy some doing this, but in the end you hope they see the drive behind the passion that you give. There's also the chance that you get to prove them wrong. The other most annoying being when those same people turn round and say, I see I've made a mistake now. "What do you say to that?"<br />
<br />
To that, or life's obstacles its self you can't say much, say to much and you burn bridges with people that may be willing to help you out in the future. Angry is perhaps the word, but getting angry is sometimes an amazing and wonderful training tool, it certainly pushes me further, just be careful to not carry it with you when you take the helmet off.<br />
<br />
Sometimes I here people saying life is to short, sometimes you just have to let it go, but usually they're the ones to pluck an excuse out of thin air. (the people we say have a book of excuses) That saying it's self drives me mad however for personal reasons, "life's to short". In 2010 I lost my close friend Lewis Barry, and then at the beginning of this year I was scared of losing one of my best friends Levi Moody. I don't pray much, but when something like that hits you, it's hard not to take the time to just say a few words. This is what gives me the ability to get back up and fight.<br />
To me it is also what brings the serious side to life and cycling, however to me I guess cycling is life, for those moments, for those people all the hard work is worth it, the motion behind that is always, the people that have helped and the people who look over and after me. Can I in some peoples words, Make it? <br />
<br />
To keep pushing through the anger and all the setbacks I find the best way is to focus, know what your doing, know your goal, not just wonder round aimlessly. To me that's in the training, the long rides, the goals I set, but then sometimes when you step back a bit Cycling just gives you time to think, to me if you can focus for 6hrs say on a training ride and not give up, your in a happy place when there's a 120 + other riders around you, It's all linked, everything done or thrown at you has a reason somewhere behind it.<br />
<br />
For me It's also never just Physical training and preparation either, it's also Mental. If you get everything given, what happens when you don't? <br />
<br />
the point is nothing's ever straight forward as a cyclist, it keeps you on your toes and it takes you places you have never being before, both good and bad, but also the same mentally, once you've being to the extreme low of something, you've got the experience and know how to stop yourself from doing that again.<br />
<br />
what you've read above is perhaps madness, perhaps it's just me. What's the meaning? Honestly I'm not sure. There's a lot to think about in this sport, but when I'm on the bike I get time to think things over or simply forget and enjoy.<br />
<br />
Then sometimes it's a matter of what you say, did I really need to say the above, No. However to write it down certainly helps. That's something you can't say in a facial expression. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15557908405369791081noreply@blogger.com0