Looking forward to a summer of dreams combined with nightmare situations (with Rachael Walker)

Today was all planned but kinda on a crazy tight schedule, so when i woke up at 5am, I knew everything might not happen. By the time Rachael and I had loaded the BRAND NEW ADVENTURE MOBILE ( here you can see my Mongoose DH bike,  my skateboard, my hemelt, my Shimano shoes, my bag, my goggles, Rachaels newly retrieved stolen bike, my road shoes,my body armour #messy)
and got onto the motorway at 6.30am we discovered the the van woulnd't get into 5th gear and we decided to keep pushing on slowly, getting overtaken by lorries, to reach our desired destination - UK Bike Park, where we'd booked an uplift with a group of friends. By Basingstoke we decided to turn back, Rach had just bought the van and wanted to get it back to mr salesman whilst he was still open. He was very fair and said he didnt want to sell faulty good and would fix it on Monday. Fair enough, but we'd missed our freeride trip we'd booked a month ago!!! Sad face. :-(. There you go.


So we made the most of our time and finsished decorating Brian the Van into a princess AnaNichoola Wagon:

And fit the stereo

Only to find that the reason we couldn't hear anything was in fact because the van didn't have speakers. So we went to visit my brother around the corner (rachaels house mate- that's how we know each other) and he had a bonfire and we roasted Flumps (cheaper than a pack of marshmellows)

And then it was time to face up to the reality that I was doing the Redbull Minidrome. Why on earth was I so nervous?!?! It's not likes it's a proper UCI race, with points and stuff, It's just FUN!!!! However, i got sponsored by Mongoose on the back of this race this time last year, so I guess i knew big stuff can happen from it. the press love it, people watch it like you're on a stage. I really wanted to qualify. I also really wanted to wear my brand, spanking, shiney, sexy, awesome new sperm helmet from Bell. Man! It's so damn cool!! So I practiced The Look.

And then I got on the train, went to York Hall as one of the last qualifiers to try out. Smashed it up qualifying 10th and fastest girl. My teamie V gave it a  go too on my bike, and just missed out by 2 places on qualifying!!! And then we went to the pub in the station and had several wines. And now I'm excited for tomorrow, but don't want to end today cos it's been soo frikkin rad!!!! :-))))

Being Involved

Some of you may know that I've been really ill. Like, proper ill. I'm only just starting to leave the house again after a few weeks stuck indoors, in hospital, in an ambulance, in the operating theatre. It's been so bad, I never thought it would happen to someone like me, I thought illnesses happened to lazy or unhealthy people, I thought bad things happened to mean and unfriendly people. It was the most terrifying and distressing time of my life (except the time I got dragged out to sea into huge waves, with no board and got rescued, that was pretty shit too). I now get nightmares about pain and am half convinced/paranoid that I'm going to die in my sleep!

But it was my Mum and my team mates that got me through it. Now, as the latest medication begins to kick in and I realise I can say goodbye to the racing season, I can look back with clarity and know that ultimately I'm still one of the lucky ones. Every week my team mates would come and visit me, and every day they asked how I was doing. It gets pretty annoying when you speak to someone and all they do is moan about how ill they are, but they still asked everyday, and gave me the confidence I needed to talk about it and moan about it everyday. They explored solutions and gave me sympathy, and didn't stop asking.

And I still asked about them, and whenever I had a good day I'd go watch them race, or even train! My Mum said something cringey, she said "at least you can be involved." I thought that was crap. But it's totally true. I watched and supported and talked to them, and have been proud of them. With the Tour Series upon us I have become Pit-Girl (which is hilarious, as I'm super scatty and can't fix a bike) and it has allowed me to be part of everything that's going on. I love cycling, specifically I love women's cycling, but whatever the hobby is, I reckon the people who can stay involved in some way or other, and the people with good friends, are the people that can stay the happiest during shit times.

So go get a hobby before it's too late!! haha

everything turns out fine, always

I had a really, really important meeting. It was with Evans cycles, to show them my products and see if they'd like to stock them. I was pretty nervous and had spent the day before preparing. When the time came I had memorised the 1.5 mile route and hopped on the train with my fabric bike.

I got off the train and rode towards the A23, I knew I had to head south and turn left at the first round about. Easy. But south and the first round about was towards brighton, on the M23!! I freaked out at the exit of the round about, that joined the motorway and pedalled as hard as I could in the outside lane, in my high heels, to avoid getting hit by cars peeling off at 60mph. I found a workman and got some directions of him, to go South I had to go North first.

I got terribly lost. 

I didn't have a phone, as I generally don't. So I asked someone. I said "I'm lost" he said "where are you trying to go" I said "south." I realised that in memorising the really simple route from the station that I hadn't bothered to remember the address! I ended up in a car showroom, and they googled "evans head office" for me. "do you want their number?" They asked, knowing that by then I was already 20 minutes late "...I don't have a phone" I mumbled. They were pretty weirded out by me, but let me use their phone to leave a voice message to say I was 5 minutes away.

Clutching my newly printed map, I got back onto the A23, under Gatwick terminal and just before I got to that first round about my crank fell off!!! I was cycling down a speedy duel carriage way, with no pavement to my side, and was suddenly grateful that I had clips and straps. This allowed me to pull up and push down using just my right foot, and destroying the gorgeous patent leather on the toes of my shoes. I pulled up and pushed down as fast as my right leg would allow me! 

I arrived, 40 minutes late, sweating like a beast, scuffed shoes and holding a screwed up map and a crank complete with pedal.

It turns out the dude thought the meeting was at 3, not 2.

So it kinda proved my point. Every thing is fine in the end.

Plus, they liked my stuff! See AnaNichoola soon in Evans.....

A video of meeeee!

http://www.eta.co.uk/node/8180

I'm tired, but it's my own fault

I'm getting run down, I have a cold now, because I'm tired, but everything is too fun! On Thurs we went to a Red Bull minidrome fixed magazine party, the red bull building in london is insane!! Must be an amazing place to work. There were free drinks and I brought my hula hoop, we danced and played with some old and new friends, and we fell about laughing when we went to the kebabie and there was a sink in front of the counter.

Work is snowing me under, blogging is fun but it's just putting off all the work i'll have to do later. With my first production run in the country and shops I'm really having to learn fast, recover my mistakes quickly and keep planning for the future. But I'm getting fat and do need to ride my bike more, so I committed to Rollapaluza's Pity the Fool on Friday night. I was riding the mixed doubles with Tom Pande, he's really quick, I told my boyfriend he could come along and support me instead! haha! Me and Tom won last year and we hoped to win again. We got into the finals against my teamie Wiesia and Rhys. Wie and I said it didn't matter who won because at least it was a MBG victory, but that's not true, we both wanted to win! It was pretty close, we did a pretty shit change over, which meant that the other 2 confidently won it. It's true though, before the race I wanted to win and I tried so bloody hard, but afterwards I was pretty stoked it was Wie and not someone else.

We were in fancy dress, 80's TV.

Got back at 3am and had a lie in, but by midday I was ready to go again. I met my lovely friend David for lunch and learnt lots of things about the world, because he is really clever. I went home with some flowers with glitter on for mothers day (real flowers, with glitter on!!!!) And got to work. Cousin Alex came over and talked at me whilst I did colouring in. I loved it.

Then it was Sunday, I woke up, did some work and then met the boys for an XC ride. 6 hours later it was dark, we'd ridden from West Doking up and over Ranmore, holmbury, Pitch and Leith Hill and back again. We did jumps and drops, burms and sprints, coffee and videos. It is never a chore riding with those guys, they know all the best trails and even make the boring ones fun. We were still riding as the sun was setting, we got lost and it started raining. I was well and truly shitted by the time we got back to the car. Wen't to sleep tired but happy.

Details of a race day.

I was stupidly nervous. I hadn't ridden the course yet and had only spent an hour on my brand new bike. It wasn't fear of crashing, it was fear of doing badly, my sponsors are chilled, they understand that I'm gaining experience, but I was putting pressure on myself. I WANT to be good, and now with a good bike I have no excuses. This race was the race that, to me, would let me know where to aim this season, it was to realistically show my ability, and that bareness left me scared.

I got to Aston at about 0830 and walked the course. I met the guys from Aztec who immediately made me feel welcome and looked after. They checked my bike and changed the spring and even helped me with the push-up!!

THE COURSE

The black run at Aston Hill is described as the most technical descent in the south east, I'd looked at YouTube vids but wasn't really sure what to expect. It started off long, straight and pedally, that pleased me because I know I've got a good sprint. There's some bomb holes that if you hit too fast and don't suck it up you get air and that's slower. After a bit of flat single track it suddenly becomes very rooty and very steep. I might use the wrong words in my descriptions here as I don't know all the terms, so bear with me! The steepness and rooty ness and tightness of the turns made it hard, it wasn't scary as such. Any ok rider could get down it, but getting down it fast was a trick to my mind, I didn't know how to or what to do. I was right over the back trying to lean hard into a corner and get traction, but at the same time wanting to unweight to allow the bike to flow over the massive roots. Some of the drops were about a foot and so tricky to understand how to do that fast on a tight turn. The course finished with a 3 foot drop with a steep landing, it was easy and fun to hit with a bit of speed, and then a final sprint to the line.

On my third attempt of the steep section I felt myself relax and was able to think about what I was doing and how to do it best. I wish I'd had more practice though, because it takes a long time to learn a 2 minute course and I wasn't really ever sure of what was coming next.

THE RACE

The 7 girls waited in queue together after introducing themselves, and we were chatting and sharing past expereinces until our go. 3 beeps and a couple of metres to clip in and then I went through the laser that started my timing. I went balls out. Half way through the flat section I had to sit down, I was so tired already! I went as hard as I could, I could hear my panting in my helmet, but could still hear people cheering for me and my hot pants! (such a show-off!). My arms, chest, thighs and calves burned before I finished, down hilling is going to take a lot of strength, fitness and core training. After the first run I was in second. I was so happy!

I hoped to maintain my position, I knew that first place was miles ahead and that third was only a second behind. Your fastest run counts, so I had to go faster or hope that third didn't go faster. Unfortunately for me I wen't the same speed and third place went 3 seconds faster to take second! Chapeau, she gave me a hug and we all walked back up.

I had a wicked time, my teamies the MuleBar Girls came to support me and we did a photoshoot after. It was lotsa giggles, lotsa fun and good to be out on a new bike, pushing my body and my knowledge with a bunch of my mates.

injuries and improvement

sitting here with an ice pack on my grotesquely swollen knee i'm thinking seriously about my goals this year and the best way to axhieve it.
i'm focusing on track and downhill. some people have suggested thats a bizarre combination, but to someone like me, with an annoyingly fast moving brain that never chills out, it makes perfect sense. cycling for me is not a chance to be left with my thoughts whilst working out my body. in fact, being left with my thoughts pisses me off, i think about all the things i wanna do and suddenly the frustration and boredom of being miles away from home and unable to get on with it makes me cross, as anyone who has ever been on a long ride with me can confirm! my bike is a tool to distract me, i want to only be able to think about the task at hand, i love the repetition of practicing stuff, i love relying only on my instincts and i love the mind games of a race. track and dh are the perfect choices.

my goals- track is fairly simple, i have nothing to prove, i want to do the team sprint nationals in oct and not embarrass myself. the thrice-weekly sessions at herne hill with my friends should allow for that, without much extra thought. but dh, thats a different matter.

i am soo honoured to be sponsored a bike from mongoose this season. the only other mongoose rider in the uk is the almighty hailed chris akrigg, so i feel rather awed. i had to pass the test though, mongoose want to sponsor cool riders, that bit was ok, so long as you dont get to know me too well i'm pretty cool! then my ride at the red bull mini drome impressed the right guy, and then i had to promise results. and that's the problem!! i've done 3 local dh races, have beaten 6 girls and been beaten by one. i looked at the girl who beat me on facebook, her complete saturation of photos of her doing freeriding stuff gave me confidence. i was only a second. 5 off her.
but really, i know this doesnt mean much (not that im suggesting facebook lies) but i have no idea how good i'm going to be, all i know is that i WANT to be good! i've finally ot the proper equipment, now all i need is experience. i was sensible and told the sponsors that i might do one of the national round near the end, but this season is for me to get good, to learn, to improve.

however, business is taking off, ana nichoola now has a number of stockists, i have a couple of amazing, technical manufacturers, i'm sponsoring riders and pushing the brand. i want the best garments on the market, i want to be stocked by every cool shop in the uk, and all that testing and researching takes time. this leaves me less time to get good.

so the goal is to improve massively with every ride i go on. no staying at a level, and definitely no going backwards. but that leads to injuries. 3 weeks and 3 injuries, last week was a minor gouge to my shin, but it may leave a scar and my looks are important to me too!!

todays injury- i was practicing a gap jump. they come up a lot in dh, and mostly,  at least at the races ive been to, the girls take the chicken run. if i can confidently get mis sized gaps nailed i'll be at a quick advantage. after 5 attempts on a small gap, that was rollable if you didnt want to get air, the ever supportive ed offered to lie underneath and film me. i have NEVER EVER been so flattered by a proposition from a guy!!

the thought process- i dont want to land on his lovely face. i mustnt press my brakes. i wont cover them! wait! i gotta cover them to keep in control of my landing. ok covered. woah! were you about to press them there anna? you were weren't you! it ok, im in the air, i'll quickly look down and check i've missed his face. SHIT, FUCK, CRAP THAT HURTS!!!

i'm noisy when i hurt, no dignity, just howling!

if ed was ugly i probably wouldnt have crashed.

i had a mule bar gel for medicine to get me back to the car.

now here i am, happy to have cleared a nice little gap, with video evidence. but with my weeks riding plans scuppered. the swelling is very bad, i know because of louise that its not broken, but i still cant walk. i have a perfect circle impression of my brake lever screw in my knee. it makes me question the most efficient way to fast, freeride improvement.....

it makes me sad because i want to be good and i wanna ride this week.