Jo CrADDOCK
Jo shows that you don't have to be a professional cyclist, or want to be a professional cyclist, to benefit hugely from coaching, both for your riding and your personal well-being. Jo shows that with a bit of grit, determination and the right support you can succeed in achieving great things in spite of what life may throw at you. This is Jo's personal story in her own words.
"In 2015 I considered myself pretty fit and healthy. I had a good crack at L'Etape du Tour but was caught by the broom wagon at the top of the Col du Glandon. I was gutted then, but The Pru' London 100 shortly afterwards gave me another challenge and I finished that in a time I was happy with.
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A few weeks later I found a lump and was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. It was like being hit by a bus and it knocked me for six.
Surgery in November was not straightforward and left me with numbness down my left arm and a nasty burn to heal. Chemotherapy started in the new year of 2016. My hair fell out pretty quickly and I found it tough going. I had 6 sessions of chemo, no immune system left, a hospital admission for infection and felt completely and utterly stripped of everything I had valued as "me". Radiotherapy daily for a month finished the treatment in July 2016. I was feeling incredibly low. I lost my best friend to brain cancer that month too. I felt lost, in shock, wondering what the hell had happened to me. |
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In November I was given the all clear, a massive milestone. I was starting to feel a bit better, less tired and my hair had started to regrow. But I was 72 kilos, 5ft2 and taking tamoxifen, which brings a chemically induced menopause.
I had started to exercise again but a home turbo test showed I had an FTP of only 52 to build on. It felt like I was facing an immense mountain to climb just begin to get fit again. My partner Phil supported me through my treatment with tremendous care and it was Phil that suggested I set myself a challenge to work towards. That night, sat at the dinner table with our cycling friends Sam and Zoe and I glibly suggested we sign up for L'etape 2017, I was kind of joking. It seemed absurd. But they agreed. |
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Phil contacted Sean Yates and signed me up [for coaching]. I wonder now what on earth he said to get Sean to take me on, but whatever he said worked and that was my Christmas present.
At times it has felt like the worst present EVER... but now I know it to be the most important and simply the best ever.
At times it has felt like the worst present EVER... but now I know it to be the most important and simply the best ever.
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In January I started my program in earnest and a few weeks later went down to the lab and to do a test. I was really surprised and pleased that Sean was there - his accident a few weeks previously was really very serious and I think he probably should have been resting up and healing instead of hobbling there and seeing my fat bum in the lab. I think I saw a glimpse of the steely determination and strength behind the guy that day.
I was really rubbish and I pulled up as soon as it started to get tough. I was scared of pushing myself and I didn't trust my body at all any more. I came away feeling acutely embarrassed and very annoyed with myself. I thought it was fairly unlikely that I'd manage the goal of getting fit enough to do L'etape. |
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I had a big wobble and expressed my doubt.
Sean's response was honest and simple. It would be very hard.
The bottom line though was that I'd have to lose weight and stick to the plan he would create. So that's what I did.
Sean's response was honest and simple. It would be very hard.
The bottom line though was that I'd have to lose weight and stick to the plan he would create. So that's what I did.
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I began to base my food intake on a simple low calorie nutritionally balanced diet. I cooked everything from scratch so that I knew exactly what I was eating. I reduced my portion size and stopped drinking alcohol. Sean would load a plan for the week's training onto my calendar. I had a real mixture of workouts, from fasting low effort fast leg spin types of workouts to long hard ramp sessions. I also started core training Pilates sessions with my kids.
As the weeks passed the training intensity gradually increased. From the beginning Sean built rest into my program and impressed on me the need to rest properly when I was supposed to be resting. |
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We have 4 kids, 2 dogs and a house to run. My life is rarely quiet and relaxed. Through this training program I have had to learn to stop and rest, a new skill I have grown to quite like! But initially I wasn't stopping to rest enough and I started to get really tired. I felt pretty weak and ineffectual. Sometimes getting off the bike after a long turbo session and having a cry. It was frustrating and emotional!
But slowly I started to feel better, more positive, hopeful and crucially my weight was really steadily coming off. My joints started to feel less sore and I started to feel fitter - more alive.
It wasn't easy and I think if I sent Sean one long moany text I perhaps sent him a hundred. Throughout he was calm and empathetic and I think looking back now he was in touch just the right amount but at no point did he indulge my moaning. I got used to his characteristically short direct messages in response to my long and emotionally overwrought reports of the training sessions.
He kept reminding me of the goal and his regular WhatsApp messages were mostly brilliant and inspirational but I have to also say that sometimes they were bloody annoying!! A top tip; it's not nice to text a woman to simply say "Don't eat too much". Or start a conversation with "Weight?". I have to grudgingly admit though, it worked for me.
I stuck to the plan as rigidly as possible and sent Sean messages when I couldn't because of family commitments or didn't feel well enough.
He was kind and realistic about my life and training balance.
I uploaded every ride I did onto the Today's Plan system for Sean to review and downloaded his prescribed workouts onto Trainer Road or Zwift. I sometimes had to set my alarm for 5 or 6 a.m. to fit in my training before the school run and work and sometimes I was still on the bike long after the kids went to bed, laying out my cycling shorts for the next morning before I fell asleep.
But slowly I started to feel better, more positive, hopeful and crucially my weight was really steadily coming off. My joints started to feel less sore and I started to feel fitter - more alive.
It wasn't easy and I think if I sent Sean one long moany text I perhaps sent him a hundred. Throughout he was calm and empathetic and I think looking back now he was in touch just the right amount but at no point did he indulge my moaning. I got used to his characteristically short direct messages in response to my long and emotionally overwrought reports of the training sessions.
He kept reminding me of the goal and his regular WhatsApp messages were mostly brilliant and inspirational but I have to also say that sometimes they were bloody annoying!! A top tip; it's not nice to text a woman to simply say "Don't eat too much". Or start a conversation with "Weight?". I have to grudgingly admit though, it worked for me.
I stuck to the plan as rigidly as possible and sent Sean messages when I couldn't because of family commitments or didn't feel well enough.
He was kind and realistic about my life and training balance.
I uploaded every ride I did onto the Today's Plan system for Sean to review and downloaded his prescribed workouts onto Trainer Road or Zwift. I sometimes had to set my alarm for 5 or 6 a.m. to fit in my training before the school run and work and sometimes I was still on the bike long after the kids went to bed, laying out my cycling shorts for the next morning before I fell asleep.
As I got stronger and L'Etape nearer, Sean asked me to do longer rides out on the road. I had to get used to planning routes, setting out solo and dealing with mechanicals I had never experienced on my own. Living where we do made it hard to ride at a steady heart rate for long enough. It's quite hilly. So I had to get used to riding main roads and dual carriageways. It was a steep learning curve and pretty white knuckled at times!
My speed and power was increasing and I started to feel more confident. I had to buy a new (smaller!) pair of cycling shorts and I had dropped 2 clothes sizes. I was ridiculously pleased by that.
Seven weeks before L'Etape, Phil and I decided (well, I decided if I'm honest!) that the race trip would make a good honeymoon. It was the first time since my diagnosis that I had begun to feel good enough about myself to contemplate setting a date. We planned the wedding in a few weeks and entered the date into my training calendar, blocking out a couple of days just at the point at which I was supposed to be doing a lot of miles! If Sean was frustrated by that he didn't show it! Newly married, we set off for France.
Sean had sent me a race plan before we left which had completely thrown out my own-made approach to the race which was to ride with my friend Zoe. But it made complete sense and when the chips were down I needed to ask again for Phil's help. He agreed to be my domestique for the day and I can't be more grateful to him for that. He was amazing.
I found it so hard and selfish to tell Zoe that I wouldn't be riding with her as we'd planned. She was completely supportive and said she really wanted me to succeed with everything I'd been through and if I needed to ride with Phil then that was fine. I feel very blessed by her friendship. We all planned to try and set off together and for Sam to support Zoe as Phil was to do for me.
My speed and power was increasing and I started to feel more confident. I had to buy a new (smaller!) pair of cycling shorts and I had dropped 2 clothes sizes. I was ridiculously pleased by that.
Seven weeks before L'Etape, Phil and I decided (well, I decided if I'm honest!) that the race trip would make a good honeymoon. It was the first time since my diagnosis that I had begun to feel good enough about myself to contemplate setting a date. We planned the wedding in a few weeks and entered the date into my training calendar, blocking out a couple of days just at the point at which I was supposed to be doing a lot of miles! If Sean was frustrated by that he didn't show it! Newly married, we set off for France.
Sean had sent me a race plan before we left which had completely thrown out my own-made approach to the race which was to ride with my friend Zoe. But it made complete sense and when the chips were down I needed to ask again for Phil's help. He agreed to be my domestique for the day and I can't be more grateful to him for that. He was amazing.
I found it so hard and selfish to tell Zoe that I wouldn't be riding with her as we'd planned. She was completely supportive and said she really wanted me to succeed with everything I'd been through and if I needed to ride with Phil then that was fine. I feel very blessed by her friendship. We all planned to try and set off together and for Sam to support Zoe as Phil was to do for me.
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Race day - 56 kg. We did it!
It was long, hot, incredibly hard and emotional. The training and preparation that Sean had prescribed gave me the tools to finish. The motivation, support and help Phil gave me was unbelievable. The tolerance and understanding of pain I developed through the chemo helped too I think. It took every bit of grit and determination I had to carry on when I was exhausted on the L'Izoard, but I did. Fuelling at the [last] feed stop I splashed myself in a cold spring well and absorbed the support from the crowds. |
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The emotion really hit me at the 1km to go sign, and I could hardly breathe through it. I was absolutely blown away to cross the finish line with an official time 10:06 hours and comfortably ahead of the broom wagon.
I felt amazing. Ten feet tall.
Sam and Zoe finished well too, we'd been separated right at the start so I was really happy when I got the text message from Zoe to say she'd made it too. Just brilliant!"
I felt amazing. Ten feet tall.
Sam and Zoe finished well too, we'd been separated right at the start so I was really happy when I got the text message from Zoe to say she'd made it too. Just brilliant!"
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"To Sean
I'd like to take this opportunity to publicly and sincerely say: Thank you for taking me on, for giving me a chance despite the enormity of the challenge, and for seeing me through this. I hated your "how's the weight?" texts, but loved it when I could eventually reply with a good number. Thank you for pushing me to go on when I was tired and didn't think I could. Thanks for telling me I needed Phil's help, for the race plan, for training me to be strong enough to do this. Sean, thanks doesn't cover it. Jo" |
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Update: "It's a year exactly now since I finished my cancer treatment. I'm stronger, fitter, faster than I ever have been. I have a better healthier lifestyle and I'm doing everything right to reduce my chance of the cancer coming back."
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Read more reviews from my coached riders at Sean Yates Cycling.
