As far as Kirsty's concerned, Mother's Day might as well be redundant because she not only hangs out with her mother, but enjoys engaging in active pursuits that take their interactions to a different realm.
"It's pretty cool to say that the other old lady I'm racing against in the grade is actually my mum."
Carol commendably keeps up in the endurance aspect although a exuberant Kirsty tends to have that edge in sprint finishes.
"Kirsty beats me all the time," she says.
A laughing Kirsty replies: "Only just."
The healthy rivalry aside, the pair feed off a sense of humour and a mutual respect for each other's ability and expectations.
"I don't know about age before beauty because she doesn't seem to be listening to that," says Carol, who enjoyed a route that offered a few rolling hills with a couple of punchy climbs.
Traditionally a climber, she took her sprint victory at the nationals as an affirmation that her training was effective.
"That sprint finish was what won the medal," says Carol, who won bronze in Napier in 2015.
Kirsty reckons they have similar abilities although she can sprint marginally better than her mother.
"We both pretty much supported each other. I was at her race and she was at mine so it was good to be able to prove we were worthy of a medal.
"That means I can usually beat her at the finish although she's usually not too far behind me."
In some respects, Kirsty feels more nervous than when she's in the saddle herself.
"I often yell and scream at her. She pretty much does the same, so it works well for both of us.
"It makes me quite nervous watching her just because I know she can do really well and it was quite close before she came out on top."
Having all the family there equates to good pressure.
Last September she competed at the UCI world road race finishing runner up in her age group in Perth. She didn't compete at the nationals in Central Otago to save money for Perth.
Carol has qualified for the worlds in France but doesn't think she'll go.
"It's a lot of money to spend for just one race when I can spend it in different ways - so I'll save that for another day."
Kirsty's boyfriend, William Green, studying in Palmerston North, coaches both of them, so she enjoyed the proximity of Cambridge.
A duathlete, Carol became partial to cycling over running. She joined a group of friends in her late 30s and caught the cycling bug.
"It keeps you fit and healthy and out on those beautiful Hawke's Bay roads," she says.
Kirsty took up cycling at 20 when she realised how much fun her mother was having.
Carol says: "She had a tough race so I'm very proud of her."
They had a celebration, of sorts, after Carol's win on Saturday because Kirsty had to race the next day.
"After the races we just packed up and returned home to business," says Carol, who is keen on more nationals and hopes more will be staged in North Island.
Carol doesn't have a family background in cycling so they have broken the mould.
For the record Kirsty's father, Dave McCallum, a Delegats Winery employee, is a Ramblers C grader and their No 1 supporter.
Kirsty is in a Kiwi cycling team, FAST, who compete in the Calder Stewart Cycle Series based in South Island. She helped FAST retain the king of the mountain jersey and the masters one this year in two races.
"I'd like to race in Australia in the next year or two," she says, seeing it as the step between New Zealand racing and professionalism.
She says it's more competitive across the ditch with bigger fields for women.
Kirsty has competed a couple of times in A grade and realises it's a big jump.
"I didn't disgrace myself, which was good, and I held my own so that's definitely on the card for winter," says the former Napier Girls' High School pupil.
Carol runs for fitness but they both frequent Peak Fitness in Havelock North, which also sponsors Kirsty.
"I wasn't that interested in cycling at high school and mum was obviously having fun so she and dad bought me a bike but I didn't want it.
"We ended up doing it together and I got hooked," says Kirsty who took two years to get to Ramblers grade level.
"Cycling is an addiction," says the former Sherenden School pupil.
