Megan Blatchford-Peck's Blog

Prize Giving

2011-12-16T15:35:00.001-08:00

Gold medal in Club Road Champs, Masters Women's race!

Weekend Racing

2011-10-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

Burgled a win in the Sutton Cup this weekend!

(Photo Kirsty Kaihau)

Club Road Racing

2011-10-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

Club Road Race and Time-Trial on 1st October 2011 and I actually enjoyed it!

Thanks to Kirsty Kaihau for the great action pics!

2011-09-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

My 14 year old son Bede and I!

Performance Coaching

2011-09-08T01:42:00.000-07:00

My new blog is under development ...

http://meganblatchfordcoaching.blogspot.com/

Twitter

2011-08-30T00:21:00.000-07:00

Twitter - My link

My Workmates

2011-02-21T10:31:00.000-08:00

Feilding Racing

2011-02-01T11:10:00.001-08:00

It is awesome to see two new females racing at Feilding this year, Rose (in the pic with me) who came along last night and Jo, another master's women.

Feilding Track Racing

2011-01-27T19:35:00.000-08:00

This week at Feilding Velodrome we had 30 riders, which makes for awesome racing. The officials always have everything so well organised with great race programmes.

Thanks to Kirsty Kaihau for the pics.

Manawatu Standard Article

2011-01-20T16:30:00.000-08:00

Veteran competing with women half her age

My Interview on Sky/Prime's All in the Games

2010-01-06T21:03:00.000-08:00

Click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cVT61cnjLk

World Masters Mission Complete

2009-10-23T05:19:00.001-07:00

After the legs not firing up early in the week, they definitely were for the Sprint on Friday. I won the one event I really wanted to ... the World Masters Women Sprint title (45-49years), beating the former title holder Annette Williams from the USA.

One thing I discovered about myself is I'm a racer, I love to have riders on the track to compete against, it totally ignites my competitive nature. Whereas racing against the clock in a time-trail or pursuit just doesn't get me fired up enough.

Six month's of hard training went into my preparation for the World Masters and none of this would have happened without the wonderful support of my husband Rory, who just made it possible for me to get out and ride the bike. I didn’t have to do any housework or bike maintenance stuff!

The other person who I'm very grateful to is my coach Terry Gyde. He introduced me to the world of "hard a*s" training which I'm sure has helped me evolve as a rider in so many ways.

2009 World Masters Scratch Race

2009-10-21T04:21:00.001-07:00

Had a win tonight! It was so exciting as the champs hadn’t got off to a great start for me. But tonight my legs were starting to fire up.

As I had won the Scratch Race the last two years with my sprint, I knew everyone would be watching me, so my plan was to take the front and control the timing of the sprint like a keirin. However, the plan was for that to happen with 3 laps to go, but I found myself in the front with 15 laps to go (5 laps into the race). And it definetly was the safest place to be as there were two crashes during the race.

Results: 1st me, 2nd Makiko Hamada (Japan), 3rd Annette Williams (USA)

Some pics below Bede took that capture the moment...

2009 World Masters Track Cycling Champs

2009-10-19T20:35:00.001-07:00

Pictures below, will add more when I get them! Text updates on Twitter http://twitter.com/meganbp

2007 & 2008 World Masters Track Cycling Championship Photos

2009-05-24T00:46:00.000-07:00

2008 500mTT - 1st (40-44 years)

2008 Masters World Championship 500mTT
2nd Megan Marsh (AUS), 1st me, 3rd Amanda O'Connor (AUS)

2008 Sprint Finals - Me and Amanda O'Connor

2007 Sprint Finals - Me and Michelle King (won 1 of 3)

2007 Flying 200TT

2008 Scratch Race with 1 lap to go (1st 30-44 years)

2008 Scratch Race

Me & Kim Trzebiatosky (RSA)

Me & Patrizia Spadaccini (Itlay)

2009 National Track Cycling Championships

2009-02-21T19:06:00.001-08:00

My key highlight at the track nationals was taking the bronze medal in the Elite Women’s Sprint. (Natasha Hansen 1st, Penny Day 2nd). In the semi final, with the winner going through to ride for the gold/silver final, I lost the first sprint, won the second, but lost the third, realising that my 6 hour a week training routine didn’t really give me enough gas in the tank to do the biz on the final sprint.

It was a hard days racing with some really talented riders I had to do battle with. I was so grateful to have Mike McRedmond helping me. Mike has this amazing ability to bring out the very best in everyone on race day.

I placed 10th in the 500mTT equaling my PB and battled my way through the Keirin heats to make the final finishing 5th.

I told myself if I didn’t win a medal this year, then it would be time to change my national racing licence over from “Elite” to “Masters”, but at nearly 45 years, if I can still do the biz with the young chicks, I’m not going to give up just yet.

My other highlight was unofficially breaking the world age group record for the flying 200mTT. I didn’t realise I had done so until I headed back to my motel room and looked up the time on the internet. I had an official attempt later in the week in front of probably 400 people plus. I knew it wasn’t a good sign when the crowd went very silent after I’d finished! I just missed by 0.1 sec. But hey, I’m a great believer, not to put deadlines on your goals, but instead "time frames" and I’ve got five years to achieve this one.

I had a fantastic week down in Invercargill thoroughly enjoying hanging out with my team mates and all the great people you meet at events like this. Plus sleeping in each day and watching Oprah on TV each afternoon between sessions was an added bonus.

However, the champs ended with my coach Hamish and I, deciding that it was best for both of us to move on.

2009 WCNI Track Champs Photos

2009-02-14T14:30:00.001-08:00

Got these great pics from Merv Richdale who was at the champs. If you were riding he may have some of you (mobile 0274474221).

The Keirin Action

2008 World Masters Track Cycling Championships

2008-10-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic week of track cycling action!

I won four World Championship title’s and became “Champion of Champions” in my age group.

The big highlight of the week was winning the 5000m Scratch Race, racing with the 30-44 year old's in the most testing race I’ve ever done, being - fast, dangerous and ugly.

I was boxed in with three laps to go but I got there. The action can be viewed on the following link, zoom along to about 6 minutes to view the last 4 exciting laps! Click here then on Event 54.

Being a Mind-Performance Coach, I have theme songs for each of my events to get fully amped and zoned in! My music for this race was Devildriver’s, Just Run .. and it worked perfectly with lyrics like…

Courage without conviction

Is apathy at best

Better move with a quickness

Or get shit-canned like the rest

No one taught you how to run with the pack

So blaze your own trail down

Catch yourself if you slip

Chances are there'll be no one around

Get out, leave it far behind Get out,
leave it far behind

Get the fuck out!

Run now…to save your soul

Run now…to take control

Run now…to save your life

Run now…it's do or die

Just run…

500m TT

500m TT - Megan Marsh (Aus), me, Amanda O'Connor (Aus)

2007 UCI World Masters Track Cycling Championships

2008-03-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

A pictorial view of my week at the World Masters Track Cycling Championships.
Images: Mike Gladu/www.velodrome.com

Just cruising the "Dunc Gray" enjoying every moment of the experience.

I got 2nd in the pursuit final, and totally surprised my coach as we had only focusd on sprint training. Also have learnt that having a low aerodynamic position can help quite a bit too.

World Pursuit Championship 40-49yrs
1st Mandy Collis (Aus)
2nd Megan Blatchford-Peck (NZL)
3rd Kim Trzebiatosky (RSA)

Scratch Race, one lap to go!

The big win. I look a bit surpised about it all too! Was really in the 'zone' for this race.

World Scratch Race Championship 30-44 years
1st Megan Blatchford-Peck (NZL)
2nd Amanda O'Connor (AUS)
3rd Michelle Ferris (AUS)

Even my huband RG (Rory) didn't give me the big "hands on hold" like the Aussie Coach above.

World Sprint Championship 40-44yrs
1st Michelle King (AUS)
2nd Megan Blatchford-Peck (NZL)
3rd Julie Barnett (AUS)

It's Never Too Late To Be A World Champion

2008-03-15T23:09:00.001-07:00

Sometimes life takes you on a new path and you leave behind your dreams and aspirations. This is what happened to me.

I married young at 19 years. I realised 9 weeks later that I had made a terrible mistake and courageously packed up and left with the help of my parents. Suddenly a big gap was created in my life, a marriage disaster and lots of time on my hands.

However, being a positive person I needed to channel my energy into something constructive and started riding a road bike that I found in my father’s garage. It was November 1983, and I couldn’t wait to get home from work and go riding in the warm summer evenings. As the weeks went past, I became slimmer, fitter, and faster, it was such a wonderful feeling. I did some competitive cycling at school and would often ride past the velodrome and watch the track racing. I wished I was good enough to ride as I loved the speed and being competitive. When I got home and I would visualise myself racing around the track.

I have always believed, that “when you focus on what you want, you attract it.” During one of my visit’s to the velodrome, one of the guy’s offered to lend me a track bike, and NZ top cycling coach at the time, Max Vertongen offered to train me. Four months later, in February 1984, I became track cycling National Women’s Sprint Champion.

Over the next three years, I had varying success. I was selected to represent New Zealand at the Australian Games where I won gold. However, it was a struggle to train and I had a mortgage and worked full time. I found training after work in the dark during winter a daunting challenge. I learnt that my specialist sprint event was not being included in the Commonwealth Games and decided to retire from the sport at 22 years.

Life continued and exercising and keeping fit was part of my lifestyle. However, deep down, I loved to compete, race, and challenge myself, and exercising without a competitive purpose was not overly fulfilling.

At age 27 years, I decided to make a come back, and after limited training, placed second in the NZ National Track Cycling Championships, women’s sprint and was selected for a NZ team. However, four months later, my much loved Dad who did everything for me, was killed when warming up for bike race. I decided to end my involvement with the sport.

But, at age 40 the competitive desire was still burning inside. Living in New Plymouth at the time, I thought I would train for a triathlon. As part of my preparation I entered some local cycling club races. A casual remark from a female club member put me back on a serious cycling path. She zoomed pass me in a race and said “how she felt sorry for how slow I was riding up the hill”. That was all I needed to hear. Later that year (2004), I won the National Women’s Road Cycling Championship 35-44 years and successfully defended my title in 2005.

However, my love of track cycling was still burning away inside. Once again, the principal of “when you focus on what you want, you attract what you need to make it happen” occurred. My wonderful husband Rory said, “Why don’t you give the track ago again.” I said, “Don’t be ridiculous, we live 160kms away from the nearest velodrome.” Two weeks later I was the owner of a second hand track bike (the same model I was riding 20 years prior!), and we made the two hour return journey to the Wanganui velodrome to train and compete each week. At first I worried about making a fool of myself, and I was absolutely terrified riding around a steeply banked track, but with time I made the breakthrough. Being an “out of towner and an older female” I was so appreciative of the support, encouragement and received from the Wanganui club track guys.

Three years later in October 2007, I entered and competed at the UCI World Masters Track Cycling Championships in Sydney. I absolutely loved every moment of my preparation. Being a speed cyclist I spent a lot of time in the gym. Focusing on the big picture, I attracted all the right people and circumstances into my life. My husband, son, and I moved to Palmerston North and I started working at the Massey University gym. Early morning starts and a mid-day finish allowed me time to train in the afternoons before my son finished school. I worked with Christchurch based cycling coach, Hamish Ferguson, for 12 months and at 43 years he helped me achieve faster times in training than when I was riding 22 years ago. For me, this was such a personally satisfying achievement that whatever happened at the World Masters would be a bonus.

As well as physical training, I put a lot of focus into my mental preparation. It all came together perfectly, when I achieved the big win becoming the UCI World Masters Women’s World Scratch Race Champion 30- 44 years, beating former Olympic and Commonwealth games riders many years younger than me. Success also came with two silver medals in the Sprint and Pursuit and bronze in the Time Trial.

Success isn’t a solo journey. My win wouldn’t have been possible without the love, time and support from my husband Rory. Many others who contributed with their time, support, comments and suggestions that made a difference. Challenging yourself to be the best you can be, I believe is one of the most fulfilling ways to live your life!

For anyone who wants to reunite their sporting desire, it’s never too late. In 2008 the World Masters Track Championships will again be based in Sydney 14th-18th October 2008 and in 2009 the World Master’s Games are in Sydney featuring 26 sports.

Websites

http://www.cyclingmasters.com.au/