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!!!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
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:-)
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:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
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!!!
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!!!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
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!!!
See his cool looking tape? Blue army tape:-) 
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!!!
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