Marina Duvnjak

Yaaayyy!!! Finally! I am alive, in 1 piece and still sane!! ……….. well sort of…….  

Here’s a quick rundown on my 2007 Tour de l’Aude!!!! I’m not going to describe every stage as I really cant be bothered, basically its of what goes through  my crazy mind!! hehe .. me me me its all about me!!

Originally with the conditioning (lack of training) I came to France with I wasnt supposed to start this tour but unfortunately for Brei she was still gettting headaches from the crash 4 weeks ago and I was next in line! The coaches told me “its money in the bank” as in good miles for the legs……… yeah… ok…

10 Days

Day1 - 3.9km Individual TT=  Rode my heart out, actually thought I might do ok, but …. Lungs almost exploded but legs hardly turned!! End result sore throat and probably torn lung… and mid field..

Day2 - 116km Road Race= Another shocker! Legs cramping in the first 25km, got dropped, but managed to finish in a group so no time cut like I dreaded. Had a few yoyo moments through the caravan in between that too! ..oops..

 Day3 - 42km Team TT= We all looked good (thats the main thing…hehe..) tried my best but still no legs, my head is a bit depressed now….. Was looking forward to today, as I really enjoyed this event last year.

Day4 - 122km = Again NO LEGS, what the hell’s happening to me! My bigest fear is time cut again!! But managed to finish again, just in small group….. I think …. still not liking this tour!  grrrr….

Day5 - 107km = Bugger…. got dropped again in first 30km!! but its ok as in bout 10km we catch about 60riders in the laughing bunch and I manage to finish……. phew…

Day6 - 107km = It was a road race but I ended up doing an individual TT….. had a 10km climb, 30km down hill, then a 26km climb, then another down hill!! Again managed to pull it off and actually didnt mind this race!Hey I’m getting the hang of this tour!!! Even managed to find a time for a pee stop!!hehee….  I’m a true Euro pro now!!

Day7 - 113km = Wow miracles do happen!Had some legs today!! finally… but only for the first 30km… but hey at this point i’m stoked as I actully believe I can see the finish line….. yay for me!! dont want to crush my bike or throw it over the cliff after all…..

Day8 - 103km = Yaay… again I have some good legs…. for 60 Km then I completely blow and again struggle to the finish, but its cool got a bunch to ride with !! My mind is somehow getting happier though!! I’ve made it this far.. how bad can the rest be!!  well……………………………………………

Day9  9.30 am 56km= HATING this again!! stayed with the bunch till the top and bottom of the first hill then….. BANG…. gone……. in the dumps again, at this stage im going that slow that the broom wagon (the car that follows the last riders) tells me to hang on to it so that we can finish …….. and he can have his lunch before midnight!!  oh oh!! this is only the morning… another killer hill is up next in the avo

3pm - 62 km= Its ok I get into a rythm and get my ass up and over the 20km climb then its all down hill.. I get into a good bunch with some crazy Lithuanians and we go nuts till the finish!! yay 1 more day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Day10 - 68km=  I have decided this is it!! will try my absolute hardest and I do, I still get dropped and get a flat, but all is good the nice Spanish team does a quick wheel change and I’m off I finish with the bunch ………….. and I am stoked to finish the tour! no crashes, no major dramas !!!

Thank god for my awesome team mates Toni, Serana, Carissa, Mitch and Gina they were absolutely awesome and they managed a 10th overall for the teams clasification!! Its an awesome achievement and I promise guys next year i’ll be fitter!!

Anyway its Monday morning, I have to ride and pack my stuff today and we’re off to Montreal onTuesday for 2 weeks, first race is the World Cup on Saturday!! eeeeeeeeeeekk!!!! Will keep you all posted!

Sorry if this was a bit long but it had to be done I think! Thank you guys for cheering me on and supporting me! its been wicked and always puts a smile on my face when I see people writing to me!! Thank you!!

Thats all for now

Marina

HI!!

Well its day 8 in the tour and somehow I am still in the race!!…….. Not a threat to the title by a long shot! Well…… maybe if for the next 3 days iIwin by over an hour each time!! heheh not….anyway I am still here and struggling on trying to achieve my new goal of just finishing!!!!  I have accepted the fact that I am nowhere near as fit as I thought I was and just to get on with it!!

 I have no idea where I am on general classification nor do I really care, I am just trying my best to help out my team mates as much as I can while Im still witht he bunch!! Yesterday was the first day I actaully had some good feelings in my legs! and I wasnt in the hurt box lactating in the neutral zone!!! So I even had my 20 seconds of glory where i attacked……. and got swamped…. but hey its better then nothing!! I am alot happier in my mind which is unusual as most people are starting to crack!

I’ve even managed to get my photo on the cyclingews.com….. twice!! nice aye!! heheh … (thanks for pointing that out Kate)!!  If there was a thought bubble above my head you could imagine what it would be saying!!….

 Anyway thats all for now only 103km to go today with a minor 3 QOM’s and 2 Sprints!! …. how bad can it be!!??  eeeeeeeeeekkkkkk…

Thats it!

Marina …. over

Hi!

Well this is really quick hello, as we have been travelling to and from the first 5 stages of the tour and all that I have to say about my experience is that I am really not having a good time at all!!  Not quite sure whats happening with my body but i know i am deffinitly not this unfit…. its been my legs that have been going crazy, i have been cramping in my hamstrings, and calves… very strange …  anyway i will let you all know after the 10 days how it went

Take care all

Marina

Hey!!

Well finally its confirmed that I’m riding with the team in the tour starting on Friday!!(NZ team is Toni B, Michelle H, Gina W, Serena S, Carissa W and Me!!) Yaaayy!! I am pretty relieved, but feel stink for Brei too, she’s had an accident in her first race here 4 weeks ago and hasn’t been able to race since due to headaches!! Sorry Brei!!……

For some reason I don’t feel quite as excited this time round about the 10 days of pain and suffering, maybe its cause i know what to expect now!! I’m praying and hoping that my form will only get better as the days go by!! I havent had much racing under my belt so it’s gonna be interesting! 

 Anyway, I’v finished my 3rd book since arriving here  (Dead Centre, Blood Sports and Forget you had a Daughter)That’s like a record for me! Suppose i better start on the French tapes soon… still only know how to say Hi, Bye, and one bag please! at the checkouts!! How sad is that!!

Again cheers for your comments guys!! Benny and Rosy!! James!! Kate!!  Its cool to know people are taking time to read all my waffling…… If you got some suggestions how to improve this site or what you want to hear more about let me know!!

 Takce care!

Marina

Hey

 Well, we’re back in Limoux now! Arrived back 1am this morning so its been a matter of unpacking and doing some fun stuff like washin (not), the rain has once again come back to greet us with open arms!! grrr. ..  Think the rollers seem like a good idea right now….

 Well I’d love to say I had an amazing race and did the absolute best i could, but unfortunately very rarely does that happen, instead I started off with 150 or so other women all in the hope/ goal to do something amazing, but as I descovered even with the training that i have managed to do for the pst 3 weeks, and the base phase I just completed, surprisingly it wasnt my physical ability that let me down but my lack of balls really!!! I dont know why it is but every first BIG race I do I seem to get into a panic with so many crazy chicks that just chop or push ya in the race, and I seemed to spend alot of time milling in the mid to back of  the pack, I’m obviously strong enough to ride at that pace and bridge a few gaps …. for a while…..but its the stupidity really…. anyway, I finishes in the 2nd bunch which wasnt all that bad as last year I think I was out the back by the 2nd lap, and finished like 30 min down!! The rest of the team were awesome!! I promise guys i’ll be right by you next race!!

Anyway today I find out if I’ll be racing in the 10 day tour starting on Friday, still don’t know….  :(   To be perfectly honest I have a wierd feeling I might be missing out…….. but …. who knows.. fingers crossed im wrong..

 Righto thats all for now!

Hey, well I’m a tad on the bored side…..so here’s a little story…

 Went to  the gym today to work on my huge gunz!! not… and anyway just been thinking how different this place really is!! OSH would have a field day here…. there is no instructors, no recetion, people come in wearing jandals no problems… being an instructor myslef (only a temp job till i figured out i didnt like it) it’s amazing how “old school” they still do things here… like a lat pull down, behind the neck!! I thought that went out like 10 years ago!! Most of the randoms have no technique, and kinda go with the trial and error approach!! I guess good on them at least they’re all there giving it a go, but man they must hurt!!

Anyway the funniest thing I saw today was a lady in her sixties, hard out in her trackies and singlet, with her hair kinda tied up looking like a teased birds nest with a glass wine bottle and the cork from it as her drink bottle!!! aye!!!! man I had a giggle… but looking round there was at least 1 other joker with the same thing except his was clear not green!! next time i’ll take my camera!!

 Besides the gym, most of my day is spent riding, sleeping, eating, dodging dog pooh everywhere or hanging out at the “square” for a hot chocolate!! Finally today was a stunning day!! after a week of cold and carp it was finally back to shorts and singlet weather!! yaay!! It’s been 3 weeks since i arrived here and i have managed to read 2 books, i’m rather proud of myself!!! started my 3rd last night “forget you had a daughter” looks good!!

Anyway, I’ve beenrambling on sorry………Hey Cheers to those who have replied/written to me!! Jarred, Rosy and Benny to name a few!! appreciate it!!

Thats all for now,

C U!!!!

Hey!!

Well i can honestly say that on Sunday was the coldest that i have ever been!! (this  ride was to see the hills we have to climb in the 10day tour we’re racing in 9 days time!) Anyway all i can remember there was alot of goign up , and up, and up!! and by the time we reached the top we were passing chunks of snow beside the road and it was COLD!! … so we stopped to get some warm clothes on before the 30 min down hill and thank god  we did!! I had kee and leg warmers, booties, a thermal 2 windbreakers, arm warmers and the big NZ thermal jacket, 2 sets of gloves and 2 headbands uner the helmet and by the time we were 10 min into  the descent my face had frozen I thought it was going to fall off, and my nose was dripping big time too …heheh!! man!! anyway enough whinging we survived the ride, headed to the nearest caffe open for some serious hot chocolates and generally try to defrost my bones!!! sheesh…

Kinda funny though in the middle of nowhere, in walk a family with 2 kids and we giggled as they try to order their hot chocolates and sandwiches arms pointing and sipping on the invisible cups!! but hey it ended up they were Kiwis from Whangarei, on their 5 month trip round europe and we probably looked and spoke just like them when trying to explain what we wanted!!

Anyway yesterday we raced in a regional race where the team was expected to dominate, and we did just that!! It was 10 laps of a 8km circuit, We left Limoux where the sun had come out for the first time in 5 days (the scenic route of course) and headed stright for the black clouds, and rain!! grrrrrr… another day of getting soaked and freezing cold!!   Blah blah.. long story short we got 1st, 3rd, 4th,5th, 6th and 7th!!  YAaayy for us! and won the sprint points and we got 3rd for the Queen of the mountains!! Nice!!

 Back in Limoux now till Friday midday when we travel to Switzerland to race in the Berne World cup, 125km, this will be my first BIG race here so it will be interesting!!  then on Tuesday we find out which one of us will miss out on the 10 day Tour de’l Aude……………. eeeekkkkk…

 Righto will keep you all posted!!!

Cheers

Marina

Hi again people!!

Man i must be a bit on the slow side as i said in the earlier post! took me like 20 min to figure out how to write another one of these updates and i just tried to upload a picture file ……… but no………. i think only 1 photo came up!! oops… soon guys i promise i’ll figure it out SOON!!!!  its boring with no pics!!

Anyway its been pretty good here so far! Im really enjoying it!I have actually stuck to my training programme for the whole 12 days now and am rather pleased with myself, no excuses now…. We’ve been rather spoilt for the pst 2 weeks as the weather was wickedly hot but then jus to make sure we didnt bring our thermals and long wooly gloves over for nothing we’ve had 3 days of rather …. how should i put it politely… crap and cold rain i guess would be the right words!! but hey its all about the toughening up isnt it!!.. 

I’ve had 2 races now, 1 was with the men 4 days after i arrived and as expected i finished, but about 10 min behind with a guy that had earlier tried to take me out! silly bugger!! Then last weekend Gina and myself raced in a 70km crit, it was pretty fun,  we were up against 2 full teams and we still managed to shake it up more then most of their riders but just didnt have the numbers in the end, i think i got 6th which is ok, but silly mistakes that must never repeat themselves and i will be on the podium in no time!!

Righto, this is all for now, i will keep trying to get more photos on here.. once i figure it out!!

 Bye for now!!

Marina