Slow and steady

8:57 pm Unknown 0 Comments

Back to full time work next week, back to some structured training, back to some normality.

The last 2 weeks have seen my energy levels roller coaster up and down. Trying to juggle some work, rest and recovery and the elusive full night's sleep. There was one day where I couldn't get home and I thought I was going to pass out at work, so I went for a little nap on a couch tucked away in a corner. Then there was the 10hr full night's sleep that was the most awesome feeling to wake up with no pain and feel fully rested.

I was banned by my mum from doing the mother's day walk and relegated to the couch. On the plus side I got to have a "do-over birthday" party with the girls & awesome commuter present from my family.

Fresh gluten free berry cake! I think I ate 1/2 of it myself

You'll see me on FIRE commuting in the morning and night!

My surgery was deemed a success at the post-op visit to the surgeon. After a quick look at the latest X-rays, he unceremoniously ripped off all the bandages, took a million photos of the scar and sent me out the door with an appointment to see the Physio.

It seemed like forever till I could see the Physio, but only 4 days later I was feeling so good that I had forgotten to put my sling on to go to work and rocked up to the offices to get the verdict. No above shoulder activity (or raising the roof) for another 2 weeks. And keep the sling on when out and about.

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While I've got my feet up watching all the racing, I've been helping out the team with some new ideas, looking to expand the women's team and something to help out the whole Kosdown Performance Cycling team - nutrition!

It has also been a good time to stop and smell the roses, read my book in the warm autumn sun in the car while following the local racing. Looking back briefly it was nice to feel that while I might have been out there to race at the Metropolitan Championships and the Kew TT, it is also nice to catch up with everyone between races and coffee afterwards. Thanks to all those who said Hi and asked how I was doing. I'm doing fine, but I can see it will be a slow road to try and build back up to race in full force again.

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I've been talking about the Wangaratta Club Tour for 12 months to anyone with an ear about how much I enjoyed this last year and how Grace Phang and I had a great battle for placings each stage right up to the point where I had to drop out of the tour to make my flight to France for my first ever international cycling adventure. As this will be 5 weeks post op for me, I have a feeling that the physio is going to laugh at me at my next appointment when I broach the subject and I'll be relegated to swanny duties :( However I encourage everyone else to enter. Not only because it is a great club tour with shorter stages - it's one for any ability and I guarantee you will be welcomed.

Road to Recovery

5:04 am Unknown 0 Comments

I have to say that I'm taking each day as it comes. Trying to plan in 1 fun thing outside of the house, getting some good couch time, pottering around the house and getting that personal todo list shortened.

Today is 1 week anniversary of my operation and I woke up ready to vomit. I have no idea why, must be the medication. A lot of the bruising is starting to fade, all of the very light scabs I had have dropped off (ewww!) and I look pretty normal except for the massive dressing covering my shoulder that adds pressure to the top of the operation site and protects it from bumps and rubbing from clothing.

Another weird reaction is my back has come up in large patches of blisters like sunburn. Not sure if its like a road rash from the crash, post op overheating, or something else entirely. On the whole the pain factor is pretty light, and has switched from bone sore to muscle sore feelings. I can't wait to get the OK to see a physiotherapist for my neck, shoulder, hip and arm!

With the shoulder being pinned, it fixes everything in place so you are in alignment, but you just can't load bear. It is recommended to wear the sling to take tension off the shoulder muscles, but you can move it and I've been told to do some specific rehab 3x a day to keep the joints moving and prevent frozen shoulder etc.

That's all good, but when can I get on the bike! I have to distract myself with other things till I get a little better.

Shopping distraction: Re-vamped my couch to become cushion central

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Last month I was invited to speak at the Breeze program Women's Cycling and Beginner Social Media Seminar. With my crash occurring one week before the event, I was ready to cancel and feeling pretty disappointed that I wouldn't get to go. Shane talked me out of cancelling, knowing from his post op experience that I would be OK by that time if everything went to plan.

The event was great fun! Though I might be a little biased as it was the first time I'd been out of the house and allowed to run around. It was a full house with 30-40 women flowing in. The session was structured as follows:

Belinda Hayes gave an overview of Social Media that covered the different types used most frequently (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, linkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+, and Blogs) and covered a viral video case study

Monique Hanley spoke on the Breeze program, how they hope to use social media and women's natural networking ability to gain better media attention, setup awesome role models for women in sport and promote the fun and cool things we all do.

Andrew Blake from Dirty Deeds Cyclo Cross spoke on CX & Social Media. How their organisation has been growing women's participation at family friendly events to include kids, mud, dress ups and a whole lot of fun without the need to request a government grant.

Then there was me - an expert blogger and high performing user of social media. I had only kind of partly planned what I was going to talk about and then decided to change it up once I heard what the other speakers had covered.

Eliza, Andrew, Belinda and Me. Photo: Alison McCormack

I tried to cover what the intro stuff meant in the real world. How do I use those sites, what do I use them for, and how my use of social media has progressed. How I use different media to organise rides, races, keep in touch,  and tell my stories. That I'm not a winner but I'm out there EVERY weekend as part of Kosdown Performance Cycling and we have FUN and I love it and want to share that with everyone, that is why I started the blog.

Already it has become popular with 2,338 hits since its inception in January and the support I get from it feeds my enthusiasm. Thanks for your time and attention - I must be doing something right if you keep coming back for more.


While I was couch bound for the weekend, my fab carer decided to hand me over to my parents and slip over the border for the South Australian Time Trial Championships.

TT stealth machine AKA - BATBIKE

It would have been about 12months ago when I built up my Time Trial bike, we did a maaaaasive drive over SA to do their championships in the sun and then drove all the way back to attempt the Mt Donna Buang TT  the next day in the rain. Thank goodness the calendar has changed and the Donna TT is now earlier in the year when it is warmer!

Shane sent me through a message to say that while I couldn't make it this year, my presence was still there in the records. It is also great to see a much larger field, could TT's be gaining popularity?


I've had a lot of time to think about ways to improve with my TT's and the number 1 key factor for me is - more time required in TT position on the TT bike. So when I'm back up and running I'm going to put it out there that I'll be on the Richmond flat boulevard on my TT bike in TT position for some sessions and you're welcome to come along (dates TBC on Facebook/twitter).  Maybe with a few ladies there we can practice some Team TTing. I saw this cute post about TTT's the other day from Rouleur Magazine and it inspired me to get aero, but for now I'll just have to think aero thoughts. I'll be back on the road soon...

Breaking Through

10:20 am Unknown 0 Comments

It has finally happened. I'm in my 3rd year of racing my bike and I've been involved in an accident where I've broken my left clavicle - my first ever bone break. I haven't had gravel rash or anything else nasty before. In October 2011 when I was hit by a van, I was lucky to walk away with bruising (pretty severe bruising that felt like break)!

They say it is a reality in cycling... I don't know about that. It was a rider's decision to try make a gap that didn't exist and I came off second best. A decision that did not pay off for the rider, as they were off the back of the peloton after the KOM point when the Commissaire had scraped me off the road and drove me through the bunches to seek medial aid.

My Tour of the South West was cut short to less than 7kms, caused me thousands of dollars in broken bones and medical bills, broken bike, kit and stress. I have every right to be angry initially as there were no repercussions (no fines were dished out despite pointing out the offending rider to the Commissaire), and no follow up from the race organisers (though I hear they are still working through feedback from the other riders on the weekend). But you know what? Sometimes you have to suck it all up and sum it all up with "That's Racing!"

Before, After and Gelato!

This is my hobby. I'm paid to do a corporate desk job that keeps me challenged in many of the usual and a few of the unforeseen ways that bike racing doesn't fulfil. While I might be fortunate enough to win a sash or a medal - it doesn't pay the bills for such an expensive hobby.

Bikes have been a part of my life at some level for a long time and while it has taken a while for me to race in full force, I've been chipping away at it for a few years and can hold my own in club level A-Grade racing. In the last month I have made some exciting gains that I didn't get a chance to unleash on the roads at Tour of the South West. I am really looking forward to this rest and then building on top of this to get stronger, better, smarter, FASTER!

Thanks for the care packages, lollies, flowers and chocolate!!

I am very lucky that I had a clean break of the clavicle and received fairly prompt surgery to pin this in place. I had some savings, insurance and sick leave to make sure there was little stress to get the assistance I needed. I was extremely lucky to have family there to pick me up at the hospital in Warrnambool and a gorgeous husband to take care of the bike, drive home and all the other endless minor details...

My days of waiting for surgery and overnight stay in hospital was a patience game to rest up, catch up on the internet, tv-shows, and movies that friends had recommended. It was also a great to keep in touch with friends and family to keep them in the loop with progress.

Most of all I want to thank you for your continued support in reading my blog, liking my pics, commenting on my status', tweeting me and sharing your cycling lives with me.  Feeling a part of this awesome world wide community of healthy, active and motivated people has kept me in a positive mind-frame.

I know it's only week 1 of a longer journey back to full health, but there's a lot going on along the way.

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