Today I.....

Often, people ask what a typical day is when you run your own business, or how much riding I do as a sponsored rider - and then I sound like a dick who doesnt want to talk when I'm like "there is no typical day" but if i tried to describe it they'd get really bored and wish they'd never bloody asked. So, here's last week, you can read it if you want and if you don't care you don't have to read it. Win-win

Sunday - get pissed with family at Easter. My nana was sober, but is loopy, and reckons I was in the olympics at track, she said she was still proud of me even though I only came third. I was happy to know I had her loyalty. My brother and RB were pissed and sang Frere Jaques Dubstep remix - it was cringy. Cousin Alex and I talked about boys and Hula Hooping.

Monday - Cousin Alex cooked me a nice lunch and we did work. she did social work writing stuff and I did sketching for Spring/Summer 2013. It was raining, but I really wanted to kick start the AnaNichoola London Velo Sisters and 7 people were still up for going so I went. I was 10 mins late, felt bad as I had promoted the ride and they all waited for me in the pouring rain....oops. Anyway, it went well, we split into two groups, I chatted with Sol and Al, I was on my fixie with minidrome 51 inch gearing, I spun out the whole time and think I bruised my private parts, it was fun though. We sacked off the pub as had puddles in our shoes. I got home freezing cold and soaking wet and was too late for last entry at the gym (I don't have a shower in my studio) so had to towel dry myself and put on about twenty layers and hot water bottles, felt cold still and quite sorry for myself. put on some music on and carried on with the sketches, cheered right up, warmed up a bit and went to bed at 4am.

Tuesday - Did tasks, had a shower, spent 2 hours trying to get the last bit of money off of my credit card in the bank to pay my suppliers. Sent out some post to customers, tidied the studio a bit, went back to my parents to pick up my hula hoop and nearly died cycling home on my fixie, brakeless, SPD pedals with trainers, lightless, holding a hula hoop and two heavy bags. 3 miles down hill, it was gnarly as fuck and my legs were still tired from the day before.

Wednesday - Visited Big Foot bikes with some samples to see if they wanted to order. They do :-) Had a nice chat about their female customers and their huge cycling club (300 members!!!) Tried to create a price list for an international distributor, realised I couldn't do it, so called a couple of people who work in the bike trade and asked some advice. A couple of hours on the phone and I got a bit further, but my brain couldn't digest all the info, so I forced myself to switch off from it until another day and went to bed early. Found it hard to sleep, should have gone out on my bike.

Thurs - Had a BRILLIANT day filming with Markus from Cycle Film, Phil his assistant and Mon and Lola my models. I'd never spent time with Mon or Lola and was hoping they'd be up for working hard and having a laugh, and I couldn't have asked for a better pair. By the end of the day they were tired from cycling up and down the roads, I loved having the view from inside the car, and we felt like we'd known each other for ever.  Can't wait to work with them again and ride with them more often in the future. Then went to the Coven Mag launch at Red Bull studios. I'd been excited about it all week, I knew it'd be a good party and I was proud to see Juliet doing something for female action sports off her own back. Check it out here: http://www.covenmagazine.com/ Got wayyyyy too drunk on vodka redbull, my team mates V and Marit joined the party and it all kicked off. The highlight was attacking a bike thief from behind who'd stolen Marits bike, we got the bikes back and felt like hero's!!

Fri - Was too hungover to think, read my emails but didnt send replies. Went to the lovely physio Anne to have my back sorted out (from an injury I did on my BMX in Oct) she really, really sorted me out. Watched the Undateables, got a bit tearful, so went to bed early feeling guilty about wasting my day.

Sat - trying to catch up from not doing work on Friday, tidying the studio and preparing a presentation for an investor meeting on Weds. They like my brand, they like me and the way I work, they are very interested, but they still need some convincing. So, I will have to stand in front of 3 guys with the money, a director of one of their fashion businesses and their head designer of that business and sell myself. I don't really know what to say, but am enjoying getting my thoughts out, and one thing I do know is that the presentation will be hand drawn. In a couple of hours I'm gonna go cheer for my team mates racing at Herne Hill, will bring my BMX to see if I can convince any of the guys to go to the skate park with me (even if they don't 6 miles each way on my BMX over crystal palace hill is healthy strength training) . I intend to come home early to continue work on the presentation, but I expect I'll end up in the pub with the girls......

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.