France

We're here. In France. After an uneventful day of travel we arrived yesterday in way-western France. Plouay to be exact. Actually, that's where the race is tomorrow. I can't remember the town we are staying in but it's on the coast, so I saw some ocean yesterday.

I am constantly being reminded as to what makes France so special:
-small hotel rooms
-bad coffee
-rude, smoking people

Actually the breakfast at our hotel is surprisingly good so not all is bad.

Tomorrow is a circuit race that looks like it will be tough for sure. We're all excited. Though walking to breakfast this morning I got a weird cramp in my quad that's still hurting (dang stairs), so I am hoping tomorrow it will be feeling better (think healing vibes!).

Here are some great quotes from the airplane yesterday:
-"if you are caught smoking in the toilet..." (interesting visual)
-"please retain to your seat"

Last Ride

Today was the last "official" training ride of the 2007 race season before I leave for a month of racing in Europe and end the season with the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS. Realizing it was going to be the last big ride in Boulder for a long time, I wanted to make it special; go new places and experience new things. I'd had enough of the "normal" rides.

I searched my "route bible" and came up with a route that would take care of everything. It was a new road I had never ridden, it ended up in Nederland so I could finally buy one of the famous Co-op muffins and would provide me with some tough climbing.

Although Coach Frank was putting me in the pain cave and I was suffering like a dog, it was a memorable ride and it helped me remember what the beauty of cycling is all about. Below are some of the highlights:

Cycling is-
-The beauty of the open road and going new places (Colorado 72)
-Meeting great people (the super nice couple in Pinecliffe who filled my water bottles)
-Seeing new things (a motorcycle high siding and crashing into the guard rail right in front of me. They were ok but mine and I'm sure their adrenaline was pumping pretty hard afterward)
-Experiencing new things (a famous Ned Co-op muffin; strawberry/chocolate chip. YUMMY!)
-The wind at your back and feeling like superman (I felt like that today??)
-The feeling at the end of ride of being completely exhausted and cooked yet knowing how much you accomplished and the feeling of self pride that follows (then rewarding yourself with ice cream and cookies)

Cycling is wonderful!!

5 hours 13 minutes

Today's Ride...was big.

Magnolia-check
Sugarloaf-check
Old Stage-check
Lee Hill-check

Totally tired at the end-check

Thank you Amy and Josh for joining me. I really needed help at the end.

National Champion!

Today was a bit of day-ja-voo of yesterday. Wet, raining, and a crit on the same exact course with the same exact girls. However, the end result war WUNDERBAR! Tina won and while on the podium

(Sarah T, Andrea and I)

provided me with the funniest podium presentation I have ever seen. One would think that since she wins so much she would be pro at shaking, opening and spraying the champagne. Today, however, proved she has not quite reached the champagne spraying pro ranks.

It was a successful weekend for team Colavita/Sutter Home celebrated with lattes and pizza (we're crazy hugh?).

Crit Podium

Thanks to this amazing spread of breakfast from our host family:

I got this place in the "it's raining, it's pouring" crit.

YEAH!

Weird Family and Corn Fields

I was in Indiana visiting my great Aunt and second cousin-who shares a room with her Mom when she spends the night, which is almost every night. These two, though they are family members (kind of) are a little strange. Well, strange compared to me because I am totally normal.

The first day there was interesting. I needed a 4 hour ride. Auntie and Cousin discussed my ride for 4 hours ("FOUR HOURS! How many miles is that? 40??") then came up with the best route. Highway 52.

Dispite all good advice and positive recommendations, I avoided the 4 lane highway and headed into the corn and soybean fields. It was absolutely wonderful. Endless roads through farmland, and endless opportunities to get lost. It was one of the best rides I have had in a long time.

I arrived home happy and ready to continue The Visit. Auntie and Cousin couldn't believe I rode through the corn. "But, there's no cars there!"

Here are other conversation highlights from The Visit.
-"We have to cook the corn in the microwave because using the stove heats up the house too much."
-"Oh you're putting your bike together. You need a hammer or screw driver? We have a hammer."
-"We should go to Pizza Hut for their salad bar".
-"You still hungry? We could go to Mc Donalds." -No "OH! Then we could take you to Arby's. They have good sandwiches there." -Please no "Well then, you can order the chicken fried steak and get extra gravy." -Oh disgusting
-"Those bikers. They just do not stay in their bike lane. One of them was riding outside the bike lane and it took me a while but I was finally able to get him to scoot over. You know you hit one of them and they'll take your car away for a long time. Just like that. When the hammer thing goes bam in the court room you are done for. It's never those bikers fault. What a hazard."
-"No don't open the window. The outside air might come in."
-"Recycle?? We don't recycle!"

Mom and I were glad to leave.

From a rental bike to weird family and corn fields and ending at Trader Joe's

The past 5 days have proved to be very interesting. It all started on Monday with the hopes of riding the Leadville Loop (or Copper Triangle as most people call it) with my sister, Heidi, and her fellow High Maintenance friend Julie. The two pinks (H and J) and Christmas (AP) started riding and all was good until Fremont Pass. Heading toward Fremont, Christmas broke a rear spoke. It was un-rideable as the tire was rubbing against the frame. I was done for, ride over. Heidi on the other hand was convinced it could be fixed. She was so sure she had a spoke wrench on her multi tool and being the nice sister she is even called the bike shop and asked how one would fix this problem. She was trying to be so helpful I didn't have the heart to tell her "no, you don't have a spoke wrench on your tool and Julie doesn't a spoke wrench on her tool. In fact, no bike shop within 100 miles will have a spoke wrench I need for my wheel. I'm F'ed. Ride over. I need to start thumbing it." But instead I let her try to fix the problem and was proud of having her as my sister. She is very resourceful and I'm lucky to be related to her.

Then they ditched me. Actually the best idea was for them to keep riding and I would (hopefully) catch a ride to Copper and meet them there. I caught a ride with a very nice lady and her two kids. The bike shop in Copper couldn't help me with my wheel (to be expected), but he could rent me a 9 speed Giant. Deal. I said good bye to Blue and took off on my new Giant. The three of us continued and finished the ride together. And, no. Once again, I was unable to finish my intervals. They just so happened to be the same intervals I was supposed to do while I was climbing Mt. Evans (see previous blog entry).

Stay tuned for the entry "weird family and corn fields".

14,000 ft

There are a few things that happen to you when riding your bike at 14,000 ft. Most notably, you can't breath (there doesn't seem to be a lot of oxygen in and around tree line). This lack of breathing then leads to other things. Such as when you can't breath, you can't push many watts. When you can't push many watts, you are unable to do your intervals. When you are unable to do your intervals you become frustrated, discouraged, and mad and this all leads to having a bad attitude. Having a bad attitude when riding your bike is no good.

Such was the case with me today while riding up Mt. Evans. So, instead of being an out of breath-no watt pushing-bad attitude having bike racer, I decided to become a bike RIDER, and enjoy the scenery, the company (though they were a little behind me), and the overall experience of riding to the top of a "14er" while ignoring the numbers being displayed on the SRM.

I was hoping to have some pictures but between the four of us, we had two cameras and six dead batteries. So, no luck.

PICTURES!!

I am home and have finally stopped sweating long enough to pull out the camera and download some pictures (It was HOT and HUMID in North Carolina. Our race on Sunday was 102 degrees). Plus, thanks to linksys 501, I am able to poach Internet time and update the blog (thank you nice person for not securing your wireless).

The Team Time Trial in Toona went well for the team. We got 3rd place and here we are on the podium (I felt ill and wanted to throw up the entire time standing there).

I won the next day's stage (YEAH a road stage win instead of a Prologue or TT)! Kori Seehofer was third and Alison Test...(something) was second.

That lead to the Yellow Jersey!!!And the Green!! (who would have guessed? Me wearing the sprinters jersey? It was a special day)

After Toona, we went to North Carolina for some crit racing. On Saturday, The ALL Speedy Tina Pic won. It was an honor riding for her and I am VERY proud of how the team rode and especially how I rode. I was smart for once and saved energy for when it was needed; at the end for the lead out.

I don't know why these pictures are blurry. Maybe my camera is getting tired and asking it to work in the dark is a little too much for it.

Here we are cheering on Tina while she was on the podium. A random racer on the left, AP, Iona and Mack.

I had a great ride with Amy D. today. She is nice and has a good blog, so I am going to add hers to the blog list, http://www.amydombroski.blogspot.com/, and take off Mini T's, because Mini hasn't been updating hers and permission for deletion was granted.