Patient Stories

May 2010

active^x clinic interviews Jenny Davis, Edinburgh Racing Club Track Cyclist

active^x - How and when did you first stumble on track cycling?

Jenny - I had a slightly unusual introduction to track cycling. I was actually a judo player for about 18 years and fought for Scotland and GB as a junior and senior player. After all those years of hard graft I decided to take a break from the sport but kept training in the gym to stay fit and healthy.

About a year had passed and I was chatting to one of the strength coaches I used to work with. They suggested that I give track cycling a try out because the gym results I had achieved were on a similar level to track sprint athletes (female equivalent of Chris Hoy). I wasn't really that interested so they lost the rag a little. From memory their argument went something along the lines of "this is a complete waste of talent you've got Jenny, a complete waste!" I wasn't that happy with the accusation of "wasted talent" so I agreed to try out track cycling and found that I did have a bit of a flair for it.


Image courtesy of http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/

active^x - What is involved in your training regime and how do you fit this in with a busy lifestyle and full-time job?

Jenny - I have about three to four sessions of bike work a week (depending on the time of year and the weather). Sometimes these can be on the veledrome, sometimes on indoor rollers and sometimes on the road, and then about two gym sessions a week. I'm not a big believer in training for hours on end. All my sessions are between one and one and a half hours, so the intensity tends to be a little higher but it means I'm not having to spend hours training, which is important for me because I am still working full time at Standard Life Plc.

I have very specific goals I want to achieve and a training program in place to help me achieve those goals. The training program is broken down into very small goals so they don't feel like such an effort (for example aiming to get a second off one of my times is a huge goal in my event but aiming for 0.1 seconds off is much more manageable). Now I am only 0.1 second off qualifying for the Commonwealth Games this year in Delhi and confident I can reach the time I need.

I'm pretty picky about what I do with my time. The one thing everyone has the same amount of is time - whether you are a 9-5 worker or a millionaire like Richard Branson. I'm sure Richard Branson would pay millions for more time. It's the one thing that when it’s gone you can't get it back. So the time I do have, I make sure it is working for me and what I want to achieve in my life - regardless of whether it is for sport or my own personal goals.

I came across a little exercise I tried out about a year ago that has really helped me fit everything in. It might seem a bit silly at first but every single person I know that has done this has been astounded by the results. For three days I spent a couple of minutes jotting down exactly what I was doing as the day progressed - including everything. So for example, when I woke up I spent 10mins talking to my partner, 5mins brushing my teeth and getting organised in the bathroom. I went on the internet and played a game for about 20mins, then rushed to get changed into my cycling gear to cycle to work because I was late (10mins). Cycled to work 20mins, shower and changed 15mins, and so my day continued.

After a couple of days I looked at where I was spending my time and was flabbergasted at the huge amount of time I was wasting watching the television, surfing the Internet, playing games etc. Hours of time that I was wasting in my life doing nothing! So I tried to weed some of those things out and can now fit a lot more into my day.

active^x - How do you overcome both the physical and mental challenges inherent in such an extreme style of cycling?

Jenny - Lots of sleep! Every morning I check what my resting heart rate is (it only takes 1min) if it is out of the normal range for me (increase more than 10-15 beats a min) then I know to lay off training as I might not be recovered or I might be ill. The last time I was ill, my resting heart rate was about 80 beats per minute two days before the symptoms came so I was able to lay off training so I could get over the illness quicker.

Mentally I just focus on the next baby step goal and don't worry about the big problems or goals I am aiming for. If I take care of the small things every day, the big things take care of themselves.

active^x - Injury is obviously a concern for any keen athlete, how do you cope with this and how does active^x clinics assist you?

Jenny - Just the thought of an injury for any athlete tends to fill us with dread. Unfortunately it is part of sport and life in general. I'm sure all your patients will relate to injury and wanting to get back to a "pain free" normality regardless of who they are, and like anyone else you don't tend to think about it until it actually happens, then you are left trying to find a solution and FAST!

If you’re lucky enough to have a team of people to support you that are medically trained and true professionals it can make a huge difference in the level of recovery and the time it takes to get back to normality. active^x are my support team (and also that of my club members) and I know if I was ever injured they would be there offering an exceptionally high level of service with the aim of not only getting me back to training, but in a position of performing at a very high level.

I'm fortunate enough to only have had the need to use active^x for two sessions - both times Gavin and his staff worked their magic and I was back training within two days. I know my team mates have used active^x for back issues and neck problems (amongst other things) and the advice and treatment given has really shaped the way their season went. If it wasn't for active^x half of the team would be off the bikes injured or training through pain, which never promotes an environment for top performance.

active^x - What are your future aspirations in terms of the City of Edinburgh Racing Club team and plans for the Commonwealth Games?

Jenny - The Commonwealth Games this year are in Delhi in October and there are three girls in our club all aiming to qualify within the next eight weeks. If we qualify we will be going to Delhi with the aim of fighting for a medal in the Women Team Sprint event (where two of us will race together as a team). So it is my aim to be pushing for a medal in October. Depending on how my times are going by the end of the year there may be an opportunity to join the GB team in Manchester with the aim of being selected for London 2012; that all depends on this year’s times and performances.

active^x - What inspires and motivates you and what do you love most about the sport?

Jenny - The thought of being the best in the world and trying to achieve each goal to get there inspires and motivates me a lot. It seems far off at the moment as I have tons of smaller goals that are all aimed at getting there over the next two and a half years. I make sure I have plenty of people that know what I'm supposed to do, so when I don't feel like I can be bothered to train I know I am accountable to them as well as myself.

active^x - Do you feel that the success of Chris Hoy has greatly benefited the sport in Scotland?

Jenny - Chris Hoy and the rest of the GB team have definitely helped raise awareness of the sport with more television and newspaper coverage and support throughout the UK. I’m sure that their success will help inspire the next generation of cyclists coming through. I know it has inspired some of the other members of the GB team at the moment and the Olympic Academy athletes that are aiming for success in the future. Chris Hoy has raised the bar for sprinters and the GB team as a whole which means we are a lot more competitive than we were a few years ago.

And it was gold medallist Jason Quelly that inspired Chris Hoy and Vicky Pendleton (both Olympic gold medallists) - if the support is right then it is a bit like a golden cycle (pardon the pun) one generation inspiring the next to greatness.

active^x - What advice would you give to people about how best to juggle an exercise regime with a busy schedule and how to cope with injury?

Jenny - Try and work it into you day - for example I cycle to and from work - it is only about 20mins each way but by the end of the week that totals 3.5 hours of exercise (and I get home quicker than if I was getting the bus).

Find an exercise or physical activity you enjoy then it doesn't feel like such an effort. You don't need to be in the gym or spend a fortune to get fit - there are a number of people in my office that train in lots of different ways - there are a few cyclists, a couple of runners, a girl plays badminton doubles in a league, another does karate twice a week and others play football. All these activities are pretty cheap and you only need a do a couple of hours a week (and it will be more fun than sitting in front of the television).

If I find it hard to get motivated the reasons are usually either because I'm not clear what I want (so I need to get much more specific about what I want to achieve) or I don't know how to achieve it (in which case I find someone that does and do the same).

Lastly, I always try and make sure the thing I want to achieve gives me a physical reaction when I think about achieving it - like a feeling of pride or excitement - when I think about winning a medal at the Olympics I can feel it physically inside, so when I'm struggling that is what I use to keep going. If you aren't excited by your goals then you have nothing to lean on when times do get tough.

active^x clinics wishes Jenny and her team at the City of Edinburgh Racing Club the best of luck in their training for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October 2010.