Dianne Roy

When I first heard about the training for ATB in a day being held by Kathy and Carey, I thought it would be great for my husband who had done the ride the year before and I also felt it would help me gain more confidence riding a bike. I had no intention of doing the ATB ride. The training was excellent and Carey and Kathy effortlessly divided their time between the various levels of riders so no-one felt they were being overlooked. Gradually I gained more confidence riding on the velodrome and also the bike tracks where my husband and I used to practice. My fitness level also started to improve and the great group of people I was training with suggested I do the ATB ride also. My initial reaction was no as I didn't believe I could ride 210km let alone sit on a bike for 10 hours or more.
With the encouragement of Kathy and Carey and everyone else I soon believed that I could do the ride so I entered the ATB in a day ride. Without Kathy and Carey's belief in me and the training they gave me I would never have done the ride.

 

 

David Nairn

My mates laughed at me …

“Why do you need bike lessons – you can ride a bike?”
“Well yes, but my new bike (first for 40+ years) has handbrakes, gears and funny pedals.”
“So what did you learn?”
“Getting on, starting, stopping, getting off, and turning.”
“Next week no doubt I will learn that my pedalling is wrong too!”

I went to Kathy and Carey (Kathy Watt’s Personal Training) after buying a bike to do the “Deadly Treadly Tour” at Easter with some friends, and finding that while ‘you never forget how to ride a bike’ the technology has changed since 1960 and my muscle memory was dim! I was doing most things wrong and had the gravel rash and bruises to prove it. After one particularly heavy fall I was getting “frequent physio” points and the bike was definitely headed for the back shed and then the Trading Post!

After two lessons with Carey I had the general idea. I was clipping in and out of the fancy pedals, braking instead of stopping, cornering instead of turning – and staying on the bike!

The pedalling lesson was an eye opener. We rode along Beach Road for about 45 minutes at a speed of 18km/h. I was absolutely stuffed when we finished and had to sit in the car for 40minutes before driving home! This mortified me because I had paddled in the Red Cross Murray Marathon Canoe Relay and thought I was in reasonable shape.

Well, I survived the “Deadly Treadly Tour” – 220km over 4 days - by walking up the hills and having frequent rest stops at the pubs. Next Challenge? Round the Bay in a Day? Yeah, give it a go!

I started real training with Kathy and Carey in June on Friday and Sunday mornings. As well I rode whenever I could – weather, work and body permitting. By mid September I was at the magic 210km in a week, and my body was no longer the limit! I could climb and knew about eating and hydration during training and the ride.

How did I go on the day? Eleven hours total time, and average speed 25kph. I could ride in the bunches and share the work. So the ride was fun and I met lots of nice people. My smug grin has lasted days longer than my sore butt! And my mates aren’t laughing. They are in awe of me!

I’m still training with Kathy Watt because I have decided to do Masters Racing and I want to get Around the Bay in nine hours next year.

Big thanks to the organisers and volunteers involved in Around the Bay in a Day. I had a ball and thought that the organisation was first class, and the cheeriness of the volunteers with all those riders was unbelievable. So thank you to the organisers, volunteers and all those who rode with me on the day.