Currently in the U.S escaping the winter cold, Torpedo7 team rider Katie Schofield is putting in the miles in preparation for the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Cambridge in December. She sent us through a few words about the experience so far…

Above: Training at T-town track

Trexlertown (aka T-town) was a place I only heard about from other cyclists. Not just from current team mates, but also coaches and other retired athletes. They have been here, lived here, trained here, and competed here; champions are created and celebrated here. NZ athletes have been coming here for a very long time. So what is so special about this little place in Pennsylvania, USA?

From my eyes T-town has a fantastic cycling community. The 333m outdoor velodrome (Preferred Valley Cycling Centre) is always in use whether it be by professional athletes, local athletes, or aspiring kids. The racing scene is strong, with competitive Tuesday and Friday nights every week on the track. The roads around T-town are quiet, with a good range of routes and hills close by. There are also road derby’s every Wednesday and Sunday – a solid 50km loop for us sprinters – to add to your training week. And the weather is a bonus; 30+ degree summer beats a winter no matter where you are in NZ.

We train in T-town but our headquarters are based 20km west, in Kutztown, at the Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. We usually to ride to the velodrome as part of our warm-up, and or back as part of our warm-down. It is a pleasant stroll amongst the fast growing corn fields, and you usually come across an Amish family travelling by horse and cart.

I have been here for just over a month and a half, with another month to go. The first four weekends of our time here consisted of UCI racing in sprint and keirin events. Top athletes from USA, Canada, Great Britain, and the Netherlands were here also racing for top qualification points. The competition was fast and tough and you wouldn’t want it any other way. I had some good performances, and some not so good performances (see: http://katieschofield.co.nz/half-way-in-merica). You take it on the chin, learn, and move on right?

Now, half-way through July, we are in a building block with completing a 90km road ride (with derby included) on Wednesday nights, track racing every Friday night (that is more endurance focussed), with gym, road, and track sessions in between. It is safe to say that although this block is testing, I know it will be making me a better athlete in the long-term.

We have our last set of UCI races in August before heading back to NZ. I will miss this place and I will look forward to coming back in the future. If you are a cyclist looking for a winter training excursion, I would definitely recommend coming here!

I would like to thank Torpedo7 and my other supporters (see: http://katieschofield.co.nz/sponsors) in helping me make this trip possible.

Above: Opening night of Friday night racing

Above: First win on Friday night racing 500m Chariot

Above: Amish encounter

Above: Hawk Mountain training ride