Team Herbalife Wheelbase - Newsletter No 8

Just over a week has passed now since Herbalife Wheelbase had it's introduction to the tour series a steep learning curve.

Round 5 Stoke

We were all pretty confident on the journey down talking tactics and how we thought we could get a result or influence the race. We got there nice and early but by the time we had done all the required sign on, briefing and presentation stuff had no real time to warm up so as I sat there gridded at the back as the guest team is at these races my heart rate was elevated to say the least! The pack set off behind the motorbike leading us round the circuit for the first few nervous laps all the while knowing how important it is to get near the front in these type of fast short circuit races but getting there is not easy so by the time the moto pulls away and the racing starts the guys on the back are fighting to stay with it. I managed to move up some and started to settle in when at about half distance "bang" rear tyre blew with half a lap to roll to the pit it felt like ages and I was sure by the time I got my wheel change and pushed off, the pack would be back around (you can have 1 lap out for a mechanical) all the time being told by Toby and Neil that it was OK and I had loads of time so got ready and they pushed me off whoops schoolboy error not clipped in properly and I'm now sprinting to get back on. a few more laps passed by but I was just fighting at the back unable to recover and a few laps later was dropped as I said steep learning curve but all useful and improve-able.

Round 6 Oldham

The journey down was a bit more subdued talking about mistakes and how we should have done more specific training to target these type of races as the pro teams do, but when your also targeting road races you can't have your cake and eat it. But we took what we learned from Tuesday and applied it on Thursday got set up early, changed and signed on, warmed up then rode to the circuit for siteing laps and presentation. So as we awaited the start we were better prepared but the nerves were still high. As we set off I was so determined to get up front I think I jumped from around 40th to some where in the top 15 in 2 laps which felt great but after some time of trying to maintain that position the feeling of being comfortable started to deteriorate. I should have sat up a few laps ago and took some recovery but too late when you've gone too deep for too long there's only one outcome and that was me out of the race, gutted but it was my own fault however I learned a lot and can use it in the future.

From what I have been told these were the hardest and fastest 2 rounds of the series so that makes it sting a little less.

Andrew Hawdon

11^th of February I broke my foot in a collision with a car. The Talus, a particularly hard bone to break, dense and with a small blood supply. This means the recovery takes a lot longer than for a normal break. 8 weeks were spent in plaster, 4 weeks spent non weight-bearing followed by another 4 weeks partial weight-bearing moving up to hobbling about. 16 weeks after the crash I was given the all clear to start training on the road again and racing in a further 2 months, 6 months after the crash.

As soon as I was allowed to put partial weight on the foot I was straight up to The Body Rehab and onto their altitude machine riding their Watt Bike. Starting off at about 110 watts at about 8,000ft. 4 weeks later I was riding at 11,500ft pushing 130 Watts. I also had some soft tissue work done around the ankle including some laser treatment and with this meant, I hit the road in surprisingly good shape. So much so that one week of riding on the road I was able to hit the Lune 'racing' (old 3^rd cats) club run and do 70miles in 4 hours, which considering the injuries and amount of riding I have done, meant I was very happy!!

I probably over did it, but to know that I can do it is a major boost and one which is spurring me on to keep up the hard work and be ready to give a kicking to some 4^th cats and riding with the rest of the team (who have been a major moral support).

Just before I say bye, massive thanks to the team at The Body Rehab, I can't imagine what shape I would be in right now if I hadn't had the treatment from them.

In a bizzle.

James