Kate Potter

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Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Training, Guiding and topping up my TAN!!!!

I have to make this quick, but will be posting a proper KP blog very shortly. All I can say is that I'm here in the Algarve and loving every moment of AQR Holidays work right now.....yes work as we Potters spend 5hrs on the bike checking out trails and exploring new trails to spice up the rides Ian discovered 10 years ago. At the same time Ian and I are on our own proper training camp to get one's legs up to fitness and skill up to speed for the up coming racing adventures that start in May. The warmth and sun filled days remind me of a Sydney spring and I'm back into my old routine of waking up at 5am for early morning jogs around the orange groves and then finding the courage to go for a chilly swim at 7am when most sensible people are still in bed.....however this also means falling into bed exhausted at 9pm as I'm just loving every moment of the day right now and want to make the most of every minute of sunshine....must dash.....but will return soon.....

Cheerios for now

KPxo

AQR - A Quick Release Holidays

AQR - A Quality Ride Coaching

Tel: 0845 1304824

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Thursday, February 10, 2011

A NEW BIKING CHAPTER....

What a wonderful weekend of winter biking action we Potters have just returned home from here in Luchon. I must admit I’m nicely knackered after 6hrs on the bike off road action, but loving the aches and pains all the same...although I could do without all the bruises covering most of my body, including my butt! I have definitely earned a day of rest tomorrow and funnily enough am looking forward to it for now. I actually don’t like recovery days, never have, never will...unless the weather is rotten, but even then I have trouble relaxing and love nothing more than braving the weather to mountain bike or hike on all of the wonderful and varied trails we have out here in Luchon. There is something truly magical about breathing in fresh mountain air and looking down over all the small villages that scatter across the Luchon valley. I have seen these views for over 6 years now and I’m always dazzled by the scenery. I have even started a ladies hiking group and 2-3 times each week Marnie, Nina, Helen and of course our four legged companion Miloo brave the cold wintry mornings to see the sun rise over our sleepy town and bring wintry warmth across the Luchon valley.

I had hoped to write the second instalment of my 2011 blog a little sooner (sorry....I can’t believe it’s February!), but training and AQR work have beat me to it I’m afraid and have taken priority recently. There is alot going on with AQR Holidays and Coaching in 2011, but before I go on I shall explain what Ian and I are up to this year and where we are heading to in the future, but in order to understand our new, but not so new direction I need to put an end to 2010 once and for all.

2010 was quite a frustrating year for Ian and I on many different levels, and I’m hugely relieved that we have entered 2011 on healthier, happier and more exciting times. I have always been very fortunate in the health department and rarely suffer colds or flu, if ever (touch wood), but since 2004 have suffered the most incredible pain at times that doctors back then were unwilling to investigate further. I remember the last 24hr solo I finished back in 2007, for most of the ride I felt like shooting stabbing pains were my constant companion, as well as the usual 24hr solo discomfort you learn to expect from such an event. I swore I would never give birth, nor compete in a 24hr solo event again. So I turned to XC only to give my body and brain a break from the frustration I was feeling at the time, although a different level of pain, full time XC would be a new challenge and perhaps I would finally rid myself of the stabbing feeling that seemed to be joining me on nearly every long race and training session back then.

I felt rather guilty that my team Cotic Bontrager who wanted to support me in my ultra endurance endeavours were now supporting me as an XC racer which wasn’t their intended goal at first, especially as Cy had developed the awesome KP24 full suss machine for endurance racing purposes and I hadn’t put her to a proper test yet. I couldn’t face the thought of another 24hr solo challenge back then though because I’m the type of person who has to give everything 150% in order to feel happy about my performance, and only riding at half of my ability due to the pain was not good enough for me and causing me alot of distress. I was also starting to think I was imagining the pain since doctors ignored my symptoms no matter how many repeat visits and ongoing tests didn’t lead to any concrete evidence that something was actually wrong. I decided a new racing direction would prove the best medicine for body and brain at the time, so XC it would be and why not try and race for my country.

2008 and 09 were fantastic years and I loved all the XC challenges that came my way. It meant a step back from guiding full time leaving Mr Potter to take on the extra responsibility that my absence would bring to our Luchon AQR guiding team, and then there were times we would be forced to close AQR in Luchon altogether when Ian would be supporting other Aussie racers which meant no income, but again we would earn a variety of life experiences instead that we could add to our personal life CVs as I call them. I was fortunate enough to have the support from the Australian national mountain bike coach during this time and learnt alot about myself as an ‘almost’ full time mountain bike athlete, as I was still juggling racing all over the world with running a full time holiday and coaching business over the internet, as well as sponsor commitments. I have always believed in the old saying: ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’, because along the way I met wonderful people, visited new places, and rode different types of terrain and loved what I was learning from all these experiences because I knew it was making me a better person. I was relieved that I went on to win the 2009 British Cross Country Mountain Bike Series for the Cotic Bontrager Race Team, as well as the 2007 British Marathon title because I wanted to ensure my sponsors didn’t think I was wasting their time as I was so grateful for all their ongoing support. I rely on my sponsors to help me race, and feel the pressure more than most to ensure I do my job as best I can.

Then 2010 came crashing down, and although I believe things happen for a reason well I’m still waiting to find reason in what happened. Through no fault of my own I lost the support of a great national coach and all that Australian mountain bikers had been working towards since 2008 for a crack at the 2012 London Olympics disappeared and those results and points were now worthless. As always I knew there were 2 more years to invest money and time into the sport and help an Australian make it to the Olympics, and I was overeager to give it my best shot. However as early 2010 races proved my energy levels were not where they should be and this pain returned with a vengeance, as well as repeated bouts of other symptoms I shan’t go into detail about, but which started to scare me. I was fortunate enough to have Ian and his family really help me more than they realise during this time because I don’t think I have ever been so unhappy.

Mr Potter dragged me back to doctors and demanded answers because we were both starting to worry more about the effects these symptoms were causing to my long term health and well being as they were becoming more frequent and now often at rest too. After several blood tests and some not so pleasant tests I finally knew what was going on internally, and although I needed time to sort myself out I could now do something about it. It turns out I had been suffering a form of kidney stones for many years which the doctors think was brought on by overconsumption of drinks with electrolytes in them and that I also had a sunny D deficiency which brought on parathyroidism. It meant some time away from racing and ongoing doctors visits and tests, but I was allowed to guide again and enjoyed being at home....At the same time I found out that I was selected for the 2010 Cross Country World Championships and again my spirits were lifted because I had a goal and I could feel my energy levels responding to the need to give this event my best shot. I love having goals you see...I love challenges....although uncertain how my body would respond I was excited about training myself up again to be in the best shape possible and hopefully pain free once and for all.

Out in Canada I felt rejuvenated by the extra strength that was slowly returning to my body. My first race back was the Quebec Cup and I could feel all these new sensations that brought a new wave of KP racing confidence and excitement. It was a strange race as I finished first had the race been 5 laps long, but along with other riders we were not pulled or shown to the finish area as you would normally expect at this level of racing, so thought we must have one lap to go when we were leading the field as the organisers didn’t make it clear at the start or during the race as to how many laps we were supposed to do. This decision cost us a result as we were disqualified because we did one lap too many. Although it was a training race, at the time I was happy because I raced pain free, but only later did I feel let down by the sport. Most mountain bike athletes travel a long way to invest their time and money into events knowing you never make any financial gains from it no matter how well you perform, but you take part because you love riding your bike hard and testing yourself for 2hrs and look forward to that post race high....but then I finished on a complete low when told of my disqualification. I could laugh it off at the time but deep down I felt like I had cheated even though I had not interfered in anybody’s race. It made me question what I was doing there as I could just ride hard for 2hrs in Luchon at no extra cost and feel alot more personal satisfaction and elation then I did following that race. I shrugged it off because we were heading to the final World Cup in America the following weekend before the 2010 World Champs at Mont St Anne. Unfortunately both races were plagued by mechanicals and I finished with no sense of personal achievement. So it wasn’t the happiest beginning, middle or end to racing in 2010.

What frustrated me was that I had used British sponsors money to get me to the World Championships to represent Australia because I really wanted to see how far I could go at international cross country level and as always help Australia gain Olympic points along the way. Yet here I was racing as best I could given the mechanical issues, but again only at 50% but this time pain free. I had nothing to give back to my Team Cotic Bontrager at the end of it all, and felt like I had learnt nothing along the way because I endured the same mechanical problems one week after the next at the most important event of the year.

After returning home to Luchon and still gaining new found strength week on week, I realise now that I probably was still only at 50% level of health back then anyhow. Although feeling so much better than I did earlier in the year made me think that I was back to my normal base line level of health and fitness. I returned to full time AQR guiding duties alongside Mr Potter during October and was finding alot of pleasure in meeting new people from all rides of life and challenging a few too to some extra long mountain bike rides before and after the traditional 10am-4pm guiding day. I love seeing how happy guests are when riding our Pyrenean back yard that is filled with trails that we have access to virtually all year round. At the same time I was reflecting on my reasons for racing XC because I wasn’t sure if I was truly learning anything anymore or whether it was truly making me as happy as I am when living out here in the mountains and being part of AQR Holidays. Part of me had lost enthusiasm to race at that level when I was putting so many other important aspects of my life on hold and no longer feeling like I was learning anything about myself.

Then I heard the wonderful news of Anne Dickins finishing 4^th at the 24hr solo world championships in Australia on my bike, the first Cotic KP24 prototype. Ian and I tried to support Anne as much as we could leading up to this event as she came out to Luchon for some coaching advice and support in August last year. Anne had only 6 weeks before her international 24hr solo debut and was lacking preparation due to a recent knee injury. From my experience at 24hr solo racing it’s not always about how many hours one can sit on a bike for before the event or even how fast you are at the time....it is the event where your time on the bike counts from the start to the finish and where you face the most uncomfortable 24hrs of your life. It is a race against one’s brain and pain threshold, and no matter where you finish it is a worthy performance that not many people in the cycling world can fully comprehend. I was so excited for Anne when she let me know her result and how pleased she was with her performance, plus the Cotic KP24 finally got the 24hr solo outing she deserved in Australia of all places.

At the same time I started meeting more and more people, ladies in particular who wanted to face new personal challenges on the bike such as 24hr solo events or stage racing and I could feel my excitement for the sport return. I have been involved in teaching and coaching from the age of 16 and I have always felt more comfortable teaching and supporting people than being competitive against other people, except myself...oh and Mr Potter J. I don’t know why but in the past I used to feel intimidated and confused by the fact that people thought I was their competition, even though I know that was what you do when you race, but I could see how it changed certain people off the race track and not always for the better. For me I always go into races just wanting to give it my best shot and finish with sore legs and a smile on my face and what will be will be....I absolutely love feeling completely knackered after a day on the bike and hate it when I don’t feel like I have given a race my best shot at feeling tired by the finish line. When I stood on the number 1 spot on the podium knowing I had won the 2009 cross country series I thought I would be more excited by this plaque I was holding in my hands, but it was just this huge sense of relief that I had won a series for my sponsors because it gave me more credibility as an athlete begging for product and/or financial support so I could continue racing for the next season. Deep down I was more excited by the effort it took to keep up with Annie Last to the end of the final national round race that made me truly happy....as I was shattered and so earned my sleep! J

This made me think about the past and why I started racing in the first place....and suddenly I caught myself thinking about personal challenges and before I knew it or had time to think about the implications of what I was announcing, I had signed up to do the 24hr Exposure National solo Championships in 2011. The thought of Ian and I joining forces again, KP as rider and Mr P doing all the pit crew work and overdosing on coffee which I personally think is much harder brought a smile to my face. All my 24hr solo memories really excited me again after I thought I had laid them to rest....but I shan’t repeat Ian’s thoughts J Since then I have been loving training again for myself and testing myself against the bike in every possible way....and as yet I have remained pain free, well except for the sore butt when sitting on a saddle for too long, and the blisters from my endless mountain hike challenges, and the massive crash yesterday when we went all day trail exploring, oh and the 3am turbo brain training session as I like to call them. I’m feeling remarkably good, even though the body, brain and my pain tolerance are being trained on an almost daily basis.

So now I guess it’s time to explain what 2011 is all about for Mr Potter and I....as you can probably guess it’s all about the personal challenge of riding a bike in whichever way we fancy....whether guiding, coaching, trail exploring and of course racing.....from my experience there are multi layers of success one can achieve from riding a bike and yet it is the personal experiences without material gains that have brought the greatest satisfaction to me over the years, this also includes seeing others put the hard work in too and knowing they have improved and feel like they have achieved on the bike no matter where they cross the finish line. Right now I hear so many reports of athletes feeling forced to take banned substances by the pressure top level racing brings about where winning is the be all and end all. It saddened me to find out that a girl I raced in Italy felt the need to take a banned substance to improve her performance possibly because winning was her only means to experiencing material success and/or personal worth as I can’t understand why else one would risk tarnishing the sport or themselves in doing so...but worst of all how could you take joy in any personal success when you have chosen that path. Anyway that is another subject altogether that I will leave the media to report on.

In any case it’s time to say goodbye to one half of a wonderful team who have supported me since 2007. Andy Gowan originally from Bontrager and Andy Griff from Bontrager really looked after me in more ways than one over the years and I’m so grateful for all the support they have given me. It was an honour to meet Keith Bontrager two years ago, and actually be interviewed by the man himself and I hope to still support Bontrager where I can in the future.

Now it’s time to announce the start of a new team that I’m really excited to be part of and where personal success within the team will come about through hard work and dedication to the sport, and alot of laughs along the way too. Cotic are again our number one bike choice and it makes sense that AQR Holidays play an integral role into the development of this team as it is a long term project, not a one year team plan that we hope to create and that I will be part of now and in the future. 12 riders have been selected who also have their own personal mountain bike challenges that we aim to support so they too can experience personal success and feel excited about the personal challenges they have set themselves for 2011 and beyond.

The new team for 2011 is called The Cotic AQR Holidays Race Team, and we will be at UK events such as –

EXPOSURE 12/24HR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

BRISTOL BIKEFEST

MOUNTAIN MAYHEM

BONTRAGER 24/12

12:12 TORQ IN YOUR SLEEP

BRITISH MOUNTAIN BIKE SERIES

24HR ADRENALINE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

NATIONAL & EUROPEAN 4X

DUST TILL DAWN

TRANSPYRENEES

*plus select regional race series that are situated close to team riders, including those in Wales and Scotland.

THE COTIC AQR HOLIDAYS RACE TEAM 2011

IAIN COLLINS – XC & Team events.

KATIE COLLINS – XC & Team events.

ANNE DICKINS – 24hr solo and pairs.

JAMES DYMOND – XC & Team events.

ANTHONY JORDAN – 24hr solo and pairs.

RUTH OWEN-EVANS – XC & Team events.

IAN POTTER – XC & Team events.

KATE POTTER – 12 & 24hr solo events.

KIRSTY PRIOR – XC & Team events.

MATT PRIOR – XC & Team events.

ROBBIE RICKMAN – 4X & Endurance downhill events.

RACHEL SOKAL – 12hr solo & Team events.

TEAM SUPPORT –JAMES DYMOND, IAN POTTER, KATE POTTER, SIMON USHER

THE COTIC AQR HOLIDAYS RACE TEAM would also like to thank the following companies for their support in 2011 –

TITLE SPONSORS

COTIC

A QUICK RELEASE HOLIDAYS

CO-SPONSORS

MAGURA FORKS AND BRAKES

KCNC STEM, BARS, SEAT POSTS, SEAT BINDERS,

........CHAIN SETS, CHAINS AND JOCKEY WHEELS

INDUSTRY 9 WHEELSETS

SUNWISE EYEWEAR

A QUALITY RIDE COACHING

SKINS COMPRESSION CLOTHING

661 GLOVES

TORQ ENERGY PRODUCTS

ALIGATOR I-LINK CABLES

CRANK BROTHERS PEDALS & HEAD SETS

FENWICKS BIKE CLEANER

SWINNERTON CYCLES

EXPOSURE LIGHTS

BIGFOOT BIKE BAGS

PURPLE EXTREME LUBRICATION

JOOLZE DYMOND PHOTOGRAPHY

POWER BALANCE

Right that's me done for now....but in 2 weeks we Potters head off to Portugal for three AQR holiday weeks of fun on the bikes in the Algarve, so plenty of upcoming news to add very soon :)

AQR - A Quick Release Holidays

AQR - A Quality Ride Coaching

Tel: 0845 1304824

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Monday, January 10, 2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR BLOG...and my Cotic demons (heehoohaahaaa....scary laugh)

Well I am a little late in wishing you all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR, but I will have you know this blog started on the 1st January 2011 and now it is the 7th January, so I'm determined to finish it today. My 2011 New Year's Resolution is to take one photo every day, plus write a blog about riding, guiding and Potter racing adventures every 7 days too. I will not fail in this first month of 2011 and must learn to be concise (one of my many resolutions).....if only that were an easy task!

My slackness has nothing to do with Writer's block either. My brain is constantly filled and over filling with exciting biking adventures from the last few days of biking here in Luchon and also planned Potter AQR ventures for the future, but it’s these very adventures that are slowing me down and getting in the way of my writing time. At the moment I blame the weather.....'blame' not 'moan about' that is. The weather has been annoyingly GOOD here in the French Pyrenees!!! There are too many sunny winter days when I just wish it would be horribly wet, cold and miserable because I work so much better when I know I can't go out and play in my Luchon 360 degree panoramic view of a back yard. I often set my alarm for 4am and work until 11am, because I work solidly when I can't feel the warmth of the sun or see the mountains surrounding our little village home....but around 10am the fidgeting starts and there is an internal pressure, mental torture and compulsive need to escape the confines of the office room.....LET ME OUT!!!!!

I must have a break from staring aimlessly at the computer screen with this internal screaming rattling inside my mind. I open the windows to warm the office up. It is January 3rd and here I am actually opening the office windows to warm up the permanently cold stone walls of the office....during winter the Potter home is also known as the ‘igloo’, a Luchon locals joke (Ha! Ha!) J.

I shut the blinds and attempt another hour of work as I have so much to do....tick, tock, tick, tock....YOU KNOW YOU WANT’S IT.....then that voice starts and grows in intensity....YOU KNOW YOU WANT’S IT....A voice with demonic overtones that is starting to sound like that ‘Gollom’ character from ‘Lord of the Rings’. YOU KNOW YOU WANT’S IT.....I MUST ride my bike.....YOU KNOW YOU WANT’S TO....I’m starting to wonder if the Cotic demon on my bike’s head tube really does possess me....YOU KNOW YOU WANT’S TO....focus on your job KP....YOU KNOW YOU WANT’S TO....it’s no use my thinking has been impaired, but one more job before I stop..... YOU KNOW YOU WANT’S TO.....grrrrrrrr!

It is 11am and Ian dares to open the office door to see the woman he fell in love with bedraggled in 100 layers and a dressing gown to keep warm, with red worn out eyes, hair sticking out on end and slurred incomprehensible speech. Those Cotic demon like characteristics are starting to take hold of such an ‘innocent fragile angelic creature’ (OK I threw that last description in for effect J ) Mr Potter does look scared though because he knows at this time of day the slightest action on his part could bring the ceiling down. He asks me if I would like a drink, but methinks it is to see if the internal Cotic demon has possessed me yet or not......I SNAP!

I shan’t print all the words that fight their way out of my mouth because the words are merely a build up of noise going on inside my brain. Thankfully my boss is also my husband and he is the one who drags me down stairs and demands that I ride my bike for the sake of his hair colour. Mr Potter understands that the Cotic demon is like a puppy dog that needs constant feeding and walks.....my Cotic demon must be given attention too so it's time to hit the trails and play in the sun, oh dear which Cotic bike to choose from? My Cotic Soda, Cotic X or Cotic KP24.....oh golly gosh I have to make a decision and now there are three Cotic demons trying to take over my brain.....YOU KNOW YOU WANT’S ME.....Oh for flop’s sakes!

Mr Potter quickly sends me on my way on the Cotic Soda before I start becoming an indecisive KP. All the tension, red eyes and head full of steam finally subsides (the scary looking hair remains but is covered by my helmet), as has the Cotic demonic voice who is speaking to me like an angel now because we all know we are where we want to be. The two of us together have been like screaming school children desperate to get our own way, but now we can relax because we have found our trail and it’s time to pedal!!!

There is something quite surreal about riding trails by oneself in the middle of the week when one knows they really should be working. I feel like a guilty school student who has missed classes even though my boss has given me the go ahead, but it’s difficult to see Mr Potter as the boss when he know very well that ‘wife’ means Boss in Aussie-english J.

I stop every now and then to look around at our beautiful mountain biking playground, before my little Cotic Soda (which we shan’t say too loud as I don’t want the other demons to moan about my choice today) and I recommence blasting up, along or down our favourite Luchon trails with Mr Potter joining us on occasion too when he thinks it’s safe to do so. I must admit that this is all part of AQR Holidays work as well (can you sense my guilt) as we always have new trails to check out and even clear, new ideas for different loops in the guiding season and general training to ensure we can do our job as guides and race from March until November if time allows for it.

I return later in the day around 4 or 5pm when the sun has disappeared over the mountain peaks and darkness is closing in. I know my work brain will switch back on now and no more Cotic Demons will fight for trail riding attention until the same time tomorrow. Their distractions have been engulfed by darkness and the sun has disappeared for another day. So it's back to AQR work for 4hrs until Ian has to drag me down stairs for dinner by our little wood burner where I happily fall asleep to the sounds of Ian playing his 'darn' Xbox machine....yes the machine and I don't get on, but Ian has his demons too :)

For me life can't get much better than this....MOUNTAINS + BIKE + ADVENTURES = COTIC DEMONS....because knowing the mountains are on your doorstep might mean early starts and late nights, but the Cotic Demons also remind you what a biker’s life should all be about.

So what are my 2011 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS and ADVENTURES.....well to ensure I don’t break my first resolution (the one about being a little more concise and to the point), I will briefly state what they are, and elaborate on them some more in 7 days time:

COTIC ‘to be announced’ RACE TEAM – a new team!!!

AQR HOLIDAYS – a new trail adventure!!!

AQR COACHING – a new ‘A Quality Ride’ chapter!!!

IAN & KATE POTTER – a new journey!!!

Hope you all feed your Cotic Demons on a regular basis too for your own sake......I will be back! (heehoohaahaaa....there’s that wannabe scary laugh again)

AQR - A Quick Release Holidays

AQR - A Quality Ride Coaching

Tel: 0845 1304824

Posted via email

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

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)

AQR - A Quick Release Holidays

AQR - A Quality Ride Coaching

Tel: 0845 1304824

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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

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
Tel: 0845 1304824

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Wednesday, October 20, 2010

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 :)

A Quick Release Holidays
Tel: 0845 1304824