Dabbling in other disciplines - part 1

In January 2014 I took my first tentative steps into the world of downhill; ok so it was MiniDH but I did say tentative! Here's a round up of how the three 661 mini's I've done have gone.

January was round 2 of the 661 MiniDH Series at the Forest of Dean (FOD) and I managed to scrape an entry, just, as it sold out. I was seriously nervous but I was helped enormously that weekend by strangers at the time Rachael Gurney and Adam Wight. They took me in under their wings all weekend and made me feel right at home; to be honest I wouldn’t have found the start of the run without their help.

I practised on Saturday and was plunged into a whole new riding experience. The run for the weekend was Sheepskull. Riding my Cotic BFe Hardtail and trying to follow Rach on her Rose DH rig was challenging to say the least. I very quickly learnt however that 160mm of travel at the front means you can ride rocky sections more easily compared to trying it with 100mm XC forks. The biggest challenge on the track was a big rooty nest just before a small drop to the fireroad. I should also add it was wet, and only got wetter, and that just made it even more interesting. I think I cleared the roots about three times in the entire weekend!

Come Sunday and it was chucking it down but surprisingly the rain was actually helping with grip. I got a complete Run 1 in so was very chuffed. Back up to the top for Run 2 but by now I was getting really tired and was struggling to hang on to the bike in the bottom section, in the end being 2 secs slower. I was really chuffed though coming 20^th overall and 5^th in Master Women. I was now entirely hooked and took away a load of learning points too. I felt bad for Rach though as after all the help she gave me,  a racer in front on run 1 caused her to crash and taco a wheel, then after borrowing another wheel had another off during run 2; not a reflection of her true ability.

Round 3 of the 661 MiniDH was entered nice and early this time and I was chuffed to be joined, in support, by AQR team mate Kathy. Just to make things more challenging we did an XC ride of the Verderer’s and Freeminers trails first before I cracked out the BFe and the armour, headed up the hill and tried to find Rach and Adam again. This time we were using part of Corkscrew and it was so much fun! The BFe was loving the top section, which was quite pedally and jumpy before crossing the fireroad when the roots well and truly made themselves known. There were some steepish rooty steps which I was little worried about but on my first time down I was straight down them and more than happy with those; it was the rest of the roots I had to watch out for. As ever in winter in the UK it was wet, but thankfully not raining during the time on the course!

As ever, steeper than it looks! - photo credit: Craig Hichliffe

On race day I got a good run 1 in and unlike last time made sure to eat something in between race runs to help with energy levels. I was hyped for run 2, and since I was more confident on the top section planned to do that section as hard as possible and then just ride as smoothly as possible on the rooty bottom section. The first part of the plan worked really well. As I dropped onto the fireroad and then into the next section I got a little off line and ended up heading off-piste however. I managed to pull up just before a tree, but my momentum was gone. I got going again but was 9 secs slower then run 1. I’m pretty sure I lost more than that whilst trying to sort myself out and get back up to speed so was a little annoyed. This time though I was 10^th overall and 2^nd Master Woman. Rach stepped up and raced in the Pro-Am category coming 5^th with tough competition in Tracy Mosely and Forest of Dean local Katy Curd. Team mate Kathy was a star all weekend making sure I was eating/drinking/had everything I needed and she even cleaned my bikes all whilst fitting her own training in; top team mate!

Roll on 10 months (10 months??!); the XC season was well and truly over, I’d had two weeks riding with AQR in the Pyrenees during late September, followed by an enforced two months off the bike due to work being silly crazy and hoorah, the 2014/15 661 MiniDH series was back on.

I rocked up to FOD for the December round and once again did some XC training in the morning on the Saturday before checking out the trail; ski run. Walking up, the run didn’t look too bad. It deviated slightly from the main run in places to mix things up a bit, including an off-camber root section which would offer the quickest line. As I started on my first practice run I instantly knew something was wrong by way of the lack of speed control I had. I managed to get through the top section just and onto the fireroad. Thinking I just needed to get the pads worn in a bit more after a few months of non-use I tried some bedding in techniques and another run on the top section but still the same. As I tried to make my way down the rest of the run it was dreadful, my arms were cramping up trying to control the speed and I had to stop twice just to make it down in one piece. After asking a bit of advice it  was suggested a rear pad change may solve the problem. I did this, so glad I had spares, then headed back up, aware by this time that it was getting later and I still hadn’t really got to grips with the course. Once I’d bedded the new pads in I did the top section again and it was a whole different kettle of fish; speed control at last! With confidence back I decided to do more of the course. The second time over the roots weren’t as good however when I touched the brakes and went down. After a chat with one of the girls, my new mantra for two parts of the course was ‘stay off the brakes’, and it worked.   

Made it through the off camber roots in one piece - photo credit: SC Ross Media

Sunday started wet, but on getting to the forest the rain had stopped and it was also warmer than it had been the day before. The course was running really well and I was feeling calm, which is odd. The women had been split into senior (29 and under) and masters, which I was racing in. There were six of us in the category, so I thought there might be a slim chance of getting a podium if I was really lucky. We went off in reverse number order for run 1. I went ok I thought, stayed off the brakes where needed and went into the bottom table top with decent but not too much speed. I definitely had an incentive to get down though as I had Lindsay behind me who I thought would be odds on favourite to take the category win. I finished, out of breath, but beaming as I’d had such a good, fun run. I’d also managed to avoid being caught my Lindsay. After a bit of a wait I then discovered I was second too!

2/3 of the way down - photo credit: Craig Hinchliffe

There’s about 2.5hrs between both runs, so there was a bit of waiting around, during which the heavens opened once again for a brief period, and some warming up done in the Pedalabikeaway cafe. Then it was back up the hill for run 2. In the past I have really struggled with my second run. Whilst trying to go harder and faster I’ve invariably gone off line or crashed, so I really wanted to put that to rights. I was the third to last off as we were now seeded with fastest last; except Gayle who prefers to not have the pressure on her and is always last rider down in the category (the beauty of a friendly race series where chopping and changing is accepted). Once again I had Lindsay behind me which put some good pressure on. I felt good on the top section, took the roots really well, but had ‘a moment’ on the small ridge, managed to hold it together and just went as hard as I could, taking more speed into the table top and feeling a better jump as a result. I crossed the line once again hugely out of breath but with an even more massive grin. To top it off, it not only felt good, I’d gone about a second faster and by doing so retained 2^nd place by about a second, as Han in 3^rd had put in solid run 2 to beat my run 1 time. I couldn't believe that I’d come 2^nd it was such a good feeling. I really do reckon my two weeks riding in the mountains with AQR helped a lot, even though it was back in September. Out there was plenty of steep, rocky terrain so in comparison FOD is relatively ‘flat’. It was near darkness during the podiums but it still allowed us all to have a good catch up and laugh whilst waiting around.

Not bad but could still get higher! - Photo credit: djd-photo

661 MiniDH is a really friendly race series. All the courses are rollable or have alternative easier lines as the idea is to introduce beginners into the sport. You get a complete spectrum of racers at the events, with Tracy Moseley and Danny Hart having raced at the start of the year. One thing you can almost be sure of is 4X World Champion Katy Curd will usually be found racing since it is her local patch and she’s always willing to share knowledge and guidance on lines etc (well for  the girls at least ;)).

Roll on 2015 and many more 661 MiniDH’s as I’m well and truly hooked. Massive thanks to: Chris Roberts and the team for making an amazing series; to Cotic for making the BFe such a great bike to race the mini's on; Rob my other half for maintaining said bike; and finally to Kate and Ian Potter of AQR Coaching for the time and patience required to hammer the necessary skills into my arsenal.

Podium in the near dark! - Photo courtesy of Chris Roberts

World 24hr Solo Championships

Here at AQR we'd been working towards the 2014 World 24hr Solo Championships in Scotland for some time - Kate and Ian were busy getting the riders and bikes ready, the pit crew were honing their tea making and whooping skills and the riders were busy carbo-loading.

On a course most regularly described as 'brutal', Ant, Martin and Rach all put in fine efforts.  Things didn't always go to plan, but that's 24hr racing for you.  Nevertheless the team managed 13th place in male 40-44 years, 21st in elite men and 11th in elite women. 

And of course, the AQR pit was in fine form.  Not only looking after the three riders but also supplying tea and cakes to half of Fort William.

Thanks to Olly Townsend for capturing the event - enjoy his photos.  If prose is more your thing, you can read about Rachel's and Martin's races over on their blogs

See you next year in California!

Finally, those Cross Country Racers......

Quite possibly the longest introduction to a team, but there are quite a few of us! Here are the final three (although you'll only have seen two of them at the races this year).

Katie Collins

Time on AQR team: Since 2010
Discipline: XC Racing
Weapon of choice: Cotic Soda

I've been with AQR since 2010 and really enjoy racing in such a committed, supportive team environment.  I'm currently coming back from injury which you can read all about here, but once back in action I will be focusing on racing XC events in Masters (British/Scottish nationals) along with my all-time favourite event, the Tour de Ben Nevis.

Katie complete with what is most likely Scottish mud.

Emma Bradley

Time on AQR team: Since 2012
Discipline: XC Racing plus a little DH
Weapons of choice: Cotic Soda/BFe

Since coming onboard in 2012 things haven’t exactly gone to plan. A blood test early in 2012 showed a severe Vitamin D deficiency which explained why I was wanting to sleep more than ride and had zero strength. The support from my local medical community was absolutely rubbish and it was Kate who directed me in the right direction. It took all of the 2012 season to ‘wake up’ but I had high hopes for 2013 with my newly discovered energy levels. 

2013 also turned into a bit of a downer as soon after Christmas I developed knee pain, at times not being able to ride for more than 10mins. A badly asymmetric pelvis combined with weak glutes and the angle of dangle of my feet being quite severe was putting my knee under more and more strain; it was also seriously affecting my ability to train. It took most of that season to get to riding pain free. 

More energy and more alignment meant I went into 2014 with high hopes and early on things looked good until the knee raised its ugly head again. Finally, it was discovered it was in fact a back muscle that was causing all the problems and again most of 2014 has seen me doing remedial work and only very light (for elite ranks) training. Fingers crossed, with maintaining the stability work I’m prescribed, I can start heading in the right direction finally and hit the gym this winter for some good strength and conditioning work. I’m hoping 2015 will see me making a marked improvement in my performance within the Elite XC ranks, taking on the British and Southern XC Series as well as the British National Champs.....it’ll be a lot better than feeling broken all the time!

I’ve also been expanding my repertoire in 2014. I love technical races and so to push myself more technically I’ve been doing a number of mini downhill events including 661 miniDH and Steve Peat’s Steel City DH. I will also be taking part in the last round of the UK Gravity Enduro series in the Lake District. I’m loving mixing it up and playing on some bigger bikes!

Emma dropping into the final Steel City DH bombhole

Follow me on Twitter: @girlonhercotic

Kathy Beresford

Time on AQR team: New for 2014
Discipline: XC Racing
Weapon of choice: Cotic Soul

As the newest member of the Cotic AQR Holidays and Coaching team, this year has been all about getting back into cross country racing after riding endurance races for two seasons post-injury; a crash in warm-up at a Southern XC led to an air ambulance, a fortnight in hospital, major surgery for a fractured hip socket, a month on crutches and a change of plans for a year or so. I’m working on improving my riding confidence and having fun racing with my team mates. In the three years since I broke my hip socket, I've regained fitness from scratch, gained riding confidence again, raced a 24 hour race and some other races. Through late 2013/early 2014 however I again lost some confidence, lost some fitness and had a really tough winter. With AQR and my great teammates behind me I've finally gotten my mojo back, found some racing form, and survived my first season racing XC in the expert category. Most of all though I’m enjoying riding my bike - because that's what it's all about.

Kathy conquering one of Wheal Maid's long drags

Follow me on Twitter: @drfaffy

So, that is the full 2014 roster at last! 

The long, winding road to recovery

You probably won't have seen Katie riding her bike this year, she's certainly not competed, but there's a reason for that. Here's what she's been up to:

Sofa time following injury gives rise to a whole host of proverbs... taking time to smell the roses, making you thankful for what you have, good things take time...  In my case - patience, tolerance, and diligence (in the form of nightly shoulder presses). TV ads take on a whole new meaning when they become your signal for shoulder strengthening time - 30 seconds and collapse! Ad breaks have never seemed so long...  

After crashing at Margam Park in round 4 of the British Cycling National XC Series last July, I've not been able to ride much without lots of shoulder pain. On the grand scheme of things it's not too bad - no broken bones - but a couple of spinal fractures, whiplash, nerve damage and concussion. However, my right rhomboid muscles stubbornly refuse to rebuild strength at the pace I would like. Or rather, it's two steps forward and one step back - because my shoulder seems to wrench itself all over again every time I reach for something like a door handle! And takes a week to recover each time.

My right side is still much weaker than my left, partly because the right rhomboid was so painful after the crash that it took an extended holiday from doing much at all for months. And while the initial osteo was good at pain relief, it wasn't so good at identifying what was causing the pain. It took a while to get referred to a specialist and get an MRI booked in to diagnose the damage. So while I waited, the weakness and imbalances got worse. Lesson - start on the referral process without delay! Together with all the underlying muscle weaknesses and imbalances, riding again has been like trying to tame a sack of potatoes on a bike.

I have found a great physio who has taught me a range of shoulder exercises that work in tandem, rather like in a stepping stone direction. Master this exercise before moving to this one. Patience & discipline will be rewarded. It's amazing how all the shoulder muscles work together in harmony. Press top of neck in - arm goes up smoothly. Magic! My neck has been yo-yo-ing in all directions but is finally staying in more than it goes out. 

The next stepping stone is the pull-up bar. I'm still unable to pull myself up to chin level and just hang there like said sack of potatoes. I'm sure it's harder to pull up with long arms! But today I discovered a great shoulder exercise in the car... the ceiling handle inside above the driver's door is the perfect pull-up proxy. Just think, I could have been buff by now with all those miles I drive! Together with my chin presses/neck stretches at the traffic lights, I am THAT driver bopping to her own tune :-) One potato at a time... It will all be worth it to ride all day like I used to.

The Endurance Riders 2014 - Part II

Following on from the second Cotic AQR Holidays and Coaching Race Team 2014 post, here is all you need to know about the second trio of endurance riders.

James Dymond

Time on AQR team: since 2007

Discipline: anything goes but mainly pairs/team events!

Weapon of choice: Cotic Solaris

My relationship with AQR began back in 2007 (wow, 7 years ago already!) when I first met Kate and Ian on a holiday with AQR in Luchon.  After a fantastic week during including a steep learning curve on ever steeper and tighter switchbacks, Ian I got chatting about the race team that he & Kate were plotting.

The rest is history, as they say... the team was formed, races entered, Cotics raced, lots of podiums achieved and a fantastic group of riders (and some outstanding team support crew too) brought together.  A few faces have changed but the core remain.

James showing off his skills

Having taken on the role of team manager for the last few years, I've stepped back for 2014 mainly due to the arrival of mini-Dymond in January!  Thanks to a very understanding wife, my riding hasn't suffered too much though, so I'll still be appearing at a few races this year, including Bristol BikeFest 6hr, TwentyFour12, Torq12 and Tide2Tide.  The rest of the time, you'll find me on my Solaris enjoying Nottinghamshire's finest singletrack as well as time on my road bike and 'cross bike.  If it's got 2 wheels and no engine, I'm game!

Follow me on Twitter: @JamesDymond

Kirsty Prior

Time on AQR team: Since 2008

Discipline: 12/24hr team/XC/stage racing and duathlon

Weapon of choice: Cotic Soda

I’ve been racing, training and playing in the mountains with AQR for several years now.  In that time, I’ve toyed with a few different ‘disciplines’, with varying degrees of success…

• 12 and 24 hour MTB events – my introduction to racing – I’ve enjoyed racing in teams and pairs, but the nearest you’ll get me to the crazy world of the soloist is pit crew duties!
• MTB XC – including a few battles with my team-mate Miss Bradley at national races, and a fun road-trip to race in Belgium.
• Stage racing – from 3-day MTB races in sunny(?) Wales, to the dizzy heights of the Tourmalet on my road bike during the week-long Haute Route Pyrenees.
• Off-road duathlon – after an unexpected win at my first duathlon on home turf, I decided to give this a whirl.  There are more and more races coming onto the calendar, as the sport attracts runners, bikers, triathletes and duathlon ‘purists’.  Maybe I’ve found my niche!

Whist I never want to venture too far from my MTB roots, 2014 presented a new challenge… qualifying for and competing in the ITU Sprint Distance Duathlon World Championships.  My first foray into the world of disc wheels and pointy helmets! [Ed’s note: she only went and finished 5th.....podium next year?!].

Kirsty takes a well earned 5th at her 1st World's

Later this year it’s a return to the mountains and stage racing – this time in the Dolomites. I’ll be watching the Giro d’Italia with great interest!

Follow me on Twitter: @KirstyMTB

Matt Prior

Time on AQR team: Since 2008

Discipline: MTB Endurance/Team racing, Road Sportives/Endurance Events

Weapon of choice: Cotic Soul

Having gained a reputation for wrecking wheels I was very fortunate to be allowed to ride for AQR! Time and training has resulted in me spending a lot less money on wheel repairs and now being a core member of the team. I’m happy to mix it up across road and MTB, as long as there’s a hill involved, and I have even been known to dabble in the odd duathlon.

Recent key achievements for me are:

• 1st Bristol Bike Fest 2013, 6 hr pairs

• 4th:Torq 12 2013, 12 hr mixed team 

• 5th Oktoberfest 2013, 4 hour male solo

• 7th Abbeyfields- Duathalon 2014

Matt during the TransPyr 2012......with Ant not far behind

August 2014 will see me heading to Italy with Kirsty where we will take on the Haute Route, Dolomites (7 day stage race). My ambition for that event is being in the mix with the fast group.

Overall, the best way to sum me up would be: Willing to give anything a try….once! 

Keep your eyes peeled on the blog for the next instalment introducing the XC riders; coming soon!

The Endurance Riders 2014 - Part I

Following on from the first Cotic AQR Holidays and Coaching Race Team 2014 post, here is all you need to know about the first trio of endurance riders.

Rachel Sokal

Time on AQR team: Since 2011
Discipline: 12/24hr Solo & Stage Racing
Weapon of choice: Cotic Soda

In my previous seasons with AQR my main race has been early in the year. In 2014 things are a bit different as the World 24hr Solo Championships are not until October, so there’s plenty of time for other races and challenges this year.  

After venturing into stage racing in 2013, this year I’ve already been back to Spain to race in my second successive Andalucía Bike Race, coming one better and finishing sixth in the female pairs.  My next big multi-day event will be in July when I head to the BC Bike Race in Vancouver with team mate Ant Jordan.  The race is renowned for its amazing singletrack and technical trails which will be a fair contrast from last year’s Transalp.  

Rach trying out foreign mud.

As I’ve only actually raced over a couple of years, and previously stuck to longer distances, it means that I still haven’t ever done that many events. This year I plan to change that and have lots of bike adventures – on and off the race course. I’m planning a few shorter races including some XC, team events and one or two over marathon distance, plus trying out the odd road race, all before October’s finale at Fort William.  
Follow me on Twitter: @24hrSokal
Read my blog: http://rachelsokalmtb.blogspot.co.uk/

Anthony Jordan

Time on AQR team:  since 2011
Discipline: 12/24 hour and Stage Racing
Weapon of choice: Cotic Soda

I’ve loved riding bikes of any kind for as long as I can remember. Marathon running was the main focus for me for many years, whilst playing around on bikes trying to find the ‘perfect singletrack’ was the aim of many trips both near and far. In 2007, after 10 years of fun trail riding with friends, I entered 24 hour competitive racing as part of a team at Mountain Mayhem, going on to gain a top ten placing in my first 24 hour solo in 2008. Bitten by the 24 hour solo racing bug I travelled to Australia for the 2010 24 hours of Adrenaline World Champs.  Focused coaching from AQR has enabled an ‘average Joe’ rider like me to climb onto a national podium at the 24 hours of Exposure Champs in 2012. Over the past couple of seasons I’ve dipped my toe into the world of mtb stage racing completing Trans Pyr and Trans Alp, and over the winter won the mixed pairs Trailquest mountain bike orienteering series with my partner Rachel Sokal.

Ant showing he loves the  UK mud.

The 2014 season will comprise some marathon cross training, rounds of the Midland XC series to sharpen me up, a fix of foreign singletrack at BC Bike race, and selected enduro and 12 hour events, all building up to the WEMBO World 24 hour World Championships in Fort William in October. I still have a perverse hankering to run a sub-3hour marathon and eat my own bodyweight in cake though…

Follow me on Twitter: @Yet2Tamer

Martin Smith

Time on AQR team: Since 2013
Discipline: 12/24 hour Solo
Weapon of choice: Cotic Solaris

I like riding bikes - so much so, I choose to do so for  24 hours without stopping every now and again! 

My history with the AQR Race Team is pretty short compared with the rest of my teammates. A move to Nottingham in 2011 saw me hook up with James and Rachel through mutual riding buddies. Slowly I realised that James had incredible local trail knowledge and was a hell of a lot of fun to chase, and Rachel was just plain mad and loved the thrill of training and hill reps! They told me all about AQR as a coaching and holiday company and I decide to invest some money in personal coaching from Kate. This made me faster, James had to start chasing me every now and again and Rachel had company on her silly early morning training sessions. A 2nd place at Torq 12 in 2012, Top 20 at Keilder 100 and 3rd in the UK endurance series saw me get an invite to the team for the 2013 season, the highlight of that season being an above expectations result in my first 24 hour event, finishing 3rd at the UK and European Solo championships

2014 is all about the 24 hour world championships (WEMBO) at Fort William. Hailing from Bonnie Scotland, this is one of the first places I ever rode real mountain bike trails, so it's a bit of a homecoming for me! The aim is to race hard for 24 hours. The result really depends on who is on the start line but I believe a top 10 isn't beyond reach; the closer it is to the winner, the happier I will be!

Martin staying clean unlike the others.

In the lead up to that I'll also be lining up for the Torchbearer 12 hour solo race at Bontrager 24/12 but not before joing my AQR teammates in a team of four in the first 12 hours. It's a "training" thing! Liege-Bastone-Liege sportif, a 12 hour race in Germany (my new home country - Ich bin ein Berliner!) and a 4 day stage race in Poland are also in the diary.

The best thing about riding for AQR is the team spirit. There are no expectations around results - just do the best job you can do, but be a happy rider while doing so. And being unhappy is impossible with such a good team around me. Solo endurance riding is not just about the rider - I need to be fed, watered, cleaned, maintained, kicked up the arse. They are always there for me, whether it's 2:00am in the morning during a 24 hour race or on the end of a phone call, text or tweet during a tough phase of training.

Follow me on Twitter: @martinsmith86
Read my blog: http://bicycleadventures.wordpress.com/

Keep your eyes peeled for more team introductions coming in the near future covering the second trio of endurance riders.

A little later than normal for a team introduction but here it is.......

Cotic AQR Holidays and Coaching Race Team 2014

There has been a Cotic A Quick Release (AQR) Holidays race team for seven years now. Over that time there has been a steady change in riders, but some of the ‘old guard’ still remain in James Dymond, and Matt and Kirsty Prior, complemented by newer faces. Whilst individual goals are supported, the team philosophy is all about what we can achieve when we come together as a team. This can be seen through podiums at a variety of team events including but not limited to Bristol Bikefest, Twenyfour12, Torq 12 and many others. There are a surprising number of riders on the team, however being spread across different disciplines means we are rarely ever all in one place at one time; but boy is it a hoot when we are! Below and over the next few posts to come is your guide to the 2014 Cotic AQR Holidays and Coaching Race Team line-up.

Keep up to date with the team via Twitter, Facebook & team blog.

The Owners, Guides & Coaches

Ian Potter

Time on AQR team: Since concept - one half of the creative brains behind the team.

Discipline: Owner, guide, skills coach, mechanical guru.

Weapon of choice: Cotic Rocket

Ian is one half of AQR Holidays and Coaching. When not guiding guests in Luchon he is assisting in the creation of AQR Coaching plans, no doubt rubbing his hands together in glee at what will be dished out to riders in the weeks to come. He is not only a highly experienced rider but also holds a Mountain Bike Instructors Award (MIAS) Level 4. When time permits, Ian returns to the UK and holds a number of skills sessions which most of the team take advantage of in order to progress their skills further; you never, ever can get the words ‘heels down’ out your head ever again however. Ian’s other major skill is when it comes to all things mechanical, he is the ‘go to’ person for anything relating to bike specification or bike set-up.

The Potters

Kate Potter

Time on AQR team: Since concept - one half of the creative brains behind the team.

Discipline: Owner, guide, coach, nutritionist.

Weapon of choice: Cotic Solaris.

Kate is the other half of AQR Holidays and Coaching. She is an exceptionally talented rider, having spent 10 years riding Cross Country/Marathon/24hr disciplines which included representing Australia at the Cross Country World Championships in 2009 and 2010. Kate set up AQR Coaching in 2008 in order to help others achieve their goals, be it general weight loss and fitness to racing bikes of any type. Kate also holds a number of diplomas related to nutrition, cognitive behavioural therapy and allergy testing, but is currently studying hard for a degree in clinical nutritional therapy in her spare time (if she actually has any?!). Kate is the team’s one stop shop for all things training plan related; it is with fear that you check your newest training plan to see what devilishly hard sessions she’s put in place for you this time around. Somewhere in all this Kate also manages to guide as part of AQR Holidays and is in the process of completing MIAS Level 4 qualification!

Follow me on Twitter: @KPotterxo

Keep your eyes peeled for the next instalment of the 2014 team introduction covering the first trio of endurance riders. 

BMBS Round 2: Wheal Maid

Cotic - A Quick Release Holidays and Coaching's newest teammate, Kathy and seasoned racer Emma headed down to Wheal Maid in Cornwall last weekend for the second round of the British Cycling XC race series. 

They've written a blog about their races which is featured on the UKXCNews website - have a read!
  
Cotic - AQR Holidays and Coaching: Wheal Maid Race Report

The Fevered Ramblings of an Andalucian Pit Bitch

Mountain bike stage racing is a real test of rider and bike, sometimes pushing them both to their limits.  Rach and Rickie had entered the Andalucian Bike Race (ABR) and I had offered to provide support to them both, as I had been lucky enough to have similar support from my friend Carole when I raced the 2012 Trans Pyr stage race.

The girls had done the training, were well prepared and all was set for a good six days of racing. All I had to do was look after them off the bike. The idea was for all their efforts to be focused on riding hard and fast during each stage, then recovering as well as possible each evening before the next day’s racing whilst I spent my time spannering, cooking and reading them bedtime stories.

We had crammed a travelling tool kit and as many spares as we could into our 30kg bike bag allowance.  I had brought along my Cotic Solaris to both ride during my down time when the girls were racing (this was a holiday for me too after all) and to cannibalise for spares if necessary – I was hoping for much of the former and little of the latter.

Concentration on the start line

ABR is no winter training camp or pootle in the southern Spanish sunshine. It’s a full gas mtb stage race and with UCI ranking points available the pace and racing is fierce and all of the big name European marathon teams attend. The technical support on show was first rate – with SRAM giving similar tech support they provide at world cup events to any rider running SRAM kit, under the watchful eye of Todd Anderson who was good enough to give me a guided tour around the awesome F1 inspired SRAM race support truck.  With such high levels of professionalism on show this pit bitch was going to have to raise his game! 

All ready for their return

Whilst Rach and Rickie were doing battle each day any illusions of having significant downtime during the day were shattered. After seeing them off at the start of each stage the girls speedy riding meant I had only 3 to 4.5 hours to fit in my long marathon training runs, the chores and a siesta. Running 80km of the 400km course over the 6 days gave me a flavour of the trails. Some of the terrain was pretty brutal even on foot and I though the rocky trails would take their toll. I fitted in a couple of rides on the trails before lending my Cotic Solaris to Grant Leavy for stages 3-6 after he broke his carbon fibre framed bike. He went on to ride the reliable steel steed to an impressive 32^nd elite male placing. 

Grant enjoys the Solaris steel is real feeling

My rear brake also went to keep Mark Spratt in the race after his brakes totally failed before the start and his quickly bought replacement brakes caused i-spec shifter compatibility issues. Us Brits have to stick together and I was glad that the spares that I’d brought were put to good use. Luckily the girls bikes worked spot on and only needed a wash down and check over each day which made my spannering life much easier although I made use of my SRAM contacts in tuning Rach’s bike so I could concentrate on my siesta-ing.

Rach puts in a big effort to make sure her finish line tea doesn't go cold

The apartments Rach had booked were top notch – a washing machine in each making my pit-bitching life so much easier. Clean fresh kit for each day was guaranteed. The traditional Spanish family decorated apartments did look more like a hybrid Chinese laundry/ bike repair shop at the end of some days though.  The apartments kitchens also meant that the girls were able to eat exactly what they would normally choose after a hard days biking and importantly when they wanted to rather than rely on hotel menus, portions and opening times.

The days were generally balmy – 10 to 15 degrees meaning ideal riding conditions save for the second stage out of Jean were the overnight rain continued throughout the stage and Rach and Rickie revelled in the UK-esque mud.  

Mud is mud wherever you ride

Though the other days were more sunny-Spanish conditions they still took their toll. Overall we heard of the British-speaking contingent over the race accumulating two broken frames, a set of broken forks, failing brakes, a seizing bottom bracket and a fair few punctures. I saw a pedal ripped out of its crank by the trailside and one plucky pair giving a backie to his teammate who shattered a rear wheel. The trails took their toll on the riders’ bodies too, with everything from the usual trail rash to separated shoulders to Rhabdomyolysis (the same condition Craig Gordon infamously suffered in the 2006 24Solo worlds).  

It's a long way home

So all in all Rach and Rickie did well to maintain their form through out the week to gain 6^th place in elite female – I like to think that this feat was only possible with my pitting skills. It was only on the last day that the dreaded race sniffles started for us all. Still coming away with the lurgy was a small memento to add to the photos and SRAM truck memories.  Those girls owe me a cup of tea.

Rach goes a little pale when I tell her how much the SRAM truck I now want will cost