This year, winter has decided to waste no time in gracing us with its presence. Those living in Canberra would be forgiven for forgetting what it felt like to ride with toes and fingers, waking up with the sun to ride to morning bunches and being able to show off those ripped calves you’ve worked so hard to obtain.
Unfortunately for me, this year I am also going to over to Europe to start my overseas campaign a few weeks later than usual. As I’m writing this post on the first leg of the long haul journey, one thing I’m not missing is religiously checking the weather in some vague attempt that it’ll increase the minimum temperature for my morning’s ride. It’s like standing in front of a bare fridge, shutting it, and opening it again to see food magically appear – don’t act like you haven’t tried it!
The build up to this trip has been less than ideal to say the least and looking back on the last few weeks, I can’t help but wonder how the hell I got to be sitting in this seat.
A month ago things were going perfectly, I had good form and was feeling strong, was healthy, had secured funds, was happy and excited to come over and try and make a name for myself. It all seemed too good to be true really, and unfortunately it was!
The week before I was heading down to Wagga Wagga to compete in the Wagga Motors Handicap and Criterium (7/8th june) I started showing signs of getting a cold – the muscle aches, sore throat, runny nose and excessive tiredness. Originally I didn’t think it would be anything that an extra dose of cement on brekkie wouldn’t fix but after a couple of weeks with no signs of the symptoms regressing, I got some blood tests back which gave me some unexpected surprises. It turns out that I have a ‘severe allergic reaction’ to something in the environment, but no one knows what. I went in to anaphylactic shock last year after crashing out at Stromlo Forrest Park and proceeded to get tests to determine the cause to no avail, I was then told just to carry an epipen around with me wherever I went ‘just in case’. Little did I know that the allergic reaction would return in the severity it had! I was getting allergy induced asthma and my muscles weren’t having a bar of it. Or anything for that matter. With 2 weeks until I was due to fly out, it was good to determine (hopefully) the cause of my ‘creepingness’ and equipped with an assortment of inhalers and nasal sprays (eligible bachelors, please line up in front in an orderly manner…) fingers crossed they will no longer be a limiting factor when I hit the big smoke!
One of the reasons I am able to here now is that I’m very lucky there are so many generous people out there who support me and want to see me do well. When I got an email during that same time saying that my accommodation had been double booked and that I no longer had a place to stay in Belgium, Drapac Professional Cycling rider and fellow Canberran Stuart Shaw threw me a lifeline and with less than a week until this day, I had somewhere to call home again! I was hoping I wasn’t going to have to resort to renting a window in the middle of the Red Light district but thanks to a bunch of friendly people, my European season will see me based in Oudenaarde, a fast becoming cycling mecca and home of the World renowned Spring Classics! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO
A week ago to this day, I took my bike in for a last minute tune up and when I asked the mechanics to call me if there was anything wrong – I didn’t expect them to tell me that’d found a crack in my chain stay and that there was no way this little bike was getting on a plane to Europe. I guess it is better they found the crack here as opposed to me finding it for myself when my bike collapsed under me during a race (Self-conscious much????) but a third big blow to my overseas trip in as many days saw me suddenly doubt everything I was doing – it seemed as though someone, somewhere out there reallyyyyyyyyy didn’t want me to jump on this plane! Fortunately for me, the great team at Cervelo, MaryAnn Simpson and the team at the BikeShed Canberra – I received a brand spanking new Cervelo R5 frame under warranty, yesterday. Better late than never right?? Lol. I am still yet to ride it and I can’t wait to rip the copious amounts of bubble wrap/foam off the new machine and take it for a spin!!! The new black and green frame got pimped thanks to Jason Chalker at the BikeShed Braddon and with lime green lizard skin bar tape and equally green Maxxis Refuse tyres – if nothing else, at least I’ll look good ;)
To top it all off, the return of the Volcanic ash from Chile grounded all flights from Canberra yesterday and it wasn’t until this morning I was able to find out if my flight from Canberra to Sydney was actually going to be flying. It didn’t, but after a quick trip to the Jolimont centre, I was on the next bus destination Sydney.
They say things in life worth having don’t come easy - and these slightly unnecessary inconveniences definitely haven’t made things a walk in the park. But despite the lemons life has thrown at me, I’m still sitting here now with a big smile on my face ready to make myself some lemonade :)
I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead, learning as much as my brain can absorb, meeting new people and doing what I enjoy.
My first race with the For Viored Brookvex UK based team will be the Krasna Lipa, a tour in the Czech Republic starting the 7th July but first stop will be the UK Nationals tomorrow where I will be able to cheer on the girls and hopefully make myself useful (or most likely pass out quietly in the corner as to not disturb anyone).
So watch this space and hopefully I will have more good news to report in the not too distant future!
Until then, stay safe and happy pedalling
Miff xx
p.s because my sole purpose in life is to embarrass my sister, I’d just like to give a shout out to the better half in the relationship – my gorgeous sister Bron. Happy 21st Birthday. I’m so glad I was able to celebrate even a few hours of it with you, it’s been too long. I hope you have a safe trip to the US and I’ll be on the sidelines in your own custom cheer costume, barracking for you the whole time (although I won’t be doing the splits, there is no way in hell that could end well.) I don’t know anyone else who would get as excited as you about spending your winter holidays doing more Uni but I know your hard work is going to pay off. Watch out for this name people, this girl will run the country one day (and buy me a car with her first million ;) ). Love you long time and miss your face already – Miff & Raoul.
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