It’s been a crazy and amazing year! I can’t believe so long has past since I’ve written in my blog.
I’ll fill you in on the highlights of my year. This year was filled with exciting moments, tough moments, and lots of changes!
I had a really fun winter racing and training at the track a couple of times a week. This is the first year I’ve been able to drive myself to and from the velodrome in Milton, so I’ve gotten to know the 400 and 401 quite well!
The highlight of the season was winning the omnium at the Milton International Challenge in October and winning the Points Race and Individual Pursuit at Track Provincials in March. Between these two races, I attended a couple of training camps at the Velodrome and a training camp in California which definitely pushed my physical limits!
In April, I raced at track nationals and PB’d (set a new personal best) in my individual pursuit, qualifying me to go to Junior Track Worlds again this year as a member of the Junior Women’s Team Pursuit squad! I’m so excited to represent Canada this year, this time in ITALY!!
Moving on to the road season, I raced a couple of early season Ontario Cup races and felt that things weren’t coming together. It’s been one of those seasons that I just haven’t felt like I’m performing quite as well as I would have hoped. I have continued to train hard and reassure myself that everything will eventually work out and come together. I’ve learned the importance of listening to my body and maintaining a good mindset through this tough time. It’s hard to feel the way I’ve been feeling, but I know that getting through this period of time will only help me build the strength and perseverance needed in this sport.
In June, I headed to Gatineau for Junior Road Nationals with Team Ontario. Needless to say, I hit a patch of bad luck.This experience was another test of my strength and perseverance! The results did not show the amount of work I did in the races, and the bruises and road rash I obtained from these races represent my tough spirit and determination. I am now focusing on training really hard so I’ll be fit and ready for the World Championships.
On the start line at road nationals
Cycling is a huge part of my life, but another important thing going on right now is the fact that I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!! This is a huge accomplishment for me as I’ve worked extremely hard to balance school and cycling. I was lucky to have my last semester of grade 12 include a co-op placement at The Miller Health Centre in Orillia. I learned so much about the field of chiropractic health care and was inspired every day by the amazing staff and doctors. If it wasn’t for my supportive co-op employers, school community and teachers, I don’t know if I could have done it! I’m also really excited to say that I’ll be attending the University of Waterloo taking a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology this fall.
I feel very fortunate to have some exciting things to look forward to, but right I’m enjoying training very hard and staying close to home. This time is really important to me as I love spending time with my friends, family and boyfriend. I am also working at my part time job at Webers Hamburgers to help fund my trip to the World Championships as well as University. I leave for the pre-worlds training camp on August 6th and return from Italy on the 28th, which gives me a whole 4 days to pack for University and become a Waterloo Warrior!
A big thank you goes out to Clif Bar for continuing to fuel my training. This year I'll be bringing Clif Bars to Italy!
A big thank you goes out to Clif Bar for continuing to fuel my training. This year I'll be bringing Clif Bars to Italy!
There are a lot of exciting changes happening right now. Writing about them and sharing them on my blog makes it seem so much more real!! AHH!!!
Thanks to the support of my family and friends through the ups and the downs as I look forward to what’s ahead!
Ali
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