The winning…and the losing. So that was 2018.

Gathering some strength for the new year to come…better, happier, stronger.

That #bestnine on Instagram is a funny thing isn’t it…you let a computer algorithm decide your highlights for the year. It’s the anomaly that exists on social media that we post the best of ourselves, the way we want the world to see us: the Wheel Women #bestnine is a glorious exposé of wins, success, fun, laughter and a little bit of adventure. But the saddest part is that I had to ask a friend to remind me what was great in the year almost gone.

No computer algorithm could remind me of the loss, the frustration, the hard work, the late nights, the disagreements, the tears…oh yes, and sometimes the incredible lack of tears behind the pictures. Fighting against that human spirit when it falls in a heap is like climbing a small Everest, and no algorithm will ever be able to detect the pain behind some of the pictures it selects as your #bestnine.

The power of finding a little positivity…

Sometimes it can grab you like a led weight dragging you down, other times it feels like you just want to be angry and short tempered to everyone around you…sitting out, watching from the sidelines, not being able to do what you normally do, feeling pain in every move you make, even breathing hurts. Injury is my nemesis.

WOULD I BUY THE NEW DIVERGE?

Well, for me that’s a simple question. If you’ve ever had the chance to ride the ‘Future Shock’ suspension system from Specialized, you’ll probably know why! They’ve said ‘smoother is faster’ and it certainly is – I have it on my Ruby Expert 2017 and when I first tested the Future Shock I was no more than 100 metres down the road on a Ruby before I was screaming with delight…it turns a rough ride into a bearable one!

Preparing for the the Rapha Women’s 100

The legs feel heavy, the mouth is dry and your lips are feeling in desperate need of some lip balm. You might even have the start of a headache and the prospect of some hot chips or even a burger are the ONLY thing on your mind. It definitely isn’t feeling like a great day on the bike. Yep, you’ve bonked!

Ever had those feelings on a ride? We all have bad days on the bike but when you have failed to prepare adequately for a big ride, it’s time to think about your planning.

Taking on a big ride such as the Rapha 100 (Sunday July 17, 2016)) isn’t just about putting km’s in the legs prior to the big day, but in the the week before ride day you also need to really think about all you need for the big day.

If the shoe fits….

Shoe choice can be a baffling decision for the new rider moving from running shoes to clip-in pedals, and the price points can seem just as fraught with confusion coupled with a degree of price envy when making a purchase! We all want that bargain for less than recommended retail right?  But just exactly what is is that makes a $100 shoe different to the $450 shoe? I was asked this question recently when I posted a photo of my lovely shoe collection on social media…why do I love the S-Works so much was the question posed. Why are they so different to the rest?

Buying a road bike…feeling confused?

When you don’t know anything about what you’re looking at the whole bike shop experience can be daunting; so many bikes, so many components, so many different bits of advice and so much very cool looking bike bling to tempt! Buying a new bike can be super confusing!

From self doubt to self belief…the journey of the woman cyclist.

As she crossed the line at that 50km gantry at ride’s end, she was laughing, and smiling, and crying…all at the same time. The emotions flooded in and crossing the line was almost impossible as the tears clouded her vision and the laughter took her breath away. Exhausted, barely able to get off the bike and depleted of every last bit of energy, she did it…and she believed that 6 months ago she would never do this. We hugged as she suddenly burst into sobs of joy.

I will never look like someone from the pro peloton…

My kind of scales…just 15kg!

Those bloody New Year resolutions…everyone is writing about them, and everyone is writing about how to ignore them, and everyone is writing about how they fail. It’s old news – in fact, if you’ve read up to this point I guess that’s a little miracle in itself!

As a cycling coach I can’t tell you how many of these little promises people tell me they make, and how many promise me that they’ll turn up to more rides, or get ‘more serious’ after New Year, or work harder to get fit…oh my, I hope it’s not YOU I’m referring to.

What if I’m too slow, what if I’m too unfit….the Wheel Women Awards. Be inspired!

Sigh…I can here you say it. ‘Not another bloody It’s-Christmas-haven’t-we-had-a-fantastic-year blog post’. Yes you can stop reading right now if you wish…but what if you were to read on? What if there is something good in what I am going to say…better still, what if there is something that inspires you?

There is a lot to say after a year at Wheel Women and we just can’t possibly fit it all in one post. And that’s been the problem for me…so much happens at Wheel Women that I’m usually just far too busy to even do all the blogs and writing I’d love to do. Sometimes so much happens I don’t even know where to start.