Jodie Willett, racing for Merida-Flight Centre, is currently at the top of her game. After a storming 2010 which saw her win the Epic Marathon in Queensland, compete in two World Cup XC races and place in the top 30 at the Marathon MTB World Championships (amongst many more top results), you could forgive her for feeling like she had achieved enough. MarathonMTB.com caught up with Willett to ask her about her involvement with the sport, and what she is aiming for in 2011. Although comfortable competing at the highest level, Willet is reasonably new to mountain biking, having started out of a desire for some fitness and a change.
”I first mountain biked in 2006. In high school I was a reasonable XC runner but after 7 years of loose living I was pretty out of shape, not least because I’d just given birth! I started running again in 2002 but got sick of being injured. I enjoyed competitive running so I wanted something that was similar, just on two wheels. It was a choice between time trialing (boring!) and mountain biking.”
When you see Willet in action in either a Marathon, Stage Race, Cross Country Race or Road Race (she is remarkably versatile) you will understand that she is quite competitive and driven. So it’s not surprising her foray into mountain biking aligned with her entry into racing.
”My first ever mountain bike ride was also my first ever race! It was the 2006 Half Epic and I was going fine on the fireroads but when I hit the last 10km of singletrack I thought I was going to die”. Thankfully, Mountain Bike Marathons have pretty large fields, with a whole lot of people moving at very different speeds. There will always be someone there to get you going again. “I met my good friend Matt Christmas during that race and he encouraged me to ride with him and look at competing in some local races.”
From there it was just a matter of progression, and Willett made an impact pretty quickly, which gained her some essential support.
“Chris White of River City Cycles (now of Pegasus Sports) gave me my first sponsorship, and got me to aim a bit higher.”
Every athlete can probably find a point in their career that marks where they really progressed. For some it may be a breakthrough performance, or it could just be finding the right mindset in training has increased their desire to succeed. Willet recalls a shift in 2008.
“I prepared really well for the 2008 World Cup XC round in Canberra. I trained so hard and pretty much ate, slept and rode in the lead up. I was so nervous being driven to the race I almost vomited and seriously thought about jumping out of the car and running away! The race itself was, and still is, the best I have ever performed. I remember feeling so strong, smooth and just on another level. It must be like a golfer hitting the perfect tee shot, and then you spend your whole life chasing that feeling again.”
Willett is self employed as a Massage Therapist, and has a young daughter to look after as well. Any endurance athlete will know that the combination of family, work and training and competing is a difficult combination.
“The sacrifice (for Canberra 2008) was enormous though in terms of scaling back relationships and work, meaning I was lonely and broke. Maintaining my body and making sure I got enough recovery meant that when I wasn’t riding I was sleeping. I even gave up alcohol for a month leading up to the race, which was tough because I love my red wine with dinner! Being that focused all the time isn’t realistic unless you’re getting paid a wage to do it. I really enjoy being fit and eating healthily, so most of the time I don’t feel like I’m living any differently than I otherwise would. Although I would probably spend more time going out on the town with friends and getting less sleep if I wasn’t racing at an elite level.”
It has been said that a certain amount of selfishness is required to be a successful athlete. And Willet clearly recognises this. However she tries to focus on organising essential tasks, and making sure she can fit other parts of her life into that.
“You definitely have to be very self-centered and that means saying no to a lot of things, mostly socialising, which can be difficult. My day has to be structured so that everything fits and that often means one thing runs into the next, and the next…if I ever lost my diary I think my life would end! If it’s not written in my diary it just doesn’t exist as I won’t remember it. The main thing is to be realistic about what I can achieve in 24 hours. I work out the things that are important and have to be done at a specific time, then structure everything else around that. Sometimes that means I am doing book-work at 4am! I also have a great network of friends and family and we help each other out when possible.”
Quality advice and coaching are typically essential for success. Although Willett loves to ride her bike, coaching for motivated sports people can revolve around knowing when to train, and when to tell the athlete to stop and recover. Like any relationship, the right match between coach and rider is based on understanding each others personalities.
”I’ve been with my current coach Nick Formosa for a year and we are currently planning the next twelve months. I am hopeless coaching myself and always end up doing too much. A coach is someone with an objective view and access to information and tips to get the most out of training. As my first coach said to me “we all went to the same coaching school” so I think coaching is 80% psychology – knowing your athlete, how they are thinking and how they will react to situations like injury and illness. I think Nick understands me – that I get bored easily and also get distracted with this race or that. He keeps me focused on my agreed goals and doesn’t hold back in telling me when he thinks something is not a good idea. I need that!”
2010 saw Willett racing at a high level in XCM, Stage Races, XC and even 24hr solos. This is somewhat unique in this time of athlete specialisation; however Willett is jovial about her decisions.
”I have commitment issues! 2009 was a tough year and I made a lot of mistakes, including forgetting why I ride. 2010 was about bringing back the fun and saying yes to more opportunities. Racing my Mountain Bike a lot in the longer races helped me to get my confidence back and reconnect with the Mountain Bike community. I enjoyed racing for the hell of it rather focusing on a result, or having to qualify for a national team. Getting it all out of my system has made me super motivated to race XCO in 2011. The fast and furious nature of the sport is what I love about it, as well as being able to show to spectators what we spend all our training time practicing. The move to more technical XC tracks appeals to me as it will push me outside of my comfort zone and that’s where the buzz is.
The UCI has ensured there is a fresher focus on XCO with changes to course lengths for spectator friendly viewing. A new focus from governing bodies also shifts the goals for athletes. Quizzed on goals for 2011, Willet is clear about what she is chasing.
”A National title – for sure! I’ve got some key races like XC Nationals and Oceanias that I’d like to do well in. Hopefully that will facilitate another trip overseas in 2011. Representing Australia at the (XC) World Champinships in Champery would be fantastic. My ‘plan B’ would have to be a major Marathon like the Leadville 100 or a stage race like the BC Bike Race. I will know more after February. The Nemesis Marathon and the Red Centre Enduro are on the list as they were a couple of my favourites from this year.
Most big races, be they XC, XCM or Stage Races involve travel. For Australians, it’s a central element to competition – be it domestic or international racing. Willett travelled extensively for her sport in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Travel can be about more than just sporting goals though.
”Travelling to ride is something I only just started to enjoy this year, I think because I’ve got the whole bike and luggage scenario sorted out (everything has to have wheels on it!). My Europe trip was such a big challenge and at times very stressful both financially and logistically. I’d say I appreciated it more in retrospect because of the obstacles and situations I dealt with. Experiencing different cultures is fascinating to me, but some of my biggest eye-opening trips have been in Australia. So seeing more of my own country is on the agenda.” Time away racing is time away from home, which takes its toll.
“I have a lot of parental guilt about going away to race…it seems so indulgent. My daughter has been able to come to some of my domestic races this year so I feel she is also benefiting from what I do. I’m not sure this offsets having a mum who is tired and cranky most of the time but hopefully she will have some great memories.”
Clearly Willett has the motivation, discipline and support to carry on achieving top results in 2011. MarathonMTB.com wishes her all the best in achieving her goals.