Let's Catch Up!

I have been a slacker. There I said it. Not a slacker in training, a slacker in blogging. I will give you the quick run down of where I have been and all the doo-doo that has happened and maybe you will understand.

Last update was Nov. 4th and I had just come home to Boulder from Amsterdam/Manchester.

Nov. 6th-8th leave town for my first ever USA Cycling Board of Trustees meeting. On my way out of town, I drive my bike (mounted on top of my car) into a parking garage. Ruin bike and wasn't kind to car. STRESS!

2 straight/full days of meetings was real interesting and I have some thoughts that will soon surface in an interview I will post.

Nov. 10th-16th Track camp in LA. Tough week. Borrowed road bike. Dealing with insurance from the accident. Crashed at camp on the track (all ok... just put a hurt on the body for a couple days.)

No real internet.

Ok- I am starting to like the idea of a beach, at least a beach ride.

I stayed in LA until the 18th for some extra ADT velo time. I got to see DeNelle!

No free internet where I stayed for those extra days.

DeNelle and I with our personal shopper at Marc Jacobs. Nelle was picking out Christmas presents while I was just playing dress-up.

Nov. 18th- 26th Atlanta. Great visit with family, Greg, and friends. I had not been home in years- about 4 years to be exact. Rode Dick Lane Velodrome for the first time. :) Special. Celebrated mom's 60th birthday, meeting my brother's new kick-butt girlfriend, Thanksgiving, Mande moving back to ATL, went shopping for the first time all year, had a family photo shoot, and seeing Greg for the first time in a month. Rode a borrowed bike- thanks Stephanie!

No internet in the house where I stayed.

Greg trying to avoid an pictures.

Nov. 26th- 29th Boulder. Sweet home, Boulder. I got a new bike built and snuggled with my dog a lot. I had internet but I had no desire to sit inside since in was high 60's every day I was home. Oh, and my car didn't start.

Elke- just as I left her.

Nov. 30th- today Track camp in LA. Lost my credit card in the airport of the way here. Bad bike Karma continued with about 4 flats. Whatever! I am over stressing about small things these days.

At this camp, I hit my limit. Boom! Physically, my body met it's match. It's good though and I am happy to find that point. It's been a while since I have been pushed that hard. I think all the stress of the last couple weeks caught up.

Once again, internet in the hotel is lame. We only have it in the lobby.

I think something weird happens to the body when you push it that hard. It's some strange opposite effect. I should be sleeping soundly right now in bed but instead I tossed and turned all night until I finally got out of bed at 4am. Working hard physically does make you sleep better and I usually (aside from traveling) have very little issues sleeping. But, I wonder what happens physiologically when you push yourself so hard and find that dark place in training. Does it alter the sleep for the worse? Interesting.

Today I lay in bed thinking if I could have gone harder on not blown apart on that last team pursuit. Was that in my head? Could I have pushed through? It's like replaying the finish of a race that you didn't win. How could I have won that? Should I have sprinted earlier? Later? The weird part is that what kept me up tonight was 1 training ride. That's a different level of intensity.

Today we leave for Cali, Columbia and the next World Cup! I cross my fingers for good internet because I know I will have downtime... I will force myself to have downtime!

Geography lesson: