Departure to better weather

Departure to better weather-this weekend was supposed to be the first training weekend, with a TT on Saturday and a Crit on Sunday...The TT got cancelled due to bad weather and JR and I would have been unable to escape the snow anyways because the Interstate was closed. Instead I did a long run, partially on the treadmill, partially on ice. Then we decided to drive to Phoenix in the afternoon when the streets were open and I ran another 5 miles and enjoyed the weather.

Good prep for a crit? Probably not, but this is all training. Sunday was beautiful. I was at the crit ALL day and my race was, off course, the last. Only 3 girls showed up, so it was clear that noone would break away. I had a good gap after the first prime, but decided to wait for the other girls, which I think was a mistake because I had a good gap on them...oh well...that might be why I am not a cyclist... I won the second prime as well. The third one my teammate went for, so I ended up blocking the other girl (mhhh, I wasn't sure if that is the nice thing to do...but this is a race :-)

The final sprint was unfortunate. I switched into a bigger gear for sprinting...clong clong clong...thank you chain for NOT shifting and helping everyone get away...so I caught up, rode into second, looked over and saw that my teammate had first place covered. We went one-two and had a great workout.

Now please chain...work next time in the final sprint...please!!!

This week: lots of swimming...next weekend: running race, crit and TT if possible!!! I love racing, it gets you in great shape!!!

Picture time

A few weeks ago I went to Phoenix for the awesome Women's Bike clinic that TRIBE put on. Two days of pack riding, TT, cornering, nutrition, strength, stretching, ... Off course it also included some good food in Scottsdale and some walking around looking at art. This was my favourite store:-)

Home again. Jack da puppy LOVES rice, corn, carrots...he wasn't sure about celery. My puppy might be more human then we think...

Yesterday it started snowing. Forecast:3-7 feet!!! Here is what came down yesterday and today. The fence is almost gone:

Running outside might be a challenge with snow up to my hip:

Jack loves it:

Here is a video of Jack making a trail for me:-)

Oh, and: Never put Birkenstock shoes on a heater, even if it is set for 60isch degrees. They come out looking like this:

San Diego

Last week JR and I went to San Diego for a 5 day training camp. JR got to meet his new teammates for the 2010 season.

The weather was great - it rained before we came and now that we are gone it is raining again. Perfect timing.

We didn't get the chance to ride outside much (2 times :-) this year in Flagstaff, so it was nice to ride in shorts and short sleeve shirts. Day one was a 3 hr ride with the boys. They all talked a lot, therefore the pace was perfect for my first outdoor ride. In the 3 hours we never really left the city... after the ride I went running in Balboa Park, seeing a TON of other athletes. People in California LOVE to be active...it seems like...and they love to hang out at coffee shops :-)

On the program the next day was a STONE Brewery tour (JR's sponsor), followed by a 4 hr ride from Escondido up Palomar Mountain and back.
That day all the talking was done and the guys decided to go for it-oh oh- we went over the first 5 mile hill, which seemed really steep, and then back down to the valley were Palomar Mountain starts. I held on to the guys... CAN'T SHOW WEAKNESS...

I have heard a lot about Palomar Mountain...17 mile climb...nice grade...I heard a lot of people say that Mountain is a bit$h...turns out I really liked it. It is long, but since it is not super steep it is a really nice ride. We went really hard, and it was a great day going up the hill. Now girls always take a break and I thought that I could take pictures on the way down for sure. The views are just beautiful...but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. No break on top, no breaks EVER. We turned around, went downhill...then they decided to go a different way home.

My thought: THANK YOU GUYS. Then I don't have to ride that 5 mile hill again...yeah right...ends up we went over Cole Grade...a steep little sucker...only 15 min of pain, but holly $hit. The guys put down the hammer and my legs turned into jello...but I made it. It was great training...back at the brewery, out of enrgy and very pooped I decided a transition run was not going to happen. I am so glad I went with the guys, I am glad I held on and fought...there are not a lot of chances to ride with Cat 1 guys only.

Next day:
Long run in Balboa Park. Nothing special, just saw a lot of strange characters.

Sunday: Another day on the bike. This time we went along the coast with a coffee break at Pannikin's...one of the greatest coffee shops EVER.

I was so close to the coast and guess what...I didn't go to the beach once. I guess this is what happens when you are busy training :-)

It was great to try out my new CEEPO Mamba Roadbike. Uphill, downhill, corners, fast and slow...this bike is great. Light on the climbs, stiff on the downhills. I am very excited to try out both the CEEPO Roadbike and TT bike next week in the Vulture Mine TT and the Avondale Crit...LET THE SEASON BEGIN!!!

What have I been up to?

Mhhh, after getting back from Germany, I got to play in the snow in Flagstaff. My friend Pam took me Backcountry skiing. FUN. I am so glad she takes me on all those crazy adventures like hiking into the Grand Canyon for 4 days, going to swim behind a waterfall (Fossil Creek), or like this time hiking up a hill with skis and then skiing down. Sounds fun, right? Here is how it went-Pam putting on "skins" on the skis:

Then we started hiking up the hill on skis. It is so much fun, because you don't slide back a bit. Here I am with Sunset Crater in the back. By the way the thing sticking out under my shirt is an Avalache beeper-I also learned how to use that and let me tell you, it really makes you feel safer if you are in the middle of nowhere.

The view towards the Grand Canyon on the way up:

The view towards the San Francisco Peaks. I asked multiple times where all the animals are and I had to find out that Mountain Lions don't sleep through the winter. I wonder if they are hungry...

We made it. 2.5 hrs of hiking up, let me tell you, it is exhausting but GREAT!!! Lunchbreak in the snow. Once we unclipped from the skis and took our first step we realized that the snow was VERY deep...My leg disappeared...and then I fell over...:-)

The way down was awesome but went by way too fast. It took 2.5 hrs to go up and 20 min to go down. If you have the chance to try it out go for it. What a great feeling to go somewhere on skis where noone has been before you that day!!!

After we got home we got ready to celebrate the end of 2009 and the start 2010. We went downtown to watch the "Pinecone drop" (it actually just lowers and it also went down a minute too early)-and before we knew it it was 2010!!!

2010 so far:

I went down to Phoenix to pick up my sweet new ride, my new CEEPO TT Bike, which got put together at Tribe. I also got to see my CEEPO Roadbike which I will be picking up this Saturday!!! Yippie!!! While I was at Tribe, JR called to tell me Jack, our puppy is not doing too good. He had thrown up. We thought maybe he ate something wrong. I left Tribe with my bike, received some gear from CEEPO and Sailfish, and I was on my way home. On the 2 hr drive JR called to tell me they went to the vet. Result: Jack has parvovirus, which can be deadly for puppies. Jack has all his immunizations, even the ones for parvo, but I guess he still got it somehow.

Day 2: Jack doesn't feel too hot. Throwing up, no food, no water, antibiotics and IV's.

Day 3: Jack is doing better in the morning. We go to the animal hospital twice a day for IV's. He didn't throw up for 8 hrs now!!! Yippie. If he makes 24 hrs, he is probably winning the fight. A little bit over 8 hrs...Jack throws up. He spends the rest of the day on the couch, can barely walk, because he is weak. We decided to put him in the hospital over night, so he can get the IV every second.

Day 4: We visit the little one...man he looks so sad in the isolation parvo room. Noone to play, but his tail goes crazy when he sees us.

Day 5: Jack is back!!! We took him back last night an he is now doing great. Here is Jack jumping on JR at home, he is so happy:

See his cool looking tape? Blue army tape:-)

He kept his "special-diet food down" which is great!!! Parvo is very hard to kill so we had to bleach our entire house and even our garden!!!

We are so happy that Jack made it, but it will take a while before he can run with me again :-(

Friday is my birthday, but I will be spending half of it going down to Phoenix. I am attending a 2 day bike clinic in Phoenix, put on by TRIBE!!! It will be a great clinic with lots of riding, testing and learning!!!

I can't believe I might be riding in shorts!!!

Oh, this is Jack right now...stretching and sleeping at the same time...smart puppy!!!

...about Germany, Christmas, strange flight and the USA...

Two weeks go by so fast. I can't believe Christmas is now already over and I ma back in the US. Germany was very exciting, I got to see my family again!!! And the family grew. Here is the youngest in the family- Philipp:

He is such a cute little guy. The top is the nice Philipp, the lower one is the Come and play with me Philipp :-)

Crazy, I am now an Aunt and my mom and dad are now also grandparents. And my brother is a dad? Mhhh. Little Philipp is really fun!!!

I am excited to see if he can already crawl the next time I see him!!!

We got a nice layer of snow, we were excited to have a white Christmas, but then mother nature changed her mind and gave us rain on top of snow. So we had a rainy Christmas, but it didn't stop us from going for walks and doing what we wanted to do!!! Christmas was great. On the 25th, my brother, his wife and Philipp came and we had a big as$ turkey...and it barely fit into the European oven:

By the way: in Germany we celebrate Christmas on the 24th in the evening because that is when the Angel brought Jesus into the world, right? Why do Amricans have a Santa Claus? Did he visit Jesus the next day? I am trying to figure out what Santa Claus's role is:-) He comes in Germany on the 6th of December...The only theory I have is that it takes a while to travel to the US, so he didn't get there until the 25th...mhhh?

The 26th of December came way too fast and there I was standing in line to fly to the US. Unfortunately someone tried to blow up an airplane going to the US the day before, so the security lines where HUGE. We got "hand-searched". The security people also questioned me about the "powder" I had in my bike box-which turned out to be Croation seasoning that I brought for my neighbor :-)

Stuttgart-London:

I was nice enought to switch my seat with this guy, even though I didn't even say a word :-) Mhhh, you are welcome...even though...I think I got switched...whatever, seat is seat. The flight attendant was so happy that I switched, she handed me 4 bottles of wine :-) Hahaha. I thought: great, this is going to be a great flight to the US.

Then the guy and the lady got in a fight and he almost got arrested. They were calling each other names and he grabed her by the arm...action on that airplane...

Then, going through Security again in London I am being told, that I have to give up my backpack, because of the detroit incident we were only allowed on bag on the plane. Good bye wine.

Then this:

My flight is the Phoenix one. This picture was taken at 17:00 so guess what: the Miami flight for example had a 3.5 hr delay. They did extensive searches with sniffing dogs and having everyone being "hand-searched"again. Plus you had to dump out all your stuff and they searched for weapons and powder, even in books and under my watch!!! :-)

Then the newest rule: One hour before landing in a US city, noone is allowed to leave the seat to go anywhere, not even the bathroom. No blankets over your legs, no books, no music, nothing allowed on the floor, no pillows...Mhhh. I was wondering what people do who have to go...and then this man gets up. And the flight attendant warns him...you better sit back down. He goes: but I have to poooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

Mhhh, nice rule until someone HAS to go. After one minute of back and forth talking they escorted him to the bathroom... CRAZY!!!

But we landed safely in Phoenix, and I got picked up by JR. The man was on TV the next day!!!

So much for now:-) More later...

The stationary swimmer

I prepared for my trip to Germany this time and bought a stationary swimmer. It is basically a stretch rope that gets connected to my feet and then you can swim in the deep water, in the kids pool, in a lake,...wherever you want but you never need more then about 5 ft in length of water. Cause you don't move. It is like an endless pool just cheaper :-)

I have to say. Best money I have ever spent!!! Today the pool was crowded so I went in the kiddie pool, got hit by a ball just once. It was great. I swam and swam and swam. On monday I swam also, but I swam 2k in the lane and then I used the stationary swimmer. While I was in the lane I was taking a breath to the left and realized there was a guy swimming next to me with a NEON YELLOW THONG...grossssssssssssssssssssss...I have clear goggles so I got the FULL view of butt and thong. Did I mention it was neon yellow? Like a highlighter!!!

Only in Europe...

Back to today:

What else did I do today?

I woke up at 3 am and was UP. No more sleep for me. Then later at 8:30 am my mom and I went shopping until around 6 pm :-) FUN. I love shopping with my mom!!!
We got lots of Christmas shopping done. And lots of people watching-hihihi.

Now it is time for be and I hope that today I will sleep a little bit longer.

GERMANY

I made it. After a 9 hr flight from Phoenix to London, a 5 hr layover in London and a 2 hr flight from London to Stuttgart- I MADE IT!!!

I actually managed to sleep for 4 hrs without waking up on the long flight. And that haappened even though I was in the middle-squeezed in between two guys. They were funny. This one guy was flying for the first time and he was going to India. He chacked out everything-his light...my light...my neighbors light...his headset...his pillow...his blanket...he actually waited to start his dinner until we started ours :-) What a funny guy. The other guy was also flying to India.
If you fly to Europe and land in London you get super funny people on the airplane. Every culture you can think of on one plane!!! FUNNY!!!

My family picked me up from the airport and now we are all very happy!!! We tried out my brothers new car in the rain-then snow.

I love Christmas time!!!

Now I am off for a run in the snow (not like Flagstaff snow :-).