A lot of riders new to cycling come to see me for coaching and tell me that they dream of riding 100km at an organised event, but are afraid of the distance, riding in groups and hills. I recently coached and rode the Tour De Farm (TDF) with three ladies from the Cycling Plus All Stars Team; Ching Amornvatana, Hui Sure and Ueeya Worada.
Conquering your fears in sport or life take time and need to be taken in tiny steps by setting a series of goals so you can gradually reach that top step and your ultimate goal. Each of the three ladies had different fears to conquer at the TDF and I asked them to write in their own words their experience and thoughts to help motivate everyone to get on their bikes in 2016.
Ueeya Worada
I started riding in 2012 but only on weekends and for very short distances with friends for fun. My friend Joe Pruksuwat at CP persuaded me to ride the TDF with him as part of the Cycling Plus team. I had only used normal sports shoes for cycling but decided to try real cycling shoes with cleats that clip onto the pedals and was amazed at how easy they were to use and how much more power I could exert down on the pedals.
I almost gave up riding the TDF a few weeks before as I was so afraid of riding 100km along hills and with 3000 other riders too! Yet, JJ, Ching, Hui and Joe kept motivating me and promised to ride with me the whole way and not leave me behind. Race day arrived and I was so nervous with all my fears rushing around my head; I even encountered a mechanical problem as mud had got stuck in my gears! Luckily, JJ was there with me to fix the problem and it was sorted within a matter of minutes. The first hill arrived and I was petrified but JJ rode next to me and helped push me on the steepest parts and kept motivating me to reach the top; once I had conquered my first big hill I knew that with JJ's help I would be able to finish. The funniest moment was after being left behind on a long climb, JJ had come back for me and then pushed me at 40kph for 5km so that I could catch up with the rest of my group; it was hilarious when I was passing the riders while JJ was pushing me. When I crossed the finish line with all my friends I was amazed that I had finally did it even if it was with some help. Next year I want to do it again, faster, stronger and with nobody pushing me. I am so inspired now to train harder.
Ching Amornvatana
I've only been riding for just over a year and hadn't done any sport since I left school. Last year I rode the TDF route as a newbie but the hills defeated me and I just couldn't finish. I was lucky enough to be chosen by Cycling Plus to ride for their All Stars Team at an audition. I was so excited to be in the team but so worried that I would let the team down; so I trained very hard for three months following JJ's training plan every weekend as well as three evenings a week after work on my trainer at home. I gradually got stronger and faster and my body became really toned and slim. JJ took me for a test 100km ride a month before the TDF, I was so happy to be able to do 100km without stopping at an average speed of 28kph.
On race day I was so motivated to finish the race unaided and conquer the hills that had defeated me a year ago. When riding on the first hill, I was surprised by how strong I felt riding past a lot of guys and as the race progressed I felt stronger and stronger. As I crossed the finish line I felt an incredible sense of achievement and pride that I had improved so much in just one year.
Hui Sure
I started riding a couple years ago but only a few kilometres around the area that I lived. When the Sky Lane opened I started riding the 23km loop. I was always too slow and left behind by my friends, so I started coaching with JJ just three or four hours a week to try and ride faster and further. My longest ride on the weekends were only about 70km on the flat around Bangkok and I had never ridden on hills, so Coach JJ invited me to ride up Khao Yai mountain a month before the TDF to practice riding on hills. I had no idea how to ride out of the saddle or which gear to choose and at what point to change gears. Coach JJ rode next to me teaching me how to ride. It was so hard and I had to stop several times to rest and I was exhausted when we reached the top.
Race day at the TDF arrived and I was ready; but as the first hill approached I started to feel afraid that I couldn't ride up it without stopping. Coach JJ rode next to me motivating me to keep pushing harder on the pedals; near the top I could see the Cycling Plus van and wanted to stop for a rest but JJ wouldn't let me and told me to keep pushing hard as we were nearly at the top; as soon as I crested the brow of the hill and defeated my fears, I knew I was going to make it.
When I crossed the finish line I felt like a real champion. The finishing time wasn't important, only the fact that I had completed 100km on very hilly roads. Now I'm ready for more.
All three ladies transformed their fears into exhilaration and success. Anyone can ride 100km along hills if they prepare correctly and have the right mindset.
Coach JJ is a sports scientist and lecturer on cycling biomechanics at Thammasat University. He can be reached via facebook.com/jj.koolstof or jjcyclingpa@gmail.com.
