Two weeks after the Western Cape champs it was time to get ready for the climax of the domestic season for me. The six weeks before SA champs were more stressful than usual for me, as this was the first time in several years that I was working part time, racing, training and arranging the trip to SA’s myself. I also had concerns about different aspects about the trip itself. I was so stressed that I had trouble sleeping and so, by the time we left I was already exhausted. I really hoped that when on the trip and I had daily help that I would be able to be less stressed and could enjoy the trip. Unfortunately that did not happen and I found the trip extremely stressful and at times too much to handle.
Being in a stressful state is definitely not conducive to getting the best athletic performance out of one’s body, especially with Cerebral Palsy where you are already dealing with spasticity, chronic fatigue, and a body that generally doesn’t always cooperate with you, but I was here to do a job. My entire cycling year relies on what I achieve at SA’s. At the start of the year certain standards as far as average speed for each paracycling category is set by Cycling South Africa, and if you want to race internationally for the whole year you have to attain those standards and the only time you can set down your attempt is during the time trial at SA champs. With one of my eyes on the Paralympics in Paris in 2024 and qualification for that already starting at this year’s international races (I think), I was feeling like I had to perform at Champs in order to be included in the team for the international season. Usually the year after Paralympics, everyone is a little bit more relaxed because qualification doesn’t start during the first year post Olympics. But due to the fact that Tokyo was held a year later, because of the pandemic, we don’t have that first year without worrying about earning points. As far as I know the rush for points and slots starts this year already!
The all-important time trial was the first race for me at SA champs and it was scheduled for the Thursday mid morning. We arrived in Grasskop late on Monday and on Tuesday morning Gill built up my bike, whereafter I was able to do a short training session on my rollers. Once again having the rollers made such a huge difference to my week. Both on non race days and race days the rollers ensured that I always had a place to train or warm up, without worrying about finding a safe road where I could get my legs turning over. On Tuesday we drove the route by car slowly so I could start familiarizing myself with the road. On the Wednesday we could get on the route with my trike which is another first for me at nationals I think. Usually the roads are either too busy for me to safely cycle on, or I don’t arrive early enough in the week to still get onto the route. My mother and Gill drove the hired van behind me on the route for safety. We had enough time to stop at a tricky section of the route for me and stand and go through various ways for me to cope with the camber. I could also redo the section until I felt comfortable enough to do it on race day. Leaving that training session I was confident that I knew the route really well.
Later in the day when we were at registration we learnt that we were doing the route in the opposite direction during the TT! This meant that all my markers I had mentally set up along the route were now going to be in reverse, and the uphills would now be downhills and the downhills now uphills! This may sound simple but for someone like me a simple change in the angle of the road can throw my balance and coordination off. I asked if we could go drive that route AGAIN – this time in the correct direction! It was too late in the day for me to cycle the route again bearing in mind that I was racing the next morning. The change of the direction actually played in my favor as the tricky section we had discussed the day before was now not a downhill but an uphill which was my stronger suit. However that discussion was not wasted as talking about the way my body reacts or doesn’t react with the two women who understand my body best is invaluable knowledge that I hope I can store away for a race where I need that information, and perhaps they aren’t there.
Race day
I was very happy that my time trial was only just after 10am on Thursday morning because it meant that I could have a few more hours sleep which was very very needed at this point, and it meant that our getting ready was less rushed. I could also arrange my medication or at least try to be more conscious of what time I drank my medication for my spasticity/ uncontrolled movements, so I could try and optimized the window when I was the least spastic, and time it to be during my race time. I made sure we left early enough so that our time at the venue when I wanted to warm up and get ready for the race wasn’t rushed because that makes me more spastic.
Jaedan, my friend and the young cyclist who I've been mentoring, was racing in his first senior SA Nationals in the same time slot as myself. After discussing my time schedule for the morning, I asked Gill to go see if Jaedan wanted to use my rollers to warm up on, as he didn’t have any, while my mom and I started to prep for my race. Apparently as he started to warm up they found out that there was a problem with his gears! So for the next while they had to go around looking for someone to help them. As I had my own race to focus on, all I could offer him as the stressed, nervous young man came past where I was, was a few encouraging words to stay calm and trust the team he had with him, his parents. As we warmed up there was a lovely spirit of comradery in the air. Everyone who was getting ready for their individual time trial was milling about doing their own thing but if you passed someone you knew, or wanted to meet, there was a minute or two to chat before returning to prepare for your own race.
Finally Jaedan and I were ready to start. As we lined up in the queue I had another surprise waiting for me. Instead of starting last of all the trikes, or that was how I read the handbook, I was called to the front and was the first trike to head out. I struggled initially to get my odometer to reach the final setting in time to start, but literally with a few seconds spare it was ready and the commissioner started my count down. It was time to race!
Thankfully my start was a good one and my foot didn’t clip out because there was a delay before I heard the rumble of my back-up vehicle (mom and Gill) behind me. It wasn’t long before the two T2 males caught up with, and passed me, but that was expected. There was one T1 male rider whom I didn’t know or how fast he was, and I thought it was a good challenge to try and keep him behind me for as long as I could. I don’t remember the whole 15kms but snippets come back to me from time to time. I remember thinking and even praying that nothing bad would happen because my mother was watching from the car behind me and if I wanted to continue racing it would probably be a good idea to race safely. I also remember going so fast down the one hill, that I almost missed a tricky section of the road where I had to slow down to ensure I got onto the newly surfaced road safely. ( I did not point out that there were road works being carried on, on a long stretch of road heading south out of Graskop so there were patches of old stripped & areas of newly surfaced road, which could trip one up quite badly) Ok I admit, I did miss it and then had to use my screeching brakes to ensure I negotiated the section safely. Once again I chastised myself for not remembering that bump, as today was not the day to really let things go because of who was in the car behind me.
There was a section of road were I really struggled. When I rode it on my trike in training I was going in the opposite direction so I wasn’t aware that it was a false flat and to add to that I developed a stitch in my abdomen, which lasted a few minutes. There was a fair amount of climbing on the course which played to my strength but I also found that my climbing skills, although pretty good, wasn’t at it’s best. Finally I had one more hill to get up to reach the finish line which was at the top. I pushed as hard as I could to finish strongly.
Once I had crossed the line I cycled to where I saw Jaedan and his family and waited there until my mom and Gill had parked the vehicle and joined us. It is so nice for me to sit with other paracyclists, especially the tricycles, after the race to hear their comments and remarks and compare notes, because I know that I am still learning my trade and to get different opinions and ideas help to build my knowledge. It is also just relaxing time, allowing me to be part of a community of like-minded people. We all stopped to cheer as the male T1 cyclist, who had really struggled on the hills, arrived back.
After the medal ceremony we went home and I could not wait to do one thing. As soon as I could, even before I ate lunch, I started my laptop up and plugged in my Garmin. I had to see what kind of speeds I had done. For months JC had challenged me to get up to 30km/h on the downhills. He knew it was within my ability and asked me to go there. Remember that hill where I almost made a mistake? Well I had a feeling that that was exactly where I broke Toni Mould’s land speed record. Previously my top speed had been about 28.5km/h. I kind of thought I was around 30km/h but I had to wait until I could upload my race data before I could confirm it. Once I laid eyes on my top speed of the day I was overjoyed! Not only had I achieved what JC had asked me to do but I had smashed my previous best! My new top speed was 32km/h! ! As my phone was flat from the ladies taking photos and videos of my race I immediately asked Gill to send a message to JC from her phone (as she had been in touch with him about my bike) with the great news! I knew he would be chuffed and proud. Unfortunately my average speed (the one the selectors use) was not as high as I wanted it but it is understandable with all the hills.
I am so glad I did well in my TT, not only for qualification purposes but for another reason as well. Just before Nationals I received a special contribution from a few special needs learners from my home town. They had followed my journey during the Tokyo Paralympics and knowing that I am self funded they decided to raise money for my next race. Their letter and donation reached me about two weeks before my SA champs campaign and touched me deeply. They had just received a donation of two tricycles at their school and are learning to ride them. I emailed them and asked them to send me a picture of their school badge. I took the badge with us and the night before my TT we pinned it to the back of my shirt. This TT was for them and I am so glad that I reached new speeds in their honour. Unfortunately during the race the badge fell off so I couldn’t take photos with it after the race.
I will continue our journey of SA champs in the next blog. Stay tuned.