RESULTS CRACKED THE TOP 10

Melissa Zammit

Age: 35 Operations manager at a cardiovascular research company

I RACE CATEGORY 4 cyclocross, mostly local races. My goal is to upgrade to Cat 3 next year or by the end of this season. I wanted to be more competitive, but I noticed I wasn’t seeing that many gains from cycling alone. I was plateauing.

I’d done weight training as a runner. But when I started cycling, I never connected weights and the bike. If I did lift, it was with lighter weights – I never thought I could lift heavy loads. Maximum Overload helped me overcome this mindset of limiting my abilities by settling for easier weights. I surprise myself now with how much more I can lift. I was sore at first, but now I feel much stronger on and off the bike.

About six weeks in, I was probably already 50 per cent better than I was last year. I didn’t finish higher than 22nd last season, and my highest finish this year is ninth. I raced my first World Cup race this season too – 25th on day one and 22nd on day two, but it was a much faster and more competitive race than the ones I’ve done in the past, so I consider it an improved result.

Plus, I feel better – I’m not redlining as quickly. Last year, I would be really broken after a race. But this season I’ve raced twice in the same day and done well in the second race too. I’m signed up for two races again this weekend, and I have no worries at all.