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Katie Mactier, Olympic Cyclist

If the word “can’t” exists in the vocabulary of Olympic cycling medalist Katie Mactier, it’s a good bet she doesn’t use it very often.

Whatever the 29-year-old from Melbourne sets her mind to, she has doing habit of doing things her own way and achieving far more than good sense dictates is possible. After establishing by her early 20s a career in advertising at a large Melbourne agency, Mactier decided she needed some physical exercise. Most people would take up jogging or swimming or perhaps buy a bicycle – Mactier did all three and started competing in triathlons “for fun”.

The trouble was her job started getting in the way of her sport. She was also finding herself increasingly committed to cycling after joining a local club as a means of maintaining her triathlon training through the winter months. Something had to give. By the time the Victorian Institute of Sport offered her a cycling sponsorship, Mactier had resigned from her plum job.

Despite breaking her collar bone in her first race Mactier progressed rapidly, winning the 2001 Australian Open Road Championships just 18 months after her switch to cycling. That same year, she made the Australian National Squad and was whisked off to the team’s training base in Italy. Now things got really tough because Mactier joined a private Italian outfit. Removed from the national squad’s athlete-focused environment, she learned a lot about the harsh, lonely realities of professional cycling, not least of which were the long, non-stop overnight drives between races. If only she’d stayed in her job: warm evenings by the bay and St Kilda cocktails.

Instead, she decided to have a tilt at track cycling. After just four weeks and eight practice sessions Mactier won the 3,000 metre individual pursuit at the 2003 Australian Track Championship.

In fact, Mactier is now the best track cyclist in the world bar one. Only New Zealand’s track phenomenon Sarah Ulmer has proved faster and even she twice had to break world record times to beat Mactier into second place in an astonishing sequence of races at the Athens Olympics.

So can Mactier raise her game once more? There’s no doubt it is an enormous challenge but with her record of achievement is there anybody out there willing to tell this amazing athlete that she can’t.

Latest Progress Report from Olympic Cyclist, Katie Mactier, August 2007

The month of August has been pleasantly low key. For the first time since I arrived in Europe, I have been able to enjoy spending a longer period of time at home and settling into a nice routine.

Unfortunately, I was forced to retire early from Thuringan, a 7 day tour in Germany I was racing with the Australian Institute of Sport, due to a back injury. I returned home to Girona to get some treatment. Thankfully Greg and I were referred to a brilliant man who once upon a time worked very closely with Lance Armstrong and is a master when healing with ‘broken bodies’. Athlete’s of all descriptions come along way to see him and so it wasn’t long before I was back to my regular self and training again pain free.

With some very important dates looming in the not to distant future, my coach and I had planned for a more relaxed approach in regards to training for August. The main emphasis has been focused on building my core strength and making sure my body is strong enough to handle the work load that waits.

One of the highlights of August was the special visitors Greg and I entertained. Our close friends Hayley and Graeme Brown came to stay with us for a little over a week. The four of us go back a long way and thoroughly enjoy each others company.

Greg left yesterday for a ten day tour in Holland called, ‘Eneca’, we weren’t certain he would be racing as it was only 6 days ago that he was hit my a motorbike head on. He managed to escape the crash with a very bruised knee, fortunately nothing was broken. He is not 100% sure how his knee will hold out during the tour and the team wont take any chances, so we will have to evaluate it day by day.

I have ten days at home then I pack up my bike and head to Buttigan, Germany, the first of our Olympic track camps. The emphasis of the camp is based more on equipment and discussions concerning the Olympics. As usual I can’t wait to get back on the track bike; the time off the track has certainly refueled my fire and motivation towards the upcoming Olympics.

Life is good at the moment, I am sure I will have plenty to fill you in with next month after track camp.

Take care…..Hasta luego,

Katie

Progress Report from Olympic Cyclist, Katie Mactier, June 2007

Apologies for my diary being late........the truth is I am at training camp with the Australian Institute of Sport. We are based at 2754m on top of a mountain very famous in Italy called Stelvio. Unfortunately there are no Internet facilities hence the delay!

To give you a clearer idea of how high we are living and training, Stelvio is one of Italy's most popular skiing mountains, however it is only open to the public during the summer months as the winter period proves to be too treacherous. Nestled in between the Switzerland, Austria and Italian borders in the Dolomites the Australian team is living and training here for a 3 week block in an attempt to find out the benefits of living and training at altitude. The general opinion today suggests that athletes may increase the number of red blood cells allowing them to exercise at greater capacity.

To be honest this is some of the hardest training I have ever done on the road. For instance, the other day we went out on a training ride. We completed 120 km in 5 hours, of the time we rode, 3 hours out of the 5 was up hill! Stelvio has 3 different entry points, which ever way you choose to ride up the mountain you have a minimum of 16kms to climb or a maximum of 26kms. Obviously depending on which route you take will depend on the gradient of the climb, it varies from 7% up to 9%. From my own personal experience which ever way you choose they are all difficult climbs, combined with altitude, snow storms and wind they can make or break you mentally and physically. Fortunately for us we have the AIS coaches following us in support vehicles, feeding us and generally making sure we are ok! They have been brilliant providing us with the comfort that should something happen ie a mechanical and or simply exhaustion the back seat of the car is always an option. Having said that there is a great deal of pride that takes a battering should you opt for the back seat. Having said that to be honest, when you are hurting that bad, you simply don't care.

Involved in the camp is the men under 23 team and a handful of the Australian elite women. Greg and I decided months ago that the camp would be ideal preparation for the second half of the season. Not many countries provide their athletes with such an awesome opportunity. During the camps we have had full physio and massage treatment not to mention access to the best sports scientists in the world, our very own Dave Martin.

America feels like so long ago, its crazy. Next on the agenda, I head back to Spain for 2 weeks, back down to sea level which will be nice! The experts tell me it usually takes one week for the body to recover from the altitude and then you begin to reap the benefits of the camp. This should came at perfect timing as I commence the Tour of Germany, Thurigan with the woman's AIS squad. This is a hard 6 day tour, its my first time in a long while racing in Europe on the road and I am really excited about it!

scheduled...... I received some good news the other day, mum phoned me to let me know I was awarded Victoria Cyclist of the Year......my parents accepted the award on my behalf. I feel you guys are so much to thank for this achievement, so I thought I would take this opportunity to thank you for all your support. Best I get going as I have massage ahhh that's sports massage ouch!! On that note I will be in touch soon with details of my July news.

Progress Report from Olympic Cyclist, Katie Mactier, May 2007

It’s been two weeks since I arrived in America to commence a four week race block with a professional team called Capital Value Act. Since I set foot in the US, I have not stopped traveling and racing. I am happy to report that my racing is going better then I imagined and I am having a lot of fun! I have managed to find some road legs and have even been able to land myself on the podium….on the odd occasion!

The first tour took place in Mt Hood in the state of Oregon, while I was confident in the training I had accomplished in the lead up to this race block, I had reservations about my lack of road racing. With nothing to loose and everything to gain, I didn’t place any pressure on my performance but wanted to get out amongst it and have some fun. To be honest, occasionally I wonder if I actually perform better with this mind set. To date I have been successful with 2 wins and a second place.

The team is wonderful and while I am only racing with them for a short stint, they have made me feel so welcome. Each of the five girls bring a lot to the team, combined we have a lot of strength that we manage to use to our advantage when we race. It’s nice to me involved with a group of girls that grasp the concept of team work and can work selflessly in the best interest of the overall team’s objectives.

Following Mt Hood, I flew to Philadelphia with the team as next on our race program was a big one day road race in the heart of the streets in Philly! This is one of my favorite races on the calendar. Not often does a city close its main streets to welcome a bike race. Certainly not one on this scale, Philly is huge and it attracts massive crowds with the men and woman cyclists simultaneously racing on the circuit at the same time. The men race 260km’s and the woman 90km’s. Greg and his team (T-Mobile) also flew in from Europe for this race, so naturally I couldn’t wait to get there race and spend time with my boyfriend. Greg won the men’s race last year, it was one of the most exciting moments of our sporting careers as we were both there to enjoy the moment. Having coming off a big race block including the Giro, Greg was looking forward racing then kicking up his heels for some R & R!

Ina Tuentenberg won the woman’s race in a field sprint for T-Mobile and JJ Haedo won the men’s race in a similar fashion for his professional team CSC. I was thrilled for Ina she has dominated this race for many years and is a class act. While I didn’t win the race, I felt great and was happy with my form.

Unfortunately a great weekend of racing was overshadowed with the theft of my bike. I had left my Bianchi outside Greg’s room (in the hotel corridor) for no longer then ten minutes at the Sheraton. I couldn’t believe it when I walked outside his room to discover it had been stolen. The entire event really upset me. I am currently trying to find a bike to train on while I organize a replacement. Bianchi USA has been awesome liaising with my sponsors from Australia, thank you so much!

Next on the calendar is Nature Valley. a 5 day tour in Minnesota, I enjoy a week training and catching with friends in Boulder, Colorado then Greg and I fly out to race. With Greg enjoying some time off he is coming over to help out with the team, its going to be a lot of fun. I will let you know how it went in next month’s diary.

Bye for now.

Progress Report from Olympic Cyclist, Katie Mactier, April 2007

My last diary entry mainly focused the 2007 Track Worlds and the excitement of moving into our new apartment in the gorgeous, old city of Girona. That seems like months ago now and so much has happened since! One of my best friends, my mum and her good friend Carolyn came to stay with Greg and me after we departed Majorca (where the Track Worlds took place). I enjoyed a small respite following all the stress of my Worlds preparation. It was perfect that I could spend some quality time with my mum before she went back to Australia. It’s easy to get carried away with the day-to-day grind of training, eating and sleeping, so I really appreciated the break.

During this time, we spent a few days in Barcelona, sightseeing and sampling authentic Spanish food and wine; this was made so much more enjoyable with the two fun-loving old birds! Upon arrival back in Girona from our little sojourn it was back to business for me and into the next training phase. Mum and Carolyn spent the last few days of their trip spoiling Greg and me with home cooked food and even stocked the freezer with casseroles, chicken soup etc .

Meanwhile, Greg and I recommenced training. The first job consisted of mapping out some spectacular training rides in Girona. Fortunately, there is an established bunch of professional cyclists based here from all over the globe and they have helped us become acquainted with the roads. At present I am busy riding base km’s on the road in preparation for my road racing campaign in the USA during June.

The weather in Europe has been rather unseasonable of late. A few weeks ago we were struggling to get out on the roads at all, with all the rain we were experiencing. I phoned our good friends Graeme and Hayley Brown who live in Belgium to see if we could stay with them for a few days. Graeme is a dual gold medalist from Athens and currently riding for the professional cycling team Rabobank, Hayley represented Australia at four World Championships and at the Manchester Commonwealth Games. Belgium was experiencing uncharacteristically good weather for that time of year, so I hopped on the next plane to soak up the sunny weather. Greg was racing a road race called ‘Scheldeprijs’ in Belgium, once he had finished he too came and joined us. Hayls and Brownie live near the Dutch town of Maastricht, it was so much fun to catch up and spend our days riding along the picturesque canals and through the Ardennes hills.

The next stop after Belgium was to the Australian Institute of Sport/National Team training camp at the Aussie base in Varese, Italy. This camp has become somewhat of an annual tradition where all the Aussie professionals can stay and get looked over by the AIS staff. After having been hunched over my pursuit bike for the last few months I was in need of some attention to my back from the physio. Karin, our physio sorted all that out quick smart and I was then passed onto Brian MacLean our biomechanist, for a bike setup checkup. A few minor tweaks were all that was needed before I could enjoy the real highlight of the camp- the Aussie BBQ! The cricket pitch was rolled out and snags were sizzling, I couldn’t think of a better way to catch up with all the other Aussies that I don’t get to see very often during the year due to conflicting race schedules.

An interesting part of the night was realizing that we had five of the six AIS women’s team members of 2001 year at the BBQ. We spent most of the evening reminiscing and telling funny stories which seem to have become more animated with time!

The men’s Giro d’Italia (3- week tour that covers 3442 km’s traversing Italy) is now underway. My afternoons will be spent in front of the TV keeping an eye out for Greg. The Giro this year is a tough one with very few stages catering to sprinters, however Greg can be quietly confident having notched up a 6th place in one of the stages of Romandie, his last race before the Giro. Greg’s introduction to the Pro Tour has been intense and challenging, this only adds to his desire to relish every opportunity he receives racing in these races. While Greg is slogging it out at the Giro, I will be here in Girona for the next few weeks mounting up the km’s until I head to the States. During my stay in the US, I will be riding with the Value Act Capital women’s team. I have always enjoyed racing in the States so this six week block will help bring back my road racing legs and hopefully hold me in good stead for the next objectives of my season- the Giro Donne in Italy and Thuringen in Germany.

I will be in touch soon!!

Progress Report from Olympic Cyclist, Katie Mactier, March 2007

Apologies for this update being late, I had every intention of writing once we (Australian Team) arrived in Mallorca, Spain before the Championships commenced. However upon arriving in Spain, I was quickly reminded how difficult Europe life can be at times in terms of getting internet access etc. Needless to say I have got some catching up to do and lots of news to tell you. Lets go back to just before I left Adelaide to fly to Spain, where the 2007 Track World Championships took place. I had spent 3 weeks preparing with the National team and to be honest I trained the house down in terms of hours and intensity. I was happy with myself for getting through the gruelling program set for me by our National coach and was looking forward to the racing that lay ahead.

We arrived in Spain and had around ten days to adjust to the new time zone, over come jet lag and become acquainted with the new track. As the track was brand new, we were all eager to have a go riding on it. Once we had completed our first training session, everyone agreed that the Spanish had done a terrific job. I had a lot to look forward to, it had been 3 month's since I had seen Greg and in addition my mum and a very close family friend of ours, Carolyn, were making the trip over to watch me race. Greg arrived to Mallorca with the New Zealand team around the same time the Aussies landed. We had a lot of catching up to do and I can’t begin to tell you how wonderful it was to finally be together again. Greg had just completed the Paris-Nice tour in France and had great form. While it was a last minute decision for him to race the Track Worlds, we were confident that he had a great chance at medalling. Mum and Carolyn landed two days before competition started and naturally I was ecstatic to have my mum at track side with me.

Everything ran smoothly during the ten days before competition commenced. I was training well and had the usual feeling of anxiety and nerves that most athletes experience before competition, my body and health were also in good shape. So let’s go to the day itself. Mmmmmmm.........I won’t lie.......I didn't perform to my and/or my coaches expectations and had to be satisfied with the bronze medal. The simple and short version is that I had a bad day, all my times, even right up until to 2 days before I raced indicated that I was on form. Why it went so wrong on race day? well that is something that my coach, Greg and I are working out at the moment in order to make sure that the lead up to the 2008 Olympics is perfect and race day runs to plan. I have had mixed emotions since I raced and in some ways wasn't really able to write this report until now. I needed time to think, talk it over and over and over with the people I love to get it into perspective. Rest assured I have gained some clarity and look forward to the next 18 month's that lie ahead. On the same evening that I raced, Greg also lined up in the men's scratch race and with 2 laps to go, he looked like a likely candidate for a podium finish, but there was a nasty crash and Greg unavoidably got caught up in the middle of it. This was the end of his race, he got thrown off his bike, hit the fence of the track then slid all the way down the track, where he got hit my a number of bikes. In total 5 guys crashed. Initially we thought Greg may have broken his nose but once x-rayed it proved just to be badly bruised. So with a bruised and swollen nose as well as having taken off alot of skin, Greg also had to deal with long splinters all over his back from the wood on the track....ouch!! On a bright side two of my team mates Anna Meares and Kate Bates were crowned 2007 World Champions in their respective events!!

From Mallorca, Greg, Mum, Carolyn and I travelled back to Girona and my new home while we are in Europe. We will be spending the next 6 month's in Girona. Words don't adequately describe how pretty it is here, we live in a lovely apartment right in the center of Girona. In fact I can boast that we live in the same apartment block as Lance Armstrong used to during his professional cycling days. The training here is ideal, there are many professional cyclist based here from every continent. I am lucky to have some great support around me, helping me getting familiar with the simple tasks of buying groceries amongst many other tasks that can become quite challenging when you are in a foreign city.

Looking ahead I have a busy year. I have approximately 6 weeks here in Girona to train on the road and get myself in shape to compete in some road racing. I leave to go to the US on the 26th of May, where I will be racing, Mt Hood a 7 day tour, Philadelphia a big one day road race and Nature Valley which is another 5 day tour that I won in 2003. I will then return to Spain and then join the Australian Institute of Sport woman for the Giro of Italy and Thurigan, a tough tour in Germany. This takes me to the end of July, I will then commence my official, specific track training in the lead up to the Olympics which will be only 12 months away! So that brings up to date with all my adventures for the month of March.

On a personal note I would like to take the time to thank BECTON for providing me with the means in which I can make this goal of mine a reality. I feel like you guys are family and you support means the world to me.

Okay on that note I am off but promise to be in touch.......on time x x x

The Aussie team together eating luch in Mallorca Some track action.

Progress Report from Olympic Cyclist, Katie Mactier, 28 February 2007

Four weeks before the World Championships commence in Mallorca, Spain. As I write, I am two weeks into certainly one of the most intense, grueling camps I have attended. The Aussie National track team is preparing this year in Adelaide, we have been particularly lucky with the weather with a string of hot days providing us with perfect training conditions. The fact we are training so hard, redefining our boundaries and setting harder goals will no doubt reward us during competition.

Traditionally, the track endurance and sprint athletes prepare together. However this year our sprinters have headed to Europe early and I must say we miss their company and look forward to seeing them soon. We are a very tight group in terms of support and team morale. The majority of us have been competing at this level for many years, we have been a part of some of the most memorable and not so memorable moments of our lives. Many friendships have been developed as a result. As well as old faces we are joined this year by alot of fresh, new faces that has only enhanced the team as a group. New names and names that I suggest you take note of as I am sure they are destined for great things, include: Zack Demstar, Cameron Myer, Phil Tourqes, Belinda Goss and Christine Bailey.

On a personal note, I am happy with my current physical condition. I am tired, grumpy, and feeling abit run down, all the perfect indicators that suggest I am on track. I fly home to Melbourne on Sunday where I will spend the week focusing more on recovery and less on intensity as far as training goes. It will also give me an opportunity to say my final farewells to family and friends before I fly to Europe for the remainder of the season. We then fly back into camp for ten days before we fly to Spain. During the ten day block alot more emphasis will be addressed to top end training, by this stage we will have accomplished an enormous endurance strength block, we will have set the foundation and can now concentrate to doing more speed work......icing on the cake!!

I received some exciting news yesterday, my partner Greg, has been given permission by his processional cycling team to represent his country New Zealand and compete at the Track Worlds! By the time we reunite it will have been 3monthes since we have been together, for me there is definitely a very bright light at the end of the tunnel. Not only will we have one another for support during competition, my mum is also flying to Spain to be with us. So exciting!!

As I mentioned in previous diary entries, Greg and I are based out of Girona about 100km's from Barcelona this year. From all reports it is a beautiful town and I am looking forward to exploring it together with mum and Greg.

Righto guys, I will write when I get to Spain and give you a heads up on how I am feeling about the big day.

Katie.

Ps Annie and I were treated to an evening sailing with Hamish......apart from the fact there was no wind, we had a ball!!!

Progress Report from Olympic Cyclist, Katie Mactier, 30 January 2007

One month into the new year and i have some exciting news. I competed in the 2007 Road National Championships in January held in Ballarat and won. It is a great honor to be crowned Aussie road champ. The course was grueling, a ten lap circuit that sees each cyclists climbing up a solid hill for approximately 3km's every lap. In 2005, I came second on this course to fellow Olympian Oenone Woods, so to win on this course is certainly one of my career highlights. As I am sure you are all aware the road is not my number one priority, however in preparing for the track I train very hard on the road and race on the road through out the year once the track season is finished. The road is where I originally started in the sport of cycling. I won the National Road race in 2001, six years later and I have managed to win it again......it feels great!

Training is full steam ahead. I am now specifically preparing for the Track World Championships, I cant believe how fast these titles come up. Before we fly to Spain on the 17th of March, where the track World are being held, I will compete at the National Track Championships in Sydney, then I will join my team mates in Adelaide where National track camp formally gets underway. As with all camps I make sure that I prepare correctly for training camp, you need to be in peak physical condition entering camp as the work load is intense. It is by far the most important time of the year for me. I need to be in great shape physically, fresh mentally and make sure that my health is in order. It is common in track camp for athletes to get sick, when the body is being pushed so hard all sorts of nasty illnesses tend to crop up. So managing your health is vital, no point getting ill weeks before the biggest race of the year. Simple things for example need to be addressed. For example, making sure you bring extra clothing after a training session so that your chest isn't damp. Recovery is also key, we tend to do alot of double sessions of training a day, resting in between is essential. I have become the master at power napping.

Greg is currently racing in Dubai. It is a 7 day tour, flat and windy. It is his first tour with his new team T-Mobile (see www.t-mobile-team.com). I anxiously wait for his race reports after each stage, strange how I seem to get more nervous when he races!! Its an exciting time for Greg as it is the first time he has lined up against the big sprinting guns in Europe. He is loving the professionalism that T-Mobile conducts themselves, the team has an enormous budget and the riders get well taken care of. Of course the distance thing between us is tough at times but I know its not forever. Hopefully Greg will have some time off his busy racing schedule during the Track Worlds and he will come over and watch me. The Worlds are being held in Mallorca not far from where we are living in Girona. Greg has set up home for us in our apartment and assures me that I will not be too badly home sick. From all reports the city and apartment sounds beautiful. So I extend this invitation to everyone, if you are thinking of coming to Europe in the year please drop in and stay with us as we have a second bedroom and everyone is welcome. I thought I would mention that I have just started Spanish classes ha ha ha ha, while languages are not my thing, I rationalize that I was a toddler when I learnt to speak English, so surely i can pick up Spanish as an adult........I will keep you posted.

I hope everyone is well, I know we have a ride coming up early February I hope I will see lots of faces.

Chau hasta luego x

Progress Report from Olympic Cyclist, Katie Mactier, 8 January 2007

Hi Guys,
I hope everybody had a lovely Christmas and New Year. Greg and I enjoyed a lovely couple of days with my family, mum always does a sensational job and this year was by far my favorite as Greg and I enjoyed our first Christmas together. I also enjoyed celebrating the day with my beautiful niece, Ella and nephew, Teddy. There is no question that children make the day so special. Greg and I trained on Christmas day early and then enjoyed a day and night full of fun and festivities.

With Christmas out of the way, the New Year has already commenced with a bang. The Jayco Bay criterium championships commenced on the 3rd of January running until the 7th. I was the defending champion in 06 and looking forward for another 5 days of hard racing to reclaim my title. With a strong team to help me I thought we were a good chance. Nothing is a certainty in this sport and on the opening day in Williamstown I came to grief not once but twice on the same corner managing to take skin off the entire left hand side of my body. It had me baffled, with much bigger competitions not far away the last thing I was going to do was risk crashing during this competition, so approaching any technical corners on the course I applied extra caution. So it was a great surprise when I literally landed face down on the road the first time. I still managed to get back on my bike and re join the race. When it happened the second time at exactly the the same place and on the same part of my body I knew I was in trouble. I knew I had bad road rash, my cycling outfit was in tatters and glancing down all I saw was bright red blood everywhere. Ouchhhhhhhhhhhh. What concerned me was why i was crashing, there didn't seem to be any rational conclusion. Once I got back to where my team had set up, Greg was looking over my bike when he noticed that I was running a tyre on my front wheel that is completely inappropriate for a technical criterium and better for a straight line time trial. An oversight that I had missed and an error that will never happen again. The tyre was very skinny, with hardly no tread, the combination of having alot of air in it and not a lot of weight on top of it, made for an extremely fast wheel. The tyre hardly touches the road. When cornering you need to have alot more rubber, in order to stay up right........I know it's not rocket science......right!!!!

I wont bore you with the nightmares of road rash, the easiest way to describe it would be by relating it to bad burning. There is a wonderful product on the market called 'second skin'. By leaving the wounds bandaged up the healing time is faster. I did not race the remainder of the criteriums as not only did I take alot of skin off I also had alot of bruising and swelling, walking was a challenge in itself. I can say that I am back on the bike and will be racing next Saturday in Ballarat at the Australian National Open road race. This fortunately, is not a race that is high on my list of priorities, as I am still very sore and not in 100% condition due to the crash. But it is certainly a race that I would like to have a shot at. I last won the Aussie road title on 01, I have since been on the podium but would love nothing more then to win it again. It is always a great honor to be able to go overseas racing being the Australian National Champion.

From now until March everything I do with regards to my training is all targeted toward the World Championships in March in Spain. I will remain in Australia but will spend alot of time in training camps in Adelaide with the rest of the Aussie team.

I look forward to keeping you posted with how my preparation is progressing as we get closer to the Track World Championships held in Spain in March. I wish everyone a very Happy New year and would also like to thank BECTON for another year of support.

katie at chris gravel rash

Progress Report from Olympic Cyclist, Katie Mactier, 29 November 2006

Hello to all my friends at Becton.

I am sorry to say that it has been a few months since I have been into the office to catch up with everyone. If you recall my last diary entry, I was writing to you 5 weeks out from competition. The Sydney World Cup and the 2006 Oceania's were my next big competitions. I can happily report back to you that I won both these events and by doing so have confirmed my position on the Australian track cycling team at the 2007 World Championships, taking place in Spain next March. Pheeeeew!!

In preperation for these competitions last month I spent 2 weeks in New Zealand training and spending time with Greg and his family. When I arrived home I flew to Adelaide to National team training camp. The team had 10 days preparing on the track before we flew as a group to race at the World Cup in Sydney. It was a relatively short camp, as the purpose of the mission was to qualify Australian position's at the World Championships. Qualifying, does not necessarily mean winning! So while there was alot of emphasis being placed on being in good physical shape, we were not expected to be breaking World Records as we are still a solid 3 months out from the World Championships. This is a difficult concept that I struggle with. I am sure this has something to do with my pride and my competitive nature. As an athlete any time I line up to race on the velodrome and the road for that matter, I want to be able to perform at my best. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that racing at this level all year round is impossible, that is why with my coach's assistance we map the year out so that it allows me to peak for the important races and plan months where I wont be physically at my best rather I will be 'building my engine' leading up to the major competitions. There are of course times when a coach suggests that it would be an idea to step off the bike for anywhere up to 3-4 weeks and take a break. Athletes refer to this as their 'off season', it allows an athlete to both mentally and physically recharge his/her batteries. This I never do, each to their own I guess, but I use these weeks to ride my bike according to how I feel without the formality of a program. It reminds me why I originally fell in love with this sport and it also allows me the time to go out with social groups known as 'bunch rides'. A few weeks when there is no pressure on the bike.

When we arrived at training camp the vast majority of endurance track riders had not touched their bikes since the World Championships help in April in Bordeaux. We have all been busy racing the road racing circuit all over the world. Needless to say it is always a rude shock getting back on the timber boards and doing such violent, hard efforts on the track. Fortunately for my sake ..... i love it. There are no excuses when training on the track, as there is always a clock that tells you exactly where your fitness levels are. I particularly enjoyed the short training camp in Adelaide as there were some new smiling faces. Its not hard to see that Australia has some very special talent coming through the program. A number of first year senior boys were introduced to the senior team and let me tell you they had no trouble in keeping up with the grueling work load, not to mention adding some exciting new enthusiasm to the group.

Upon finishing the World Cup, Greg and I flew back to Melbourne where the 07 Oceania's where being held. I must say backing up pursuits (my event) with only 4 days dividing them was a challenge, thankfully one I managed to overcome. Greg too, had a brilliant campaign winning a silver medal in the ‘Points Score’ at the Sydney World Cup and winning both the 'Points Score' and 'Scratch Race' at the Oceania's. That brings me to where I am right now. Greg and I flew back to New Zealand for his best friend's wedding and of course to see his family as we will be spending Christmas with my family in Melbourne. Greg was born and raised in Dunedin or 'Sunny Dunnos' as it is affectionately referred to by the locals. Lets just say there is not alot of sun but plenty of rain! While Dunedin can’t really boast about its hot, long summers, it is definitely one of the prettiest cities I have ever trained in. Greg and I can go out for hours on the bikes and not be interrupted by the burden heavy traffic and traffic lights. As cold as it is, it is the perfect environment to clock up some big kilometers on the bike, not to mention spend some quality time with family and friends.

Like I mentioned from here we will return to Aussie, where we will spend one week training with the Victorian Institute of Sport up at Bright (one of my favorite training venues in the world......it is soooo pretty), then we will look forward to a big Christmas celebration with my family including ....... the newest edition to the Mactier family, tiny Teddy, who will be enjoying his very first Chrissy.

I plan on coming in and wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, I was also hoping to perhaps organise another group ride/walk/breaky morning. So if any one is interested can you please let Annie know and we can nail down a date.

I look forward to catching up soon.

Love Katie

Progress Report from Olympic Cyclist, Katie Mactier, 20 October 2006

I wish it was humanly possible to make the days longer. Upon reflection of the last month it scares me to think how quickly it whizzed past!

Training has once again taken center stage in my life. In 5 weeks I will be competing in round one of the World Cup Championships in Sydney. The following week I will be representing Australia in the Oceania Championships that are taking place in my home town Melbourne. I have not raced on the velodrome since the World Championships in April of this year. There is no question I am looking forward to saddling up for my favorite cycling event, the 3000m individual pursuit.

The last few weeks have been made particularly special with the Greg (my partner) signing a contract with the European professional cycling team - T-Mobile. T-Mobile is considered one of the best cycling teams in the world. It is a dream come true for Greg and I have no doubt that he will do great things over in Europe and of course I will be basing myself along side him to help support him in his quest. This does not affect my goal in the lead up to Beijing, it just has me spending time in Europe racing rather then the USA. At this stage we are looking at residing in Belgium as we have a number of friends, also cyclists, that live in the area. It is always comforting to be surrounded by familiar faces when you are so far away from family.

I must say the logistics of racing and travelling and spending so much time away from those you love can be overwhelming. Greg and I are going to have to spend months at a time separated, as you can imagine airports have become sad places over the years! The way in which I overcome these challenges is by focusing on the fact that this time in my life will never be repeated. If I don't embrace the opportunities that are presented to me through cycling, I know I will live to regret these years down the track.

As I write this month's diary, I am flying to New Zealand to spend time with Greg who is returning from a team camp in Europe. I'm on the flight from hell, it goes something like this - Melbourne to Auckland, followed by a 5 hour lay over, then Auckland to Wellington, Wellington to Dunedin. Hahahaha.......let me just say it was a very cheap ticket.

So I am off to Dunedin for 10 days where Greg and I will do some long km's on the bike and enjoy some time together. I look forward to writing to you again next month hopefully I will have some good performances to talk about from my up and coming races.

Take care,

Katie

Progress Report from Olympic Cyclist, Katie Mactier, 18 September 2006

The last four weeks have flown by. Since I have arrived home I have managed to catch up with all of my family and friends. The big news is that my brother and sister in law are once again proud parents. Natalie gave birth to a little baby boy, Ted Mactier. Little, being the operative word, Teddy was born 8 weeks premature and was no bigger then the size of a dim sim! He weighed in at just under 3 pounds. Words can’t describe how perfect this little boy is. He is doing incredibly well given the circumstances and the doctors believe he will be ready to come home in a couple of weeks.

This year I arrived home a little bit earlier then I normally do and with that I managed to be back in time for the Victorian Road Championships. This year they were held in Buninyong, Ballarat over a tough course just shy of 100km. The course has been used in previous years for the Australian Road title. I ran second to world class Oenone Woods in 2004. So needless to say I had a fair idea of what to expect during the race. There was a great turn out of women, it never ceases to amaze me the depth of talent that emerges each year with women's cycling in Australia.

The race was an important event for me and one that I was hoping to win for my dad. Dad had been diagnosed with cancer while I was in America, fortunately the doctors were able to operate and were successful in removing the cancer. While dad had only been out of hospital for a few days, he was adamant that he and mum would make the trip to Ballarat to watch me race. Seeing dad on the side of the course was all the motivation I needed to go out there and give it my all. I ended up having a great day and won the race, which of course I dedicated to my dad.

Next on the agenda was a much needed break from training and racing. My coach and I decided that I would take 2 weeks off the bike after the Vic titles. Greg (my partner) flew in to Aussie from the States and the two of us flew up to Queensland for some much needed R&R. It's rare that the two of us can enjoy each others company without the stress of training and racing. We took full advantage of it and simply chilled out!!

Looking ahead, I have just recommenced training. My next major competition is the 1st round of the World Cup track series in Sydney, mid November. I have roughly 9 weeks to get myself in peak physical condition, which won’t be a problem. I am placing a fair amount of emphasis on this race as it is one of the qualifying races for the track World Championships in March of 2007, being held in Spain. One week after the World Cup in Sydney is the Oceania here in Melbourne. With the Track Worlds being my main priority next March, all my training and racing is targeted towards the goal of winning back the World Title.

On another note, I wanted to thank all the guys that turned out on Saturday for the bike ride. It was a glorious morning and 15 of us met at 'The Point' and rode down to Mordiallic and back. We then enjoyed a lovely breakfast. We are planning on organising more rides in the future months. If you are at all interested, please let Annie know. Remember you don't have to be Lance Armstrong to come along, the point is for it to be a social ride......for fun. So I hope to see you all next time

Well that brings you up to speed with my life to date......thankyou for all your support.

Katie

Progress Report from Olympic Cyclist, Katie Mactier, 11 July 2006

With the majority of my racing now complete in the US, it’s time for me to wish America farewell and get on a plane and return home. It has been a bit over three months and upon reflection I can’t believe how much I have managed to cram into such a short time. The racing and training has been simply perfect, I have added many more thousands of kilometres into my cycling bank that I hope will stand me in good stead for the World Championships that are approaching early next year!

Since I last wrote, I have returned back to Boulder, Colorado and I think I can confidently say I have managed to pedal over almost all the hills it has to offer. Living at 7000ft has its advantages, science has proven how beneficial altitude training is. But let me tell you it makes training even more challenging as the oxygen you are gasping for as you climb higher and higher becomes thinner and thinner. The theory is that once you return back down to sea level, Melbourne for example, an athlete’s lungs and body will be able to train harder more efficiently. Not only does Boulder sit high in the sky, it also provides athletes with the prefect training venue. You can spend hours upon hours every day climbing up new mountains, while being enthralled by the magnificent scenery. It’s not uncommon to stop for elk that have decided to cross the road. They tell me that mountain lions are sighted not far from where I live. Thankfully I have yet to see one and instead have enjoyed watching fox, deer and elk casually strolling around!!!!

Before I come home, I will be racing another event called "Superweek". It consists of 2 weeks of racing over on the East Coast of America. At this point it would appear that we have decided to make a "road trip" of it and drive. It will be the first lot of serious driving within the USA I have done as usually we fly out to our races. The thought of driving is appealing as I will be able to see a lot more and no doubt have some funny stories to write on my next diary entry.

I hope Australia is televising the 'Tour de France', it has been so motivating watching the tour over here in the US and seeing how well the Aussie boys are going. I can remember back to when O'Grady won the green jersey when I first became hooked on the sport of cycling. Since then Robbie has been unbeatable, he is quite simply the fastest man currently in the tour. I don't want to single out riders, because we have so many these days riding the tour that make us all so proud, but it would appear that Australia is one of the strongest nations in the world in regards to cycling. This is once again thanks to the cycling programs that the Australian Institute of Sport set in place.

So having just mentioned 'The Tour' guess what I am about to go and watch on television. Having just done 4 hours training, I can’t think of a better form of recovery. I will be arriving home on the 26th of July, I am hoping to bring a little bit of sunshine back to Aussie as I hear that you guys have had a rough winter. I plan to pop in for a chat when I get home. I can’t wait to see you guys, I hope you are all surviving winter and work is going great.

See you in two weeks,

Love Katie

Progress Report from Olympic Cyclist, Katie Mactier, 9 June 2006

What a busy month it has been. I am actually writing my latest diary entry on my Blackberry (thankyou Becton) as my team and I fly to our next race in Philadelphia. It is a huge one day road race held in the heart of Phily. It has to be one of my all time favourite road races. Spectators line the streets, it is a great event. The race takes place on Sunday the 11th of June. We then fly out of Phily and into Minnesota where we will commence a 5 day tour called 'Nature Valley'. It is a tough tour but one that I remember fondly as I won it in 2003.

So June is going to consist of a big block of racing. I am feeling strong, the training in Boulder, Colorado (my base) has been superb. The weather has been super warm and conducive to big hours in the saddle.

Since I last wrote I have been in Montreal, Canada. The team and I flew there to race the Montreal World Cup which is another very big one day road race. We also competed in a 4 day tour. I had mixed feelings flying to Canada, it was the first lot of international road racing I had done for over 12 months. With the Commonwealth Games and the World Championships being held in March and April, all my energy and training has been geared towards these two events. Having said that winning was not so much a priority in Montreal as was getting back into the swing on road racing. The results.....well no win just yet but just between you and I, I can feel a win coming on. My legs feel great and after such an intense time on the track I am really enjoying being on the road again!!

My partner Greg Henderson, has been enjoying some great results over here, just yesterday he won the prestigious Redding Classic race, he will also be lining up to contest the men's road race on Sunday in Phily and if I was a betting woman, my money would be on him!! He sustained a fractured hip just before the Commonwealth Games, in doing so missed out on a lot of the races at the start of the season. It appears he will be in for a fantastic second half of the race season. He is my secret weapon, as I am lucky enough to go out most days training with him. Trust me it makes racing easy!!

So there you have it guys, that brings you up to speed with my life to date. It has been busy with all the travelling and of course I miss my friends and family. But I keep reminding myself how short the life of an athlete is and to make the most of it! Always keeping my long term goal insight, which of course is Beijing!

Progress Report from Olympic Cyclist, Katie Mactier, 9 May 2006

So much has happened since I last wrote to you. My last diary entry was on the eve of the World Championships in France. I am sad to report that I was unsuccessful in my campaign to defend my World Title and am now counting down the days until I will be given another opportunity at the 2007 Track World Championships being held in Spain.

So what went wrong? My coach and I both agree that the enormity of the Commonwealth Games had a bigger impact then we anticipated. There is no question that my preparation leading into both competitions was skewed more specifically towards Melbourne. This was not done intentionally as both events held equal importance; it was more a case of logistics.

There were only a couple of weeks dividing the two competitions, which meant we flew into France with only one week before the race. The Australians always like to arrive weeks in advance when competing overseas in order to let the athletes adjust. All the Commonwealth countries were in the same boat and generally speaking their performances suffered. Personally, I never really felt on top of my game, meaning that I left Melbourne feeling very tired and arrived in France feeling the same way. Besides the actual race in Melbourne my time following the race was busy, with most of my days occupied with media commitments; juggling these with the responsibility of training took its toll. So I have moved on, put that race behind me and focused on trying to win it back in 12 months time. I can assure you the loss has only made me more motivated then ever.

So here I am now in the United States, where I will spend the rest of the year racing with my American team on the road. I have based myself back in Boulder, Colorado where the training is awesome and I benefit from living and training at altitude. My first race will be the Montreal World Cup late May; it is a tough race as we climb a rather nasty hill half a dozen times. I raced it back in 2003 when I rode with Saturn, the crowds were fantastic and the race itself was a lot of fun. I will let you know all about it in my next diary entry.

I did manage to factor in a wee holiday with my partner after the World Championships. Greg and I had a lovely holiday in Jamaica. What an amazing place that is, for 6 days we didn't touch the bike, instead we lay around the pool and beach and caught up on some "alone time" as well as recharged the batteries for what I hope to be a good season on the road!!

So there you have it guys, that pretty much brings you up to speed with where I am at right now in my life......never a dull moment. Oh I would like to thank all the guys that turned up for our 'Becton Ride' down to Mordialloc. I had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was great to finally see Hamish out on his push bike and looking a million dollars might I add!!

Speak soon x

Progress Report from Olympic Cyclist, Katie Mactier, 11 April 2006

I am writing to you on the eve of yet another World Championships. The 2006 World Championships are being held in Bordeaux France. The Australian team arrived on the 5th of April. If I am to be honest I would tell you that I have a few reservations about competing so soon after the Commonwealth Games. Ironically, I am yet to write to you guys with my thoughts post Commonwealth Games. It is only 3 weeks dividing the two competitions, needless to say there hasn’t been a lot of time to sit back and reflect on what was!

The Commonwealth Games go down as being one of my most incredible experiences. Nothing could quite prepare me for how amazing the Australian public would be. The Games themselves were a credit to the organisers. I can’t think of anything that I could criticise, it ran brilliantly, with no hiccups. The village was well built and despite what the media suggested the athletes were well taken care of!

My race went as planned, my coach John Beasley and I could not have been happier with the final outcome. I experienced more pressure then usual, this I attribute to being a combination of being a local girl and the current World Champion. Fortunately the pressure didn’t have an adverse effect on my performance. Nothing on that night was going to get in my way of being the Commonwealth Champion.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank a number of people who play a crucial role in helping me achieve my goals, my family, mum and dad - they are my greatest fans, my coach John Beasley - I wouldn’t be here today without him and his wife Viki, Greg my boyfriend - my best friend, and last but not least Becton - you guys allow me to make these dreams a reality, thank you to each and everyone of you!

So moving forward next Thursday I will line up against the best in the world in an attempt to defend my world title. Many track cyclists have referred to the Bordeaux track as being one of the fastest in the world, providing that the temperature in the track velodrome is warm. It is a popular track and one that I have been looking forward to racing on.

On the second day we arrived the team went down to the velodrome to have a look and true to all reports there is something special about it. The entire complex is made out of wood, I can’t pin point exactly what it is about this particular track, but there is no question that I like it a lot. Most of the world records have been set on this track so that has to say something!!

I will leave you here and report back to you after the big day!!

Latest Progress Report from Olympic Cyclist, Katie Mactier, 14 March 2006

One word sums it up.......awesome! That's my feelings surrounding the Commonwealth Games village. We left Adelaide on Sunday and flew into Melbourne. We were met by the official Games bus that escorted us to the village. There were two reasons why I couldn’t wait to arrive, it was the day that I finally got to see my New Zealand boyfriend Greg Henderson (who is representing NZ in cycling) after a month of separation where he has been busy racing in the USA. The other reason of course was to be reunited with the entire Australian team, the Athen's Olympics was the last time we were all together.

It is an amazing feeling the buzz in the village and something I feel I can’t truly convey in words. People are happy; I mean everyone walks around with massive smiles on their faces. You have athletes that have spent their lives preparing for this moment, in the peak of their fitness, radiating health, it is truly breath taking.

The food hall is always on the top of my priority list, and let me tell you, one has to display a great deal of self control. Every taste has been catered for, while I am pretty fussy at the moment with calorie intake etc, I have already decided what foods are going to get a drilling the day after I race, look out people, they are going to have to roll me out of the food hall!!

I don't race until the 19th which gives me a week to get into the swing of things and get my routine down pat. I couldn't be happier with my fitness, we all (the Aussie Cycling team) worked hard in Adelaide and I am confident that our hard work will be rewarded.

Just a quick story that I would like to share- yesterday the entire Aussie track team went for a training ride along Beach Road. This is a moment I am sure that will stay with me for ever. While I am accustomed to the odd line of abuse from motorists, I can honestly say that for the 2 hour ride we had almost every car and pedestrian shout words of encouragement. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oy oy oy!!! It was the most exhilarating feeling yet. We all came back to the village on the biggest high and soooooooooooo proud to be Australian.

Well guys, hope this provides you with a wee insight into my village experience, I will write again before my race. Some other exciting news I wanted to share is that BECTON (you guys) have committed to supporting me right through to Beijing - you guys rock!!

Progress Report from Olympic Cyclist, Katie Mactier, 28 February 2006

Well…
Its official-I’m in lock down at yet another national team camp. This one of course is in preparation for upcoming Commonwealth Games.

I flew into Adelaide on Sunday and was reunited with my teammates. It’s great coming together, although sadly this year we have lost a few senior team members but let me assure you the younger talent coming through is truly a credit to the way Australian grooms our young men and women in pursuit of Beijing and beyond.

So, a little insight into a day in the life of a cyclist. Breakfast at 7am, on the bikes by 9.30am where we train on the velodrome. After 3hours of track training, we ride back to the hotel for lunch, a quick power kip and then back on the bike for another 3hour road session.

Of course my program varies and rest days are just as crucial as my training days. Massage and treatment are a high priority as is refueling the body with plenty of food, my favorite part!!!

Tonight we enjoyed a team dinner together and already I can feel the benefits of being with my teammates as a group. A great deal of excitement and energy is created, and I believe this is partly why we perform so well in competition. Everybody here at the camp is committed to achieving their best and encouragement and friendship plays a major role. Sometimes I think it would be wonderful if the public could be exposed to the camaraderie that takes place in these camps, encapsulating the true essence of sportsmanship rather than the negative angle the media tend to highlight.

I’m very proud to be part of yet another National Australian cycling team and I’m confident that we’ll all make you very proud.

My next diary entry will be from the athlete’s village. We are due to arrive on the 12th March.

Chat soon.

Love,
Katie.

Progress Report from Olympic Cyclist, Katie Mactier, 25 January 2006

Hi All,

Hope you had a lovely Christmas break! I just wanted to write a brief update on how my Commonwealth Games preparation is going.

It's hard to believe that Christmas has been and gone and in less then 3 months Melbourne will be playing host to one of the biggest sporting events this city has seen. Of course I am referring to the Commonwealth Games. Last time I wrote was during the 2005 Track World Championships in Los Angeles, where I finally realised my dream of becoming the 3000m Individual Pursuit Champion. Since then I have been counting down the days to the Commonwealth Games, where I will get the privilege of racing in my home town amongst family and friends.

Here is a bit of an insight into how my preparation is going, gearing up to the big day!!

I spent Christmas with my family and while I was conscious of not going over board with the plum pud, I had a fabulous day and even managed to get a few hours on the bike early in the morning so as to not miss any of the festivities. Racing for me commenced on the 4th January as it does each year with the 'Jayco Bay Cycling Classic', consisting of five days of criterium racing spread across the Bellarine Peninsula. I felt great from the first day and shared a special day with my partner, Greg, on the first day of competition as both of us won our respective races. With the help of my Victorian Institute of Sport team mates I was able to hold onto the winner's jersey (yellow jersey) for the remainder of the competition, winning the overall competition. This win gave me and my coach confidence that we were well on the way to ensuring that my fitness is on target.

The months ahead are all important in ensuring that I give myself the best possible chance of a podium finish at the Games. Track Nationals commence in early February, believe it or not this will be the first time I have raced the 3000m Individual Pursuit since I won the World Championships. This is standard practice in the world of track/endurance cycling as the vast majority of work is down on the road. It is only a handful of times in a year that I actually race on the track.

I fly into Adelaide on the 20th February, where I will commence my formal National team camp. As with all my National Camps, I can expect gruelling days one after another, where we eat, sleep bikes! It usually involves rising at 7am, the first session of the day kicks of at 9am, lunch is usually around 1pm, sleep for 2 hours and then back on the track for the second session of the day. As you can imagine, conversation during dinner is fairly light on! For me it's all worth it though when I am sitting at home and a Commonwealth Games commercial appears, generally the buzz of the games is building momentum. What greater incentive is there to drag your butt out of bed for training?

But wait for it, it doesn't finish there, immediately after the Games conclude I go back into training in Adelaide with the National team to prepare for the 2006 World Championships where I hope to defend my World title 3 weeks following the Games in Bordeaux, France. Enough about that, one step at a time.

Well guys I hope that gives you some insight into what lays ahead, I will write to you a few days before race day and give you the low down. Thank you for your continued support.

Katie x x

Progress Report from Olympic Cyclist, Katie Mactier, 22 March 2005

Hi all,

Hard to believe that I am preparing for the '2005 Track World Championships', it seems like yesterday that I was gearing up for the 'Athens Olympic Games'. It is not uncommon for athletes to struggle with the mental and physical challenges that a post Olympic year presents itself with, for me being a 3 time silver medallist it is a relatively easy challenge and one that I have whole heartedly embraced.

My 2005 track campaign commenced in Adelaide where the Aussie track athletes came together to train as a team under our respecive National Coaches. It is always great catching up with the guys, I guess it would be fair to say that we share a pretty strong bond having spent so much time together in the past preparing for major competitions. After a grueling 3 week camp the team flew to Los Angeles, where the Track Worlds are being held.

I am now 5 days away from my race - the 3000m individual pursuit. I am happy with my preparation and am looking forward to finally racing. Personally I don't focus on the outcome of the race, I just make dam sure that I have done the work and present myself in the best possible condition I can. As cliché as it may sound, the results generally take care of themselves.

The week before competition can also be a true test to an athletes mental strength. It is a week of tapering where we rest up, by reducing the training load. This leaves a lot of time on our hands, alot of thoughts good and bad can enter your head. I must go through my race mentally a million times, envisaging the moment I wake up in the morning - right through to the moment I start my race. Having done 2400 km's in the 3 week's before we left Adelaide, it is a great feeling not to have constantly aching legs!! Freshening up by doing light rides and a couple of hit outs on the track is a key component of getting the best results.

Well guys, I will leave you now, I will write back to you after my event, I hope you are all well and may I thank you all for your support.

Best regards,
Katie Mactier