OK, so we need to fast forward a bit. Just to explain, I had intended to start to blog on December 1, when my training program began, figuring that I would then have time to weave in the journey from where the last post ended to there. As with lots of things in life, it didn't work out that way as work and things took over for two weeks - c'est la vie, I suppose!
So, Readers Digest version, to save you having to wade through the events. Club racing carrying 6 to 10 kilos last winter went surprisingly well, with a win, and placing consistently in the top 5 or 6 in handicaps. I found I could ride with the scratch group when my groups were rounded up in handicaps and more than anything, I was revelling in the competitive outlet! Racing in the Eureka Open (all vets eligible to race, for those not in the know!), I found I could compete with the scratch group relatively well. I then rode the Amy Gillett Gran Fondo, a qualifier for the Masters' Worlds. With two punctures, I qualified in the necessary percentage of my age group, and the idea was born! When I said I had qualified for the Worlds, my wife said "that's great, you ought to go" - so 'nuff said!
The first step was working out if it was feasible (leave from work at a difficult time, finances, trying to tie it to something else to make the investment of time and money more meaningful etc. etc.). Then looking at what the realistic race goal was, and how to best achieve that. The end result was the following:
Race the Masters' World Championships (or more correctly now, "The UCI World Cycling Tour Final", as it has been re-badged!), then go to Spain to ride the iconic 5 day Raid de Pyreneen (link http://www.velopeloton.com/raid-pyrenees ), a mouth-watering prospect! If you follow the link, you will see why the Raid is a terrific ride, but for me the Worlds race became the fixation.
So, from December 1, I had 9 months to prepare. On the basis of my rowing coaching experience, this was a luxurious preparation; 9 months to peak once! I felt I could write a good training program but wanted someone to bounce ideas off (how little I knew!). I cast around my cycling friends to find a suitable coach/program writer willing to take me on for a price I could afford. I was very fortunate to stumble on Josh through Ballarat connections. Josh has placed in the Melbourne to Warrnambool, raced and won in Europe and is putting himself through medical school as a mature-aged student. He came highly recommended as someone who could get results without having to devote 20 or 30 hours each week to training (good for me!!) but for the first 10 days of December he was doing his medical finals, so was unavailable (bad for me!). So I started without him but with a promise from him to meet after exams.
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