Boys on Bikes

I wore high heels for 19 hours!?!?!?!?!! By the time I climbed out of the taxi and Tyler Farrar’s lap (because our cab was way too small for 5 people) with Cadel Evans, Christian Vandavelde, and Alex howes at 4am I could barely crawl to the room because my feet had grown to the size of an elephants, but boy was I happy! My head was spinning due to too much tequila but mostly from all the things I could barely believe I got to experience first hand at the 2012 USA Pro Cycling Challenge. 

The last couple of weekends I can easily say marked two of the best weekends of my life. It’s like the Tour de France of the Americas for sure and I got to spend some quality time with some of the best riders in the world! Taylor Phinney invited me out in Durango for a couple of drinks with his teammates Cadel Evans 2011 Tour de France winner (who bought me a beer… I don’t even drink beer, but I drank that beer.) Cutie pie Mathias Frank from Amsterdam and Michy, a tall blond and a total ladies man. Jens Voigt (my cycling hero) and I had a couple nice conversations over the week and he even remembered me and came out of the peloton and said "hi" when they were on the final climb into Telluride the first stage.  The next weekend I got to run up flagstaff and paint the roads wearing a ridiculous lack of clothing with Danny Summerhill and Taylor Phinney printed across each one of my breasts in a light of making fun of their apparent bromance and me thinking that both are rather good looking.  The fans on Flagstaff were insane to say the least and something I hope to be a part of as long as the race is around.  Sunday TT was rather uneventful, besides mingling with Bobke in the shade and Vandevelde taking over the Yellow again. The after party which included a lot of tequila, dancing, and mingling with a ton of really awesome people in the world who love the bassackwards sport of cycling as much as me was awesome!  Ben King even after a couple of crashes and a llooonnng week of racing danced like he was auditioning for dancing with the stars. And those Australians… holy cow those Australians are crazy fun.....

I could go on for days about all the pros I got to know and the fine print details that I will never forget, but all in all I just want to express how blown away I am at the kindness of the riders in the pro peloton (for the most part. It may have some part to do with being a young red head with long legs, but I’ll take what I can get. There are truly some of the worlds most remarkable people who partake in this sport! And I feel blessed to say I got to be around them for a short bit. It reminded me how I still want to be a part of the cycling world… (Thinking I will become a cycling clothing model after I win my first bikini competition and return to some Cyclocross racing. haha.) 

Something that my weekend had me thinking about is how some people often find the confidence and energy that I exude to be intimidating or overwhelming or maybe just a bit of crazy, but those who really take a minute to know me realize that the confidence is my belief in myself that I can achieve my dreams and that the energy is my love for people and the world.  At times my dreams may be far off, but if I don’t believe I can achieve them, no one is going to do it for me. I have my doubts and frustrations with society and fear of failing a few too many times, but I have confidence I can be somebody… You know it’s like that Rocky Quote, “The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place. It will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is going to hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit, it is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much can you take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!”   I don’t necessarily disagree with the phrase “fake it until you make it” either. I find cycling is a perfect reminder to its on lookers that it is possible to do and achieve incredible things everyday.

astonishing

Paris. OHhh... Paris. The city I often catch myself day dreaming of. This time around not as awing as the others as it followed only in the foot steps of two other amazing places. But that city, oh that city, still held a sort of healing magic that you cant find anywhere else.  

Annecy France. A town by a turquoise lake nestled in the French Alps nearest Switzerland. It was beyond breathtaking and it hasn't really sunk in as real yet to me. Walking down the cobbled foot paths amongst a crowded colorful fresh food market. Mmmm. It’s any food lovers dream. So yeah I ate and enjoyed always precious time with my lover in one of the worlds most beautiful places. 

I could go on forever about all the cool things I did or ate or saw and every little detail... I did that in my journal so I could remember if I forget, but you might find it boring. To sum it all up though all the thinking time in great thinking places I just tried to enjoy the moment, because in my life I have realized that all moments pass too quickly and are gone and that if anything I can remember I enjoyed it. 

I enjoyed picnicking again next to the canal at Versailles and seeing all the fountains of the gardens, and the sparkling lights of the Eiffel Tower... I even enjoyed the whole experience of my wallet getting stolen by to little gypsy girls. Or getting in a little bicker with my friend. Or my feet hurting from too much walking and not enough sleep for I was in a hostel with beautiful people with different time schedules from all over the world who shared all these experiences with me. It was SO cool. My life is cool. Every part of it. And even on the days where I feel depressed I am happy that other days I come to my senses and realize how astonishing my life is playing out to be. Like, wow. 

La Bonne Vie

Before the A-man left to Europe we got to head down to Phoenix for the Valley of the Sun Stage race. The Chipotle boys were introduced to a big new sponsor called First Solar. They are the second largest solar panel company in the world and supposedly buying their stock is a good idea. I tagged along for the trip to get my fair fix of sunshine and bike racing. Plus I was excited to meet some of Alister’s new teammates. For the most part I think they are all pretty good guys. The ones I think I like most so far are Andz, Andrei, Danny, Rob Bush, and Mike. Teehee… and obviously Alister. They all have good heads on their shoulders and nice legs. ;)
One of the perks of going was being able to stay with my old friend Rusty from Ogden. He moved back down to mesa shortly after I moved to Durango. It was really nice getting to catch up with him. Not many cool people like him in the world.

We also volunteered to drive this girl ivy down with us from the fort. She is really young, but she has a really good support from her family that if she sticks to things she can be a good bike racer. Poor thing got hit by a car the first day we were there that kind of threw off the weekend for us. But I was just glad she was okay and for the most part we had lots of fun in the sun! I LOVE the Phoenix area in February. Such perfect weather!


So Alister is off in France! And I am here in Durango until I too am off to France to go see him! Some of the days go by really fast and some go by really slow and I miss him a lot, but mostly I am just really excited for him and all the cool things he gets to experience. And I can’t wait until I get to experience some with him. I will be going out for a month in may and a couple weeks in July for the Tour de France. (I hope)

But in the meantime...

I have been spending a lot of time in the gym to pass the time as well as doing some therapeutic shopping for myself. I day dream of all the cute clothes I get to wear while in France with my rock star gym body that I am going to have!

That’s all I have time for now. I will tell you all about mine and Alister’s ideal Valentine’s day next!

Off to the gym.

Carpe diem everyone!

another year, a different year

Bonne année! I am always so wowed by how much happens in one year of my life. I always end up in a different place then I had planned. Always go so many places familiar and new and exciting... excited to see where my legs and feet will take me in 2012....

Lots of things happened in 2011. I went a few places this year. I would have to say my favorites just to name a few were, Oceanside, California to visit my brother and his fiancé. Ensenada, Mexico for my brothers wedding with Alister. I always enjoy going to Redlands, California for the Redlands Bicycle Classic that Alister races in. Its always worth the 12 hour drive on just a starsucks, I mean starbucks, and a hot dog. I really enjoyed working at Nine Maine in Connecticut. I forgot how capable I was of being a positive part of a persons day to day routine. And east cost summer riding around the lake was always refreshing... I met lots of really nice people... friends.

I guess its time for that New Year thing. Were I make big plans to do big things. So things I want to do with this next year. France is definitely on the top of my list. Since that is where my hunny will be spending the majority of his year and not just because he will be there, but because a little of my heart belongs there anyway. Second. I really want a bicycle!! We all know that the wheels of my bicycle are my wings. I want to keep working out at the gym and be fit. And thats about it. Oh and grow my hair out really long. Thats all I have to say about that. Its gone and on to the next one.

Versailles....

One spring a few years ago I entered the gates for the first time. The gates to the Gardens; The Gardens of Versailles. Bigger and grander than I even knew. Angelic marble statues of men and women lined the paths to the pretty fountains. The air was crisp and the new leaves sounded like the earths breath as they brushed each other. Perfect white clouds painted the blue canvas of the sky. Swans gliding in the water and a girl riding a white horse on the trail arched with ancient trees. Was this real? Now, the memory, so distant feels only like nothing but a dream. If heaven were a blueprint of my imagination it would be like the Gardens of Versailles.

photos of the last few weeks.

the sunset in Moab while we were driving home from Ogden.

for halloween we dressed up like this... we're good for each other right?


we did a weekend trip to Moab. Alister's first time. Arches was awesome. He is the black dot under delicate.


We went to Utah for an early Thanksgiving! I loved getting to spend time with my favorite little kiddos.
my lil nephew Cody and Neice Charlette. You can see why I love them so much, right?

Astonishing

Just back from an early Thanksgiving trip to Ogden with Alister. I had a blast seeing my family and a lot of my Ogden friends. After our week there I didn’t want to come home! I liked staying with my brothers and sister-in-law Farrah. Farrah is my favorite gym buddy ever. I liked hanging out with my mommy and feeling the always welcoming hugs from my friends in the cycling community there. I feel like I belong there, like I am part of something special. I miss that. Even though the oh so loving arms of Alister are enough for me anywhere... I will be lonely when he is off racing around the world next season. I am so excited for him, but I will miss him. I am hoping I can use that time apart to pursue some of my own dreams and goals. I want to use and consider that time a good thing where I can self improve, become stronger and better for Alister... for me, for us. I’m sure he will do the same.
From past experience I feel like the lonely periods in my life were one of the best ways I really began to learn about myself. When I felt alone I was forced to really look deep into my emotions, my actions, feelings and my beliefs. Working through those things allowed me to come out brighter, happier, better and more aware than before.
Now dont get me wrong here. I am not excited to go through that lonely feeling again. I know how much it can hurt having my reality torn in two and feeling like I have to face the world alone, but I think that just from past experiences I am predicting to much and expecting it to be bad, but who am I to say what the future holds. I dont want to be scared going into these changes. I want to be excited. Not anxious, but just thrilled to have the life I have and positive about my future whatever it may hold. Lonely or not. I want it to be astonishing.