Live chat replay: Tara Whitten

Read the recap of our live web chat with three-time world champion Tara Whitten.

Canadian Cycling Magazine May 14, 2012

Thanks for joining Canadian Cycling Magazine for our live web chat with professional cyclist Tara Whitten on Monday, May 14.

The Alberta native is a three-time UCI track world champion in the Omnium and Points events. Her biggest goal this year is to win a gold medal at the upcoming Olympic Games in London.

Whitten also competes in world-class road cycling for the American team Tibco. She, and her teammates, will be participating in Canada’s only UCI-sanctioned road cycling event for women at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Gatineau held on Monday, May 21 in Ottawa.

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2:28

Canadian Cycling – KF:

Hello and welcome to our live web chat with road and track cyclist Tara Whitten.

2:28

Tara Whitten:

Hi Kirsten

2:29

Canadian Cycling – KF:

You are a three-time world champion in the Omnium and Points events, World-Cup winner, Commonwealth Games winner in the time trial, along you are a multiple-time Canadian National Champion, tell us about your most memorable victory?

2:29

2:30

Tara Whitten:

I think my most memorable victory was actually the points race in 2010. That one was unexpected, coming the day after the Omnium. I went in with nothing to lose and was able to race my heart out!

2:31

Canadian Cycling – KF:

Coming from Edmonton, you were a cross-country skiier. How and why did you get involved in track and road cycling instead?

2:32

Tara Whitten:

I am proud of that race because there was a moment when I could have settled for silver, and that seemed like the realistic outcome, but I thought I had to give it one last try and I won a sprint to take the lead

2:32

Tara Whitten:

Sorry that was for the previous question 🙂

2:33

Tara Whitten:

I had a good friend in Edmonton who was a part of the cross country ski club but was also very involved in track cycling. His name was Roger Tetrault. He convinced me to try track cycling. It took a long time for him to convince me, but once I tried it, I was hooked!

2:34

Canadian Cycling – KF:

Do you have your world champion jersey’s and medals framed in your home?

2:34

Comment From ml

Growing up did you play any other sports, or was it just cycling?

2:35

Tara Whitten:

Not yet! I plan to frame them but I will wait until I retire I think.

2:35

Comment From Rob

Do you still ski as a form of cross training ?

2:36

Tara Whitten:

I grew up in a very active family, so I spent most weekends and many evenings either skiing or cycling or hiking or paddling. I wasn’t quite as involved in team sports although I do remember being the catcher on my softball team.

2:37

Comment From Andre

What did you find was the most difficult part of the transition from skier to cyclist? What was/is the hardest thing to pick up

2:37

Tara Whitten:

I don’t really get a chance to ski anymore, since the track season is in the winter. The last time I skied was when I went home after track worlds in 2011. There was an April snowstorm in Alberta so I was able to get some good time in on my skis! I miss it but I know I will ski once I retire from cycling.

2:38

Canadian Cycling – KF:

Will you be competing in the Omnium, Points and Team Pursuit at the Olympic Games in London this summer?

2:39

Tara Whitten:

For me the tactical side of the sport has been the most difficult thing for me to pick up. I prefer the races against the clock, which are more similar to what I did as a skier. My tactical sense is a work in progress!

2:39

Tara Whitten:

The points race is not an Olympic event anymore, so it will be the Omnium and Team Pursuit (although selection is not finalized until June).

2:40

Comment From Davis

What are doing between now and London 2012?

2:41

Tara Whitten:

Everything is planned from now until August 7th! I am doing some road racing this month, and then training mostly on the track until we leave for Europe mid-July.

2:41

Comment From stevenu

Tara, will you be getting an olympic tattoo?

2:42

Tara Whitten:

I have thought of it! I am not a tattoo person but the Olympic rings are something I might consider. I am reading Chris Hoy’s autobiography right now and he talks about getting a tattoo of the Olympic rings

2:43

Comment From Dan D.

What’s your favourite pump-up song you listen to just before racing?

2:44

Tara Whitten:

I actually find that I can’t listen to music in the track center when I am warming up, because I get overwhelmed by too many stimuli! There is always so much going on, that I find I focus better on my race if I stay away from an ipod.

2:44

Canadian Cycling – KF:

This weekend you are traveling to Ottawa for the Chrono Gatineau and Grand Prix Cycliste de Gatineau events. How many events do you compete in Canada each season?

2:45

Tara Whitten:

I don’t compete in many events in Canada, it is true! Last year it was only track nationals and road nationals. It will be exciting to be a part of an international event in Canada!

2:46

Comment From Joe

Do you have plans to focus on the road in the future? Or do you think you will always race on the Road and Track?

2:47

Tara Whitten:

I do feel like I have a bit of unfinished business on the road, after finishing 4th at last year’s World Championships in the TT. But I am not really making any decisions about the future until after the Olympics.

2:47

Canadian Cycling – KF:

How do you juggle racing with the National team on the track and with Team Tibco on the road?

2:48

Tara Whitten:

Linda Jackson (founder of Team Tibco) has been very supportive of me in terms of providing me with opportunities to race when it fits with my schedule and preparations for the track. I have been very lucky the past two years to have that support on the road, and it has allowed me to juggle both.

2:49

Comment From francissini

Worst ever crash?

2:51	Does Tara have the potential to be a world time trial champion in the future? Yes ( 67% ) No ( 0% ) Maybe ( 33% )

2:52

Tara Whitten:

Well the most memorable crash was at the Tour of Ardeche in 2009. It was 7km into the first stage of my first race in Europe, which was not the introduction I was hoping for! I had to finish that stage on a spare bike, and I did finish the Tour, but it was a struggle every day. My road rash was so bad that I couldn’t stand on my right leg for more than 30 seconds.

2:53

Comment From Joe

Do you have any racers (male or female) whom you look up to or whose career you model yourself after?

2:54

Tara Whitten:

I try to learn a little bit from every world class athlete that I meet. One of my big role models, coming from cross country skiing, was Beckie Scott. I learned a lot about how to be an elite athlete from watching her.

2:55

Canadian Cycling – KF:

Most people don’t know that you have a half-finished PhD in Neuroscience, do you have plans to complete your studies?

2:56

Tara Whitten:

Yes I do plan to finish my degree when I am done cycling. I miss that side of my life! I love what I am doing right now but I feel really fortunate to have something that I am looking forward to after I finish my cycling career.

2:56

Kris Westwood:

The omnium is a really complex discipline that places demands on a lot of different energy systems. How hard is it to organize your training so you can perform well in all six events?

2:58

Tara Whitten:

It is an interesting puzzle to try to figure out the training for the omnium! For the most part it is still an endurance event, but the level in the flying lap and the 500m has been increasing steadily, so the speed side can never be neglected. I feel like every race I am learning more about how to maximize my form in each event, and I feel really confident with my plan heading into the Olympics.

2:58

Comment From Joey

What’s a typically training day for Tara Whitten?

3:00

Canadian Cycling – KF:

And to add to the above question, walk us through your pre-race preparation and warm up strategy before an event like the Olympic Games or World Championships?

3:00

Tara Whitten:

I don’t know if there is a “typical” training day! It depends on what phase I am in. When I am training on the track, I am usually there from 10am-1pm, then home, lunch, nap, recovery ride, dinner, bed!

3:02

Comment From Bill

How much of your success would you attribute to natural talent and how much to hard work?

3:03

Tara Whitten:

I usually wake up about 3.5 hours before my first event of the day. I eat breakfast, relax, and arrive at the track 2 hours before. Warm-up starts about 1 hour before the race. I have everything planned out, down to when I think about strategy and when I turn my mind off and relax.

3:04

Tara Whitten:

That is a funny question about talent and hard work. I just finished a book called The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle who says that ‘talent’ is really just the outcome of the right kind of practice. I think that a lot of my ability stems from the fact that my family was really active when I was growing up.

3:05

Comment From Joe

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about being an elite athlete? What’s made the most difference in your growth and performance?

3:05

Tara Whitten:

I also think that a big part of ‘talent’ is just the desire to do the hard work. Motivation is the most important thing.

3:06

Kris Westwood:

One fascinating thing about track racing is gear choice. How do you go about selecting your gears, and how many different gears do you have for the omnium? And do you already know which gears you’ll be using in London?

3:07

Tara Whitten:

I think there are two key things about being an elite athlete that I have learned. First, the importance of having a plan that you believe in. And second, the importance of having the perspective to change the plan when it needs to be changed. Part of the second point is not being afraid to rest when you need rest! Sometimes that is the hardest thing.

3:08

Canadian Cycling – KF:

Don’t give too much secret gearing information away, Tara. Your competitors might be reading!

3:09

Tara Whitten:

Selecting gears is often about a lot of trial and error during training. I race on about 3 different gears during the omnium. There are some events that I am still thinking about different gears, so I will do some trials during training to see which one will work the best for London.

3:09

Kris Westwood:

Good point, Kirsten! Don’t need to know the gearing, just how you decide what to use …

3:09

Comment From stevenu

Also, are you allowed to wear a camelbak on the track, or are there waterstations? Hdration must be super important?

3:10

Canadian Cycling – KF:

While there are no feed zone or hydration stations in track racing, there is usually a hopping beer garden close by …

3:10

Tara Whitten:

Haha. No camelbacks on the track. My longest event is 30 minutes (the Points race), so it is not really necessary to drink during the event, but I do have to focus a lot on rehydration between events of the omnium.

3:11

Tara Whitten:

I leave the beer garden to the spectators and staff 🙂

3:11

Canadian Cycling – KF:

What are your ambitions for the Chrono Gatineau and Grand Prix Cycliste de Gatineau events this weekend?

3:13

Canadian Cycling – KF:

Just a reminder that our live web chat with Tara Whitten will be ending in five minutes.

3:13

Tara Whitten:

This month is mostly about training for me, so I am still kind of coming into form on the road. That said, whenever there is a time trial I want to do well!

3:13

Comment From Bob

What’s the best advice would you give enthusiast cyclists who want to improve their cycling?

3:14

Tara Whitten:

My best advice is to enjoy what you do, work hard when you have the energy and motivation but don’t be afraid to listen to your body and rest when you need it.

3:16

Canadian Cycling – KF:

Thank you for taking the time to chat with our readers at Canadian Cycling Magazine, Tara. Best of luck during the rest of your road and track season. To our readers, don’t forget we will be covering the Grand Prix Cycliste de Gatineau live on Monday, May 21.

3:16

Tara Whitten:

Thanks Kirsten