It's never too late..

This year we are very lucky and proud to have the support of a wonderful family run shop in Marks Tey Colchester in Essex called Interbike.co.uk owned by Patrick Schils.

Hog Hill - picture by Redbridge CC

Patrick and his family opened their doors to a team of 7 demanding girls and I for one was looking forward to wearing the kit, having fun and racing with these girls again, but this time for Velo Schils / Interbike RT.

We have been welcomed with open arms by the already existing men's side, who look forward to club rides with us don't you boys !!!

We are also very fortunate to have got some help and support from Paul Butler of I-Ride.co.uk and Catlike Helmets, and to all we are extremely grateful.

I was very happy with my season last year, finding out more about myself in racing, and once again finished the Ras Na Mban and headed straight into hill climbs, except I think my body had decided to go on its own holiday.

Having an easy couple of weeks after the national hill climb I found I was having a few issues in my back, I've had back pain for as long as I can remember, but you just get on with what you want to do, however taking an extra half hour in the morning to get dressed for work and taking the same amount of time to get cycling kit on wasn't funny, and the final straw came when I started out on a ride with Nic and 5 minutes down the road I turned round in tears and in complete agony. 

In all my sporting life I've never known a pain like it. I've had injuries, ruptures to ligaments and tendons and had them quickly diagnosed and operated on, but this was different.

I had several MRI's and consultants and treatments but still something wasn't right about the diagnosis I was given, yes the MRI showed I needed a hip replacement due to having no cartilage in my right hip, but to me it didn't tie up with what I was feeling

I continued to ride but found long distances tough going, (thank you girls for putting up with my moaning) I also found that I got stuck in a tucked position for a while after getting off,the bike, but I was still riding.

Eventually on the recommendation of Trevor Holder, who maintains us girls from Fit To Go, I went to see Edward Buckwald at the Abbots Langley clinic, who spotted another prolapse in a very old prolapsed disc, that was basically getting trapped in the facet joint of the Sacrum, which tied in with exactly where I was feeling it.

Treatment got underway in the form of Acupuncture, and now 4 sessions down the line , It's so nice to not have that constant pain and getting stuck. I still feel it, but it's an acceptable feeling.

During all of this at the end of January I got a chest infection, followed by another, and followed by another, had to be on a nebuliser and it was this that has actually kept me off the bike for a long period of time. Constantly breathless, wheezing and if by any remote chance I thought I was getting better, I'd try a session but the minute I went above a certain heart rate boom I'd wheeze and know that I wasn't ready.

Picture by @AlexanderNaylor

Steve (my coach) kept on telling me it's ok, we can still get you ready for the tour series. We can!!! Hmmmmm...

I've now had 3 weeks of preparation training for the tour series and 3 crit races and I have to say I'm not disappointed. I'm more than happy. I know I'm not fit but I'm also not as unfit as I thought I would be. 

I'm really looking forward to the 6 rounds of the tour series, the atmosphere, the preparation with the team, the laughs and the glasses of red wine over diners. Knowing I'm not as fit as I want to be for the tour series is giving me an opportunity to learn and try different ways of how I'm going to race and given how difficult it was to get dressed just a few months ago, I cannot wait.