Phone Post

I'm trying something new today. I'm doing a blog post from my phone. I traveled to California for just two days, so left my computer at home. 

Usually, trying something new can be pretty fun. Maybe a little challenging and frustrating as you figure the new thing out, but you end up learning and that's what makes it fun. 

My pictures are a little out of order.

Yesterday, I traveled to San Jose. The women's tour of California time trial is tomorrow, Friday. I have to say, I'm pretty dang excited for the race.  It's a real TT withbturns and ups and downs and technical sections: not a boring out and back. 

Before traveling yesterday, I had a very nice little ride.  The warm weather, lack of wind, and spring make it very enjoyable to ride up high. 

Then I traveled. Upon arrival, I took myself out to dinner. Thai food with peanut sauce on everything.

It is weird to be in a hotel room all by myself. The rest of my team and staff are showing up today. Only Robin and I are racing so it's a small team. We still get three staff so that's a pretty dang good ratio. 

Back to the hotel room, there are certain things you need to always have with you when staying in a hotel. These important things vary for each person. For me, my important things are coffee and breakfast supplies (picture above). The rest of the stuff I can live without.

Now, finally, after weeks of anticipation I get to go see the time trial course. 

Spring

Spring has finally sprung and it's awesome.

I came home from Gila to snow and cold. 6 days later, it's 75 degrees, the pasque are blooming, and the humming birds are buzzing. I love late spring. The bunnies are out and about, birds are chirping, and I ate lunch outside.

The furries and I hung out on the porch while I tried to hit the dang woodpecker who drinks out of the humming bird feeder with pine cones (I'm never very close).

It's almost time to plant flowers, and turn on the outside water.

It's not that I hate winter, I just like the other 3 seasons better.

This week has been an amazing break from racing and traveling.  I needed this time out to refresh and to reset. Friday is the ToC TT and Nationls a week later. It's May and some of the biggest races of the year are here. I'm excited.

11 days, 9 races

It all started in Fayettville, Are-Kansas. Joe Martin. A fun, somewhat hard, 4 day stage race.

Everybody's bike, except for mine, was too light. HaHa small, short, sucka-s. :)

My teammates had to put "weights" on their bikes to make them legal. Mechanic Erik was pretty creative and had no tools left in his tool box at the end of the day.

Post TT, it was safety first, followed by nose cleaning, for Lex. She's from Canada...

 Then it rained. It didn't really stop for 2 days.

 I was lucky enough to get 2nd overall (beyond a pesky German that refused to lose). While waiting for Podium, I met a friend.

  Then we drove. And drove.

 And stopped for Burgers-- I had a black bean burger (yes, I am still meat free and still loving it).

And...drove some more. Somewhere, just west of Amarillo, I cracked. Badly. Thankfully, a good night sleep in 2-cum-cari, cured me and I was ready to drive some more.
Our destination was Silver City, NM for a stage race that started in 2 days.

 In Albuquerque, I got new boobies. Thanks Whole Foods...

 Finally, after 19 hours of driving, we arrived. Hello Silver City, hello Gary's house. Not a bad view to wake up to each morning.

Now, it was time to race.
I get to wear the NRC leader's yellow jersey. This is a new thing this year and I have to say I have a love hate relationship with it. It's cool that I'm leading the NRC standings and get the honor of wearing it, but 1) it's ugly, 2) I stick out like a sore thumb, 3) it has no logos on it to support my team or our sponsors.

 5 days later, we were done racing (second again) and drove to Tuscan. This is the biggest cactus I have ever seen.

 Maura, Lex, and I celebrate Cinco de Mayo with popcorn and a margarita. In the morning, we flew home.

 I'm super happy to be home!! I love home and my furry family that lives there.

What the heck month is it?

 Yes, snow again. I may be grumpy about it, but we (the earth and our well) need the water.

4.5 days

 4.5 days. That's the time at home I got between trips. It was short, but it was awesome. I love home!

It was also incredibly busy.
1- Peak Sports Chiro visit
2- massages
3- skills clinics
4- recovery rides

1- visit from USADA
2- too dilated pee samples given (I may have been drinking a margarita.. or 2)
5+ - elk seen during USADA visit
lots- of snow falling and sweeping and shoveling

All of a sudden, it was time to leave. 4.5 days is too short. I admit, I was sad to be leaving the Cliff-e. Sad to leave JH and the furries. I'll miss them! See you in two weeks furry family.

And then this one time...

Weird. Awkward. Strange. I can't believe I'm here again.  These were all the thoughts going through my head on day 1 of Track Camp.  Yes, that's right--Track Camp.

It had been 5 years since I had been on the track. Since then, I've sold all my track stuff, and had a bad attitude toward everything track related. Yet, here I was- again. A USAC Team Pursuit camp. Just like before.

Though unlike before, I didn't feel any need to prove anything. I didn't care if I had the worst split times or got dropped in the team pursuit efforts. I was there to train, and to get faster-- period.

I am so lucky NOW teammie Beth was part of the camp too. Like everything NOW, we had a good time. We rode to and from the hotel to the track (the only ones who did this--everyone else was a bunch of slackers), we practiced bike handling skills, we laughed, we did "body maintenance" together (Travel Roller, stretch, lacrosse ball rolling, Foundation), and we drank wine together.

I have to admit, my favorite part of Track Camp was the road ride.

Though not my normal travel buddies, I had a good time with Colleen, Cari, Lauren, and Beth Bikes. Here's a Charlotte tip-- when needing a restaurant, head to Ilios Noche for dinner. Yummy!!!!

I'm thankful to USAC and to Ben Sharp for providing me this training opportunity. I still have no aspirations to be a "trackie" (especially how my crotch and body feel after only going in circles to the left (thank you Dr. Andy at Peak Sports Chiro in Boulder for fixing me yesterday!), but it was really good training-- and I avoided the snow and winter weather that was happening at home.

Thank you Beth for hanging out with me, giving me advice, and putting up with my Day 4 (and into Day 5) bad attitude.

A Week in Pictures

Wow. This past week has been amazing. Due to a lack of words other than "awesome" and "cool", here is the week in pictures. 

Got a new bike the morning of the crit. 

Won three races in a row, the GC, the Sprinters Jersey, and Team GC.

By the end of the race, our host Mom Leslie had at least a dozen bouquets of flowers.

 

The best team ever.

I used to LOVE these!! Reminds me of elementary school.

Burned the nose hairs--- and everything else.

 Having fun with the Snapchat. Alexis and Beth

 Cool menu, not very good coffee.

 Fun to see

Too Many Jersey's

Said no one ever