MERRY CHRISTMAS 2010

Well I had plans to head to sunny Oz for Xmas or stay in Luchon for a warm winter of biking action........but no we Potters chose freezing cold UK for our Christmas break. Ian and I left Luchon behind at 2am for our 20 hour plus driving adventure to the UK. It certainly was an adventure as I mustered the courage to drive Mini Blue across France...yes KP behind the wheel...WATCH OUT!!!

 

The last vehicle I owned I crashed, or rather I was crashed into three times in the space of a month. As much as I love Mini Blue (AQR mini bus for those 'not' in the know) I do believe I'm jinxed in the machinery department, especially as the last time I drove Mini Blue across Spain she suffered a mechanical....but all I did was turn the key? So I said to Ian I don't mind driving, BUT if anything goes wrong en route I'm not to be blamed.

 

6hrs later I discovered how much I really enjoy driving....so long as it is in a straight line and I don't have to slow down. I braved all the snow, sleet and ice of northern France, but had an almighty scare as my over imaginative brain started dreaming about bike bunny hopping. Ian has spent a long time teaching me to manual and bunny hop the American stylee way, and I was going through the motions in my head when suddenly Ian was screaming at me and taking control of the steering wheel....I was off the road, onto the hard shoulder and heading towards a massive ditch. Luckily Ian had woken up as I just may have tried to bunny hop the mini bus across the ditch (gulp)....so the moral of the story is don't try and bunny hop mini buses as husbands get angry AND dreaming about mountain biking whilst driving should be avoided at all costs....especially if it causes husbands extra hair loss and elevated blood pressure.

 

Ian took over the driver's seat until I complained of boredome and begged to drive the last two hundred kilometres to Calais. All was going very well (I thought) until we reached our destination. Now it was time to slow down. However my leg had gone numb, or was it my brain, suddenly I had to think about gears to use and the brake...oops I'm accelerating...oops oops I'm best to give way to the lorries as thay are a tad bigger....oops oops oops a roundabout, another near miss, WHICH ONE IS THE BRAKE IAN!!!!!.....by this stage Ian had lost his summer tan and looked ghostly ill...........and relax. Wow that trip was far more exciting than usual. But now it's time to board the ferry and head across to the UK....Ian decided to take over just incase I crash into the ferry and it sinks...as if !?!?

 

Ian and I had purposely chosen a ferry time so we would miss M25 at rush hour.....but as ever all good plans in the Potter department once again turn into another adventure.

 

I love snow. I'm a Sydney sider born and bred by the beach who never saw snow until she moved to Europe. Now as we hit the UK roads I find myself truly excited about a proper UK winter. That excitement didn't last long mind you as within 30 minutes we stopped and remained on the M20 for over 6 hours. The only fun I had was seeing Ian leave Mini Blue for a pee stop in the trees before a tidal wave of snow and water washed over him as an emergency vehicle rushed by on the hard shoulder.....I truly expected facial fireworks from Mr P and alot of moaning. But instead Ian showed signs of SHOCK! I quickly assessed the situtation especially when he started laughing.....these were ususual signs, so as any experienced first aider would or perhaps might do, I quickly took control of the situtation and went through my DR - ABC.

 

D is for DANGER..... I locked Ian out of the van as I had to think about 'danger' to myself and others, that be Miss Mini Blue. There was no way a cold and wet Ian Potter was jumping in my Mini Blue warm zone.

R is for RESPONSE......Ian was responding in such a childish manner, jumping up and down, banging on Mini Blue....that he could yell/sulk as much as he wants to, but I need to see sweet smiles before he would be allowed in my warm zone.

A is for AIRWAYS......well no problem there as he moaned and groaned and threatened revenge!

B is for BREATHING.....I told Ian to take a deep breath to help him calm down!!

C is for 'CRAP'.......Ian found spare keys to Mini Blue......Now I'm truly in danger!!! (GULP)

 

Luckily just as Ian was about to chuck me out of the bus, we moved......well slid down the road. There was no more time for sillyness on my part as there were too many lorries playing dodgems with the cars who were driving too slowly for the lorries to accelerate over the small rises....HENCE why so many lorries remained stuck in the snow and then caused a massive backlog of traffic.

 

24hrs later Ian and I reached Nottingham and since then it has been full steam ahead in every mountain biking way....

 

AQR.....is in full swing for the 2011 season, whilst not forgetting the last few guiding and skills coaching sessions Ian and I are running before Christmas. It has been perfect biking conditions to help those of you wanting to flow with confidence on the trail. Whilst the snow is slippery and hard to read, it means the ony way to stay up right is to trust your bike and keep it rolling. There has certainly been some slips and slides, but every off has meant a soft landing and a huge smile, and of course a little bit of know how as to how much grip your tyres have.

 

At the same time I'm busy preparing for the 'AQR in the ALGARVE' weeks in Portugal March 2011. I'm even more excited because the first week begins on my birthday (5th March). We already have a group booked on the week to help me celebrate another 21st birthday....as I don't believe in ageing.....age is just a number :) Ian and I have now added another week to Portugal, so 4 weeks in total where we will be overdosing in sunshine, as we Potters take other likeminded bikers on some great trails in and around the Algarve. 

 

In the racing department, Ian and I are very excited to annouce a new and impoved AQR Race Team. Three small teams, including the original AQR racing line up, are joining forces to become one big team that will see AQR as one of the title sponsors. That is all I can reveal right now, but Cotic bikes will be out in force in more ways than one next summer, so look out!!!!

 

This weekend we Potters are off to Sherwood Pines and then down to Swinley for some pre-Xmas trail action with the AQR Crew. I will make sure I take some proper winter pics and post them instead of all the Autumn pics I have on me at the moment, which look just like Luchon in the summer really....actually October and November felt like Luchon in July, which is hardly motivating, as I'm sure I won't make friends when I tell people how warm it can be in Luchon during the winter months when UK is covered in snow.....anyway here is a little Xmas card of Potters in our Santa outfits for you all.

 

MERRY TRAILS AND GOOD TECHNIQUE TO YOU ALL :)

 

Cheerios for now

KPxo and the IMPxo (Mr P's offical sign off name)

 

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RETURNING TO WHERE I FOUND LOVE/S

Well it’s the November off season for the Potters, no guiding, no travelling, no racing, I should really say no training....but I won’t....Ian will as he’s knackered from the staircase build project I blogged about recently. It should really be a time to relax, unwind, re-charge the Potter batteries because it’s not long until it all starts again. But I’m discovering more and more of my youthful 21 year old self within me 30 plus year old bones. Each month I seem to be gaining even more strength than the month before.  I was told this might happen by the doctor, but it’s gone a little bit haywire and out of control....BUT, I AM LOVING IT!!!!!!....although Ian’s not quite filled with the same enthusiasm -

A TYPICAL KP MONDAY - 5am start, followed by a 3hr turbo training session to kick start the day, then off for a 2-3hr hike (as I’m helping a friend train for her walk to Everest Base Camp), then in the AQR office because I ought to be doing some work. In the afternoon I head off on my Cotic X to enjoy the lower Luchon trails that lead me to water aerobics, that I originally joined to meet more locals in Luchon (but actually it’s difficult to communicate even more so now as I haven’t mastered the co-ordination of speaking French whilst gasping for breath and swallowing water J) And then a quick trail blast up and down our Pyrenean backyard on my lovely Soda, especially if I can drag Mr P away from his darn X-Box machine...he just wants to kill things in his spare time lately! But my new levels of crazy high energy are taking great joy in killing him up the hills....so it’s not so much fun when he refuses to ride with me J

Feeling as I did 10 years ago has made me think about the past recently and the life changing experiences that lead me to mountain biking in the first place. Back in my teen years and 20’s I was a royal pain in the toenail and never held down a proper relationship because my running shoes and gym membership were always given more attention than the males in my life. In fact, as far as I was concerned boyfriends just got in the way of the minutes, hours and all the spare moments possible when I could be running along beaches, hiking across trails and spinning it up in spin classes. Life was more than a box of chocolates as my nick name used to be ‘Forest Gump’....it was a cycle of one sporty adventure after another. The two Aussie lads that stayed around for the longest were Shane and Bruce (I shan’t use their real names just in case they actually read my blog....that would be a right ‘oops’ moment).

Anyway both guys were keen to please me for some reason....silly boys! In the early weeks of their blossoming love they actually dared join me for one of my many trail runs, only ever one mind you. The problem was I’m not one to stick to a time frame, and could never confirm how long I would run for, because if I was off road and I spotted a new trail, well it would be rude not to check it out. The problem was they were much faster than me over a short distance, but had no stamina (TYPICAL MALE J...now before you jump up and down Ian told me to write that!!!).

As soon as I caught them up they would sprint off into the distance to give themselves enough time to have a break before I caught them up again. So in actual fact we hardly saw each other on my long running adventures because when I caught them up they were too out of breath to speak and when they did speak they simply whinged about suffering aches and pains and then they ran off in front again.....AGHHHH.....which did my head in!!! I felt surrounded by negative energy, so I wasn’t very sympathetic to these boys (I have since learnt to be a tad kinder, so I apologise for my lack of sympathy if you two read this and know who you are....especially Bruce who really did suffer altitude sickness when I made you climb/run a big mountain in Morocco all those years ago....sorry J )

So when I decided to head to Portugal 8 years ago to see what cycling in the mountains was all about, who would have thought I would instantly hit it off with the guide, or rather he would hit it off with me (hee hee hee (evil laugh)....Mr P deserves a medal), but more importantly fall in love with a sport that has endless opportunities for adventure and new found experiences. I had actually booked myself on the wrong holiday because I didn’t know what mountain biking was at the time, nor did I realise you could actually ride off road, I just loved the idea of riding a bike and exploring a new country. It was love at first RPM when I pedalled my hire bike uphill for the first time, I can’t remember the name of it, but it was blue, my favourite colour. When I attempted my first descent my lovely blue bike was patient, caring and confidence inspiring, actually Mr P was pretty patient back then with me too believe it or not J

Together my bike and I discovered beautiful views, trails filled with giggle fit moments, especially when I kissed dirt every so often. Ian actually had to drag ME, a once upon a time BEACH GIRL, away from my bike and down to the stunning beaches on the Algarve coastline for a DAY OFF the trails.... grrrrrr.....it was the first time he saw me sulk!

I still hold treasured memories of that week of mountain biking in Portugal and often look at the photos of my FIRST mountain bike adventure. I met a wonderful bunch of biker Brits for the first time....I had been living in London and had yet to meet many British people...sad but true.  I discovered a part of the world that I would never had explored if I hadn’t been on a mountain bike, but best of all it lead me to my true love.....s......My shiny COTIC SODA....AND my future hubby....MR P! J

My running shoes were laid to rest for a little while, they probably needed the rest, but I had come to the realisation that mountain biking made more sense because I could see more of the world in one day then I could with these ol’ Forest Gump running legs.

Since then we Potters have lived, cycled and explored the UK, Australia, France, Greece, Germany, Spain, Slovenia, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, America, Canada......and although there are still so many trails in our Luchon back yard that need to be discovered and rediscovered, Ian, our Cotics and I have decided to return to Portugal for a month in March to celebrate my birthday (5^th March, 5^th march, 5^th march....just in case you all forget J ) and to return to the trails that set me up for life in more ways than one.

My ever faithful Cotic Soda wasn’t born at this time, but it was this first mountain bike experience that paved the way to our destined union, in fact that trip paved the way to the birth of AQR Holidays and of course me becoming a Potter! YAY!!

So if you want to join us Potters in the sunny Algarve and test a Cotic bike then let me know, especially all you lady bikers out there who love adventure and find your lovely lads occasionally slow you down.....oooh I’m going to get a big blog bashing now J

Don’t worry all’s fair in love and war....ooh a thought....with both Potters guiding we can give you lads options if you find we women have too much energy for you J I really am going to cop it now....but that does not mean Mr P deserves any hero status for putting up with me!

Cheerios for now

KPxo

A Quick Release Holidays
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STEP BY STEP.....learning the art of patience.

Well the last AQR guiding week of the Summer season has finished, but there is no time for our own Potter holiday in Luchon, no sirree!!! Although the legs are having a little bit of time off the bike, well Ian's legs are....he has decided that the next two weeks it's time for him to learn the art of patience before the Autumn and Winter guiding weeks commence.

 

Ian is building the Potters a staircase....not just a little staircase....we Potters don't do simple.....no we are, or rather Ian is (I have been banned from the house) building a double decker spiral staircase. It's a barrel of laughs at the moment in the Potter household as Ian overdoses on coffee and I try not to fall off the ladders that join each floor.....not great for someone who suffers mild vertigo :)

 

Anyway the bikes have taken over the lounge and to wash the dishes I have to climb over a huge piece of wood, and the whole downstairs area is a little bit of an obstacle course at the moment with tools and machinery everywhere....BUT it's all part of the Potter adventures. If only the weather wasn't so brilliant right now as I have to sneak in little training rides so as not to upset Mr P who I know is missing the trails terribly :( 

 

BUT on the plus we are going to be guiding in November, so the count down is on to return to work and get Ian's guiding hat back on so he can smile again :)

 

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AUTUMN WARMTH!!!!

They say a picture says a 1000 words.....well if this weather keeps up I won't have time to type in usual KP endurance length style....I will just have to keep adding pics along the way.

 

Ian and I have been AQR guiding nearly every week since we returned from the World Champs in Canada. I have always loved Autumn out here in Luchon, well to tell you the truth I say that about all the seasons...yes I'm a complusive liar when it comes to my thoughts on the weather because I love all conditions (even the mud believe it or not). Every weather condition and seasonal change offers different challenges to those mountain bikers who ride all year round, that be us Mr Potter on our faithful Cotic steeds, no time to stop there are too many exciting trails to ride or splatter yourself on.....yippeee!!!!!.....If you open your ears you might just hear Mr P crying out for help in the far off Pyrenean mountainside.

 

Poor Ian was relieved when I started feeling better again, but unfortunately my energy levels have skyrocketed and keep on improving (much to my grin factor), but much to the change in Ian's forehead frown line which is deepening on a daily basis.

 

When I grew up in Sydney I missed out on such defined seasonal changes like you have here in Europe. In Oz you have the choice of dry, warm, stinking hot, humid days, with the occasional wet breezy day thrown in every now and then. Now my life in the Pyrenean mountains consists of 4 seasonal variations depending on the time of year....

 

I love Winter here in Luchon because the snow on the mountain peaks are simply magical. If I want to ride in the snow I can, but if not there are still plenty of trails that are dry and ready to roll on with white capped mountain top views all the way up, and little glimpses of the snowy mountains every now and then on the way down. 

 

Then Spring warmth hits the area in April and suddenly the mountains turn varying shades of green and all the magical crisp colours of Spring return, as well as the baby animals that you often see or hear within the trees.

 

Summer is another favourite because it is finally hot enough to sit back in the river that winds through the valley as the glacial waters promote healing power to one's overused legs, but also the trails within the trees offer an escape from the sun's rays as the temperature drops the higher you climb and the mountain thermals create a cooling effect all over.

 

Now for AUTUMN, I'm excited about Autumn because I'm in the midst of it right now and boy has it been a wonderful season in Luchon so far. The trees are turning a sparkling golden colour and the trails are soooooooooooooo empty, besides those red squirrels skipping about and Pyrenean birds hovering overhead.....oh and those AQR tyres flying by as we Potters have been hitting the trails with full force as we are still guiding and loving every moment of our long days in the saddle.

 

I'm so happy to be back in the guiding seat. Every day is filled with biking high adventure and descents that go on and on and on..... Even though I know this area well, I still don't get bored or even disapointed when one season ends and the next begins. So as I tell Mr Potter we must make the most of the mountains every minute we can....no time to sleep as I say......

 

.....So the other day on our only day off from guiding I dragged Ian out for a day long hike up to the Porte de Venasque from Hospice de France. It was spectacular! Although my husband could try and show a little happiness with some facial changes every now and then because he always looks in pain for some reason?!?

 

Anyway I must dash as there are trails calling my name....enjoy Autumn wherever you are in Europe....I know I am :)

 

 

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2010 MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Mechanicals are part of the bike racing and riding game I’m afraid....but it doesn't mean I can't grumble :) That is what I keep telling myself every time my overactive Potter brain starts going into ‘what if’ overdrive. I have had a race season that I would rather forget, but on the plus have become a stronger and much happier person all round. A few months ago I thought I was losing the plot as I didn’t recognise the person I was, nor remembered how I used to be, and had become this slothful hermit that struggled to get out of bed in the morning. Instead of taking joy in thrashing my husband up the climbs out here in Luchon, I was left trying to pedal my bike uphill whilst Ian would track stand on every bend waiting for me. Whilst I was becoming the female version of Homer Simpson, I was also suffering kidney stones that have convinced me that I am too much of a wimp to even consider wanting babies in the future....full respect to mothers :)

But with all health issues behind me now I had 6 weeks of quality training and new found working sensations in the legs that were motivating me to commence racing again. Once the medication kicked in I was able to perform double training sessions on a daily basis and even had the pleasure of making Ian hurt as my times improved on racing loops I use out here in Luchon as part of training. All was on track as I headed to the Australian Mountain Bike Team training camp in Mont Sainte Anne. Coach Neil Ross seemed pleased as to where I was at right now considering the lack of training and racing in my legs, plus I felt so much stronger in my upper body on the descents that my confidence was at an all time high. I was riding all the technical sections on the world champs course, including the rocky shoot that was by far the scariest section because it only took one bad line choice to send you over the bars and into the jagged rocks at full force.

Unfortunately I experienced one such crash on my final timed effort in training, but fortunately as I flew over the edge of the trail, missing the bottom switchback and finding myself with a face full of hay I was fine...... before my bike clobbered me in the head (doh!). Without thinking about it I was back on the bike and completed the timed loop in a pretty good time for me considering my bad line choice, but from that moment onwards I had mechanical issues that may have been brought on by this crash.

I’m not going to go into detail about all the mechanicals that followed me around like a bad smell at both the Wyndham World Cup and also the World Champs. Mechanicals happen to us all at any level of racing and/or trail riding, but in many ways you can be more prone to mechanicals at a world cup when you are riding on the edge and taking more risks to body, brain and bike than any other type of riding I have ever experienced, including 24hr solo racing.

When I lined up for the Cross Country World Champs wearing the green and gold for only the second time in KP biking history my goal was to finish no matter what! I knew I was on the start line with the best preparation that I could have managed given the time I had to prepare. I also had the luxury of being supported by an amazing crew of people who made me feel like I was on holiday as I had a daily massage, mechanics who even washed my bike, staff to take all the daily stress out of our lives so that we could start and finish the race in the best form possible, and then hopefully earn points for Australia’s cross country Olympic bid.

All week the course at Mont Sainte Anne was dry, in fact the area had not experienced rain for weeks. The dust and sand was actually making the course very difficult to ride in places and the heat was definitely going to have an impact on how we felt before and during the race. But you can never predict the weather and on race morning as we started our warm up the rain commenced. I knew my water proof layers would come in handy (see Mr Potter over packing does come in handy) as I found them at the bottom of the clothes pile. I was wearing waterproof jacket and trousers as well as my winter over shoes to stop myself from becoming cold and wet. It was a day for ducks and not lycra clad cyclists unfortunately, but we were all in the same boat...I just hoped we wouldn’t need ‘life jackets’ as the whole area was surrounded by rain clouds and didn’t look like easing off anytime soon.

On the start line I was at the back of a very talented and strong bunch of elite female mountain bikers. As we took off I avoided a collision of bikes, but was sent off the tarmac slightly and had to work extra hard to catch up to where I should be. There was a huge climb to look forward to with ample overtaking space, so I attacked at that point and found myself mid field. Then the running started through the rocky single track, and I was pleased that my legs felt quite comfortable running on the slippery rocks. There was one more climb where I knew I could make some overtaking manoeuvres, but then as I started the descent I realised the bike was completely rigid again, as I had experienced the same problem at the Wyndham World Cup the weekend before. For some reason my forks were locked solid (gulp). I had trouble riding the lines I was used to and as I started to back off I could feel my whole body tensing and felt fear creep into my mind. I knew better than to tense up, but no matter how much I spoke to myself and even sang to myself, I couldn’t relax. The Mont Sainte Anne course is brutal at the driest of times, but in the wet it really is a course of survival because one bad line and you can do both yourself and your bike serious damage and the fact that I had no suspension made my ride all the more challenging and my arms suffering from pain overload.

The next few laps consisted of a stuck chain behind the cassette, a puncture and a bent hanger which caused my gears to be dancing all over the place. I lost places, gained places, before losing those places again.....I ran, I fell, I swore politely :) but always picked myself back up again as I was determined to finish. I made decisions to run certain sections of trail that may have lost time had I tried to ride them, but at the end of the day I finished! It was not the perfect race for the Soda and I, but as I fought the conditions and tried to do what I could to help my little Soda battle on to the finish line I remembered where I was 6 months ago when I couldn’t find the strength to finish a race and today I finished in 52nd position in the world.....YAYYAYAYAY!!!!!

The World Championships are a unique event and everybody who competes no matter if you are a podium favourite or just trying to finish on the lead lap aims to be at their very best on World Champs race day. This is only my second world championships and from what I have seen it can take years of racing at this level to know how to race the best racers in the world.

The World Championships show off the best riders in the world in cross country, downhill and trials, but it also shows off a wide range of emotion from elation to pure devastation. I may not have had a good race, but I finished, which was my main goal on race day. I’m happy, so I guess you could say I found the middle ground somewhere between pure elation and devastation. But I’m striving for the elation I felt after finishing 24th at the World Championships in 2009. I’m well motivated for the 2011 season because I have alot to prove to myself and still ALOT to learn.

At the same time I witnessed history and pure gold worthy elation as my good friend Tracey Mosely won her first World Championship GOLD!!!! I don’t know how long it has taken Tracey, but like Steve Peat in 2009 it has been one title missing from a cv filled with national and series title wins. Well Done Champ!!!!!I It was incredible to see the changes of emotion on Tracey’s face as she waited in the hot seat for the two last french riders to finish their run. When Tracey’s gold medal was secure it was the highlight of my world champs because I know how hard she had worked for this moment over the many years that she has been racing at this level. Gold medals don’t happen overnight, and today was finally Tracey’s day!!!! I forgot I was Aussie for a day and cheered my favourite downhill Brit to a well deserved victory.

On the opposite end of the World Champs emotional spectrum I witnessed devastated racers who were unable to finish their race due to mechanicals and broken bikes that could not be repaired. The one rider who really stood out was an Italian XC racer who was a possible medal contender and he was overcome with emotion when he knew his broken bike could not be salvaged and sadly his race was over as he sat looking distraught in the pit area. It is the first time I have seen a grown man cry, and it just shows you how much emotion and mental energy goes into this one day of the year for most mountain bike racers. It is an event of many highs and lows, but to witness the wide range of emotion going on over the three days of competition only makes one feel alive and motivated for the 2011 World Champs in Champery, Switzerland. So I’m already preparing myself for next season so hopefully I can have another crack at experiencing World Champs elation as I did in 2009.

I would like to say a huge THANKYOU for all the time, effort and support that the staff from Mountain Bike Australia put into the 2010 World Championships.

Special mention must go to the following people –

NEIL ROSS – thank you so much for taking the time to help me this year. Once again I have come away from the training camp with new ideas and motivation for the future.

CHRIS CLARKE – I know how hard you worked to ensure all biking disciplines got the support we needed. Please find time to sleep now and see your family :)

RONALD – You stepped up to the plate with your professional hat on and inspired all of us. Thank you for all your mechanical support and coaching. We all hope to see those green and gold undies flash by next year :)

TIM – I learnt alot from you and was inspired by your energy and enthusiasm for the sport. Best training session I have ever had involved foam swords and flour.....thanks for keeping training really fun as it should be :)

CHRISTINE – Thanks for all your constant support and ‘tipsy’ words of guidance. You and your hands are amazing and I can’t wait to catch up again in the future for another massage.

Plus I wouldn't have had the opportunity to start the World Championships without the endless support from the COTIC BONTRAGER RACE TEAM, who have really stuck by me this year.

Special mention to those of you who really helped me prepare for the biggest race of the year -

CY TURNER (Cotic) - Thankyou for your constant support!!!! You have been amazing as always, and a wonderful friend.

GRIFF & HELEN (Bontrager) - Thankyou for all your help, guidance and patience.

TONY, FLORIAN, AARRON (Magura) - as always your support and mechanical teachings have really helped me sort out my lack of a mechanical sided brain.

IAN POTTER – As always Mr Potter is my Number 1 Team mate, and together we have shown that couples can work together and support each other without any marital disputes....so long as I get my own way :) Thank you for all your help and support over the years, you have always stuck by me and continue to help me improve on the bike. Bring on 2011 for more Potter adventures I say!

A Quick Release Holidays Tel: 0845 1304824

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A few words from my first race back....the happiest disqualification of my life!

Well as I keep saying I'm definitely getting back on track after an ill fated racing season that left me questioning whether I was physically able to continue racing this year. However whilst I waited for test results and a confirmed diagnosis I was encouraged by Mountain Bike Australia not to give up hope of World Championship selection. I didn't think I had a hope in heaven, but to my surprise I earnt a place on the 2010 Australian Team bound for Mont St Anne, Canada.

 

I can definitely feel the old me returning to life, but more importantly the chaotic situations that have always plagued my racing adventures are also back on track which I now consider a good thing, a blessing in disguise, without them what would I write about :)

 

So let me begin the first weekly chapter of KP's Cotic Bontrager 2010 World Championship Adventure here in glorious sunny Mont St Anne. Last Wednesday morning at the glorious time of 3am the adventure started. Bike bag was finally zipped up after too many attempts at squashing in extra bits and bobs without breaking the zipper. Ian kindly drove me to the aiport for my 5am check in. There were no tearful goodbyes as Ian would be joining me 5 days later and the sooner he was rid of his wife the sooner he could be on the plane and bound for Canada as well. To my relief I had a very smooth trip to Paris....but in typical Potter fashion that's where the smoothness ended and the chaos began. My flight to Montreal was delayed and the hour I had to spare to catch my flight from Montreal to Quebec City was looking less likely. I remained cool, calm and collected on the flight as I listened to some really bad dance music on the plane and realised to my horror that the guy sitting next to me was laughing and nudging his partner to check out my seated dance moves as I was bopping up and down to some Lady Gaga tune and I admit there was a few Britney Spears songs on full blast as well.

 

To my relief the plane touched down early. I dashed to collect my luggage and bike bag with an hour to spare, but first had to endure passport control.....40 minutes later and I was sprinting to baggage collection where I came to a rapid stop. An hour later and I not only missed my flight, but still no bike bag or luggage with my name on it. So I joined a que of very angry Canadians who also had missing bags, and waited.....and waited......and waited.....only to find out that nobody knew where my bags were...but sign here and they will be with you shortly was their response, well when they have been found that is. So I was put on stand by for the next flight to Quebec City and again I waited.....I finally arrived in Quebec City with no sleep in 26hrs (I blame Britney!)

 

The next morning I caught up with some of the Aussie team and head coaches Neil, Chris and Tim who were in charge of the camp. I couldn't wait to get stuck into training and start riding the course, but then I remembered that my bike and clothing were still en route (grrrrrr). Luckily everyone was on a recovery day, and Neil only wanted me to do a 30min easy spin and stretching so I wouldn't miss out on too much. I was kindly offered a bike to ride, so with my sneakers and the clothes I had been wearing since I left Luchon I headed off for some much needed bike time. Since I had no pockets in my shorts or T-shirt, I decided not to take a spare tube or pump, as I was only riding on road for 15 minutes in one direction before returning to the base, I also decided it really would be a steady ride, as I had no other clothes and didn't fancy sitting around all day with my mtb odour lingering, I may be kicked off the team if that happens. I had reached my 15 minute mark and decided to ride a little further just to see what was at the top of the small hill I was climbing........pshshshshsh.....I tell you what was at the top of that hill one frustrated Aussie who now had a flat back tyre and no spares (Doh!). So I had no choice but to run back and risk sweat stained smelly clothing, as I had a team yoga session which I would miss out on if I walked back. To my horror the very professional looking German national team passed by....and I simply gazed down and avoided eye contact, as I hardly looked like a member of a national team squad, let alone a mountain bike race team of any kind. 

 

The next day I discovered my bags had arrived in Quebec City, but still no confirmed time as to when they would arrive in Mont St Anne which was about 30 minutes away. Now my humour was finally tested as everybody headed to the course for training and I was left in three day old clothing to play the waiting game. I also found out that for tomorrows training we would all be racing the Quebec Cup, which would be on the World Championship race course here in Mont St Anne. This was definitely a training session I didn't want to miss out on as I'm in desperate need of some race practice if I'm going to feel half the racer I was last year.

 

At 2pm to my joy a bike and fresh clothing had finally arrived. Bike was built in lightning speed and I was told to register for the race and train steadily on course for 3 laps. As I practised the course I didn't hesitate on any section and felt in full flow on my Cotic Soda. The next two laps were even better and although I'm still getting used to the 2010 Cotic Soda Cy designed for me this year, I knew I was feeling right at home on the technical rocky and rooty sections. I would be ready to race tomorrow so long as the legs remembered how to get back up to race speed overnight.  

 

I have been waking up rather early as I'm still on French time, and was ready to race over 2 hrs before warm up had even started. I was experiencing strange sensations all over and realised I was very giggly, too talkative for my own good and acting a bit of a clumbsy prat. I had to take myself away from the group to control my giggles, and I wondered if there was something in the water  here, as I must admit I felt rather tipsy....but I was simply high on life. I managed to control my excitement during warm up and again noticed strange sensations in my legs....THE BUZZ FACTOR HAD RETURNED!!!! Only trouble is I could feel myself losing control of it.

 

On the start line I was buzzing and couldn't wait to race. I wasn't thinking about a race result or trying to beat anyone, I just wanted to ride my bike HARD and make the most of these new found physical sensations before they disappeared on me again. 3-4 months ago I had no leg strength so on the start line I was cautious and kept my chain in middle ring, whilst girls around me were in big ring. I was finally set free and attacked the small climb ahead of me....oops I had more leg strength then I realised, but in completely the wrong gear and was overspinning in the sand and making a right mess of the first few metres. I then some how managed to ride into a huge stump and was off the bike and running in last position (way to go Kate!). But as I giggled to myself, yes the giggles were still there, I was back on track and moved from last to the back of the lead group that included my friend Rowena Fry (national Aussie Champion) and you all should know up and coming British Under 23 star Lilly Mathews, as well as a hand full of Canadians and Americans. I wasn't nervous at all, but I was over excited and having too much fun for my own good. I was out of control on the single track and making mistake after mistake, but as I was so relaxed managed to hold it until I hit a steep sandy shoot with a right hand bend at the top of it....too much speed later and next minute I was performing a superman manouvre as chest hit saddle and I was flying towards a tree...this time I was swearing at myself 'YIKES!' (I won't type what real words flew out accidently :) ). I could hear Row behind me giggling to herself, which then brought on more internal gigles as I was still breathing hard trying to act like a racer. There were at least 5 more almost stackful moments, before the last one on lap 1 knocked me off the bike as I decided to see how hard I could hit every wheel trapper of a rock on the last descent of the lap... the last rock finally won and I was sent over the handle bars. As girls flew by I forced myself to calm down and refocus on the task at hand....to survive!

 

The next three laps I did calm down, and I was passing riders on the climbs and holding my position on the descents. The single track descents were mostly impossible to pass on, so it was best to ride smoothly and save your energy for the long energy zapping technical climbing sections. I had no idea what my position was, but was gaining on Lily Mathews and caught her up on lap 4 at the top of the last main climb, when I heard her ask me if I wanted to pass, she must have thought I was an elite guy who were racing at the same time...without even thinking I said 'oh yes please', and then realised I should have spoken in a deep male voice as when Lily realised it was me there was no easy passing to be had (doh!). I followed Lily down to the arena and was ready to finish when I realised Lily kept going. I must have lost count as I thought we had finished. I really had to dig deep now as my body was feeling the race and mentally I wasn't prepared for another lap. But I focused on catching Lily and attacked before a tricky single track climbing section. I then had three quarters of the lap to go and really dug deep as I wanted this to be a hard training session.

 

When I crossed the line I had no idea where I had finished, but was surprised at how many girls had finished in front, girls I recognised and knew I had passed on the first lap......mmmmm?!?!?!? Very confused, but didn't care as I had so much fun out on course today and am so happy to be back wearing racing lycra kit again.

 

When I started my cool down I met up with Coach Neil Ross, who always keeps me thinking, but I didn't quite understand what he meant by saying if the race had been 5 laps and you passed first place on the final lap where do you think you finished?' It was a riddle that I didn't quite grasp at the time until I discovered that Lily and I did one lap too many. Lily crossed the line in first for the 4 lap race, but I crossed the line first for the 5 lap race.....BUT as we were the only elite women to race 5 laps we were both disqualified.....HUH?!?!? So although we were the strongest riders out on course today, we were both second last and last respectively, well at least they gave us a place as we were told we were given a disqualification to begin with.

 

Anyway I'm just pleased as punch that I'm back racing again, and feel the strength returning at long last. Ian, the Aussies and I leave for America on Thursday for the last world cup of the year before the World Champs week commences next Monday back in Mont St Anne. I have no delusions as to where I'm likely to finish in a world cup right now, but if I can go out on course with a smile on my face and a little more buzz in the legs than I will be one happy Potter....I will be back again with another update and alot more pics soon.

 

Cheerios for now

KPxo

 

A Quick Release Holidays
Tel: 0845 1304824

http://www.aquickrelease.com

Posted via email

Guiding Highs....and sunny smiles

I apologise for the lack of KP presence on my blog, but it has been a pretty roller coaster of a rough ride these past few months. I have been trying to stay upbeat and positive, which means I have avoided writing a report because I don't want to be dragged back down into my wheel stopper of a ditch with another race report where the outcome has been another DNF and more negative healthy feelings circulating body, brain and soul. However I'm fortunate enough and very thankful for certain people in my life who seem to know the right words to say and are not putting any pressure on me right now. I feel like I'm starting to wake up and every now and then I feel like some extra buzz is returning to these ol' legs and the muscle weakness is on its way out.

 

So I guess I should explain what I have been up to, where I am at right now, and where I'm heading....me hopes.

 

My last attempt at racing was at the third round of the British Mountain Bike Series, almost a month ago now. Ian and I decided to use it as a test because I have always enjoyed racing at Margham Park and didn't want to miss out on the race after a third and second place finish in the first two races of the series. However the main reason is that we wanted to see how my body responded to racing this time after a period of rest in Luchon. Training was backed off and AQR work load reduced considerably leading up to the event. I don't like doing nothing, but Ian was not taking any KP crap, and was enforcing a home holiday. If he caught me working or training hard he was going to send me home to my parents in Oz and tell my mother to really 'mother' me, because he knows I hate mothering and fuss of any kind.

 

I started the race in the muddiest of muddy conditions. In some ways I was pleased because it would mean a slower race as I knew KP leg speed was not at its best, but I also knew my Soda and I would need to work together to survive this one, proper team effort as I really didn't want to let my sweet Soda down. There was no point taking risks on the descents and I tried not to use too many gears to avoid chain suck or a mechanical of any kind. I managed to lead the start down the tarmac straight and waited for the attacks from behind. Rosara Joseph and Lily Mathews attacked and I focused on staying on their back wheels, but the foggy feeling in my brain returned and then as I relaxed down the slippery descents my insides went into spasm. So here we go again because I'm either fighting a flat brain, energy-less legs or choking back tears as I feel like something is ripping inside me. I ended up pulling out before I had even reached the finish line for the second time this year, and only third time in my racing life time grrrrrrrr!!!!

 

So thoughts of 'I'm too old for this', 'I'm lazy', 'I'm just not trying hard enough' were circulating around my brain and really not giving me a break....you would think I would be kinder to myself. Ian and I had a flight to catch so left the muddy slopes of Margham behind and headed home to sunny Luchon.

 

More doctors and more tests later with an ultrasound revealing numerous 1-3mm kidney stones in my right kidney, that the doctor called kidney sands. The high parathormone in my blood is still too high but could be linked with the kidney pain, but then a trip to a specialist has revealed that it could be vitamin D deficiency, which I have since learnt can affect the parathyroid glands, as well as the kidneys, calcium and phosphorus levels, which can then lead on to more serious diseases if not taken seriously....good golly gosh the human body is so complex! 

 

So I have been ordered to sunbake....YOU WHAT? I'm Australian and sunbaking in my life time is a big NO! NO! What about skin cancer and the slogan I was brought up with 'BAN THE TAN!'. As most AQR guests know I religiously wear layers when out on the bike and overdose on suncream every day. In the past Ian has not allowed guests to take photos of me when out on their summer holiday because he thinks I make Luchon look cold.

 

Can't I simply eat enough food with vitamin D?

 

The doctor then asked me if I would be happy to eat a daily dose of liver....NOPE! No can do I'm afraid. So when the latest test results arrived it has confirmed vitamin D deficiency, and even after a week of exposure to the sun and a proper cyclists tan line which I'm quite proud of I must admit, I'm still way too low. So I have to take some vitamin D concoction every day and sunbake for at least 30 minutes front and back without suncream on. I actually have to wear a bikini, which I haven't done so for years (gulp).

 

So where do I go from here? Well the doctor wants me to report back in a month, but he thinks it could be a few months before I'm truly back on track and I have to take alot more care over the winter months now that he thinks I'm predisposed to this condition, especially when we return to the UK. I have to admit I'm relieved that a proper diagnosis has been confirmed now and I can put this year behind me and move forward. Someone once told me that when you overcome hurdles it will only make you stronger in more ways than one. I feel like a massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can start to get excited about my biking future again wher ever it may lead me.

 

Now for some news that I wasn't prepared for, but must get my biking butt into gear if I'm going to do Cotic Bontrager and Australia proud in 2 months time. I have been selected to represent Australia at the Mountain Biking World Championships in Canada!!!!!! Right time for another 'OH MY GOLLY GOSH MOMENT!!!!' I have spoken to some of the selectors and coaches in Australia who know about my health issues this season, but thankfully there is no pressure for me to be at my very best in 8 weeks time, because no matter how hard I train I don't know how long it will take to be back to normal, but I will do my darnest to get back on track and get these legs up to KP race speed, hopefully sooner rather than later :)

 

I'm very grateful that Cotic Bontrager are sticking by me, thankyou Cy, Griff and Helen, plus Australia's Chris and Neil who have kept in touch and helped me focus on the bigger picture. Plus a big thankyou to hubby Mr Potter for your continued support.....so yes you can start building my 2010 COTIC SODA race bike now....next KP blog I will reveal the latest SODA mix....it has a bit more of a twist this year....but as sweet as ever :)

 

Cheerios for now

KPxo

 

A Quick Release Holidays
Tel: 0845 1304824

http://www.aquickrelease.com

Posted via email