Ready to Race! By Sarah Maidment – 19th March ’11

“You haven’t really cycled to work this morning, have you?” Of course I had! There were only six inches of snow on the ground and it was a tropical -10^oC! My Shutt bib tights had kept me warm all the way, I hadn’t slipped off on the ice and I had arrived at work on time. The consultant looked at me with despair and then turned to his colleagues… “She really is a mad cyclist!”

Fast-forward three months and the blossom is out on the trees, the sun is shining, the sky is blue and although it’s still pretty nippy, spring might actually be on the way! This morning I was out on my race bike once again, my legs were feeling strong and it was a joy to be out in the fresh air after working nine days on the trot.

Having never ridden more than a few miles through the winter months in the past, winter training has been a completely new venture for me. My winter kit collection has grown significantly and much to my surprise, I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I’ve come home with numb hands and feet. It’s certainly helped having a great group to ride with locally – both at weekends and during the week. I can’t believe how many miles I’ve managed to fit in, despite the dodgy weather and working a crazy rota!

Back at work, I’ve switched from working on the children’s ward to the neonatal unit, which has been both challenging and fun. It also has some advantages… tiny babies can’t cough all over you, so it’s been lovely to be “cold-free” for the last couple of months!

Juggling work with training is an ongoing battle. I managed to get away in February and spent a week training in Mallorca with SportActive. Despite warnings that the weather might be “unpredictable”, it was warm enough for shorts and a short-sleeved jersey on most days (and yes, I did come back with a tan!) The highlight of the week has to be the final day’s epic ride over Puig Major and Col du Soller. It was great to be up in the hills again.

It’s only a couple of weeks until my first race and the Tour ta Malta will soon be upon us! I’m really excited about the racing season ahead, although I have to admit I’m also rather nervous about how I’ll cope with the demands of racing whilst working a super-tiring rota. It’ll also be interesting to see if the winter base miles will have made any difference to my performance…