Rest Day in Buttgen

I know, I still owe a lot of updates and not necessarily about this trip.

Today was a rest day and it flew by... didn't really clean out the email inbox like planned or finish my book.

Easy spin this morning on the sweet bike paths that run parallel to the streets. If you look closely, you will notice there is a wind power 'tower' in the back. They normally don't put these in areas that don't produce wind. :) Today was mild but we have felt it on previous rides.

A nice little touch for our dorm style hotel rooms. Thanks to Andrew Bettinger- USA soigneur extraordinaire!

Pictorial Review of Day #1

We arrived in Buttgen, GER without drama. Day #1 was filled with chamois time- road ride in the morning and track in the afternoon.

Here is our track session in pictures:

Taking it all in.

It is a steep track with some funny bumps.

and REALLY cold inside. If we could, we would train wearing parkas.

Andrew, "Betty", to the rescue with hot tea.... trackside.

Time for a little motorpacing. How do you start this thing?

"Hmm, Ben, do you know how to do this?"

Jones had enough watching the boys stuggle... so she took over.

Some team work.

Soon, she was up and running. In this picture she looks slightly cautious. It wasn't long until she was doing hot laps.

I see a future for Jones!

Can't keep track

So, where was I? Oh ya. I had promised a race update and pictures from Manchester. Then I wrote about a whirl of travel to NorCal for Peanut Butter & Co team camp.

And, now? It's been a heck of a couple days traveling.

Sunday I raced in California... made it to my own bed in Boulder by 1:30 am Sunday night/Monday morning... unpack/laundry/repack/say hello to Greg and Elke on Monday... Tuesday I was back at the airport and on my way to Germany.

I will spend the next 10 days here in Buttgen, Germany in preparation for Track World Championships with Team USA.

I should have more downtime to update this bloggy thing this week. So, check back because I will begin the updates from Manchester and move toward the present.

Last time I was in Germany it was to pick up a car we had purchased and make a little vacation out of it. Looks like King Kong got the best of this car in the Frankfurt airport.

Much to tired...

Much to tired to blog, blog.

The only reason I scratch out a lame blog is to let my mom and grandma know where in the world I am right now. NorCal is the answer.

Actually, that is wrong. I guess I am in the Central Valley... or is this considered NorCal? Where in the world is Merced? Whatever. I will be back at SFO tomorrow.

All is well racing my bike with Peanut Butter & Co TWENTY12 and back to Boulder tomorrow. There is so much to catch up on... I don't know how I can backtrack when I can hardly find time to stop and smell the roses. (I am a lucky girl for sure!)

So, mom/grandma, I know I haven't called you back in about 5 days. There is good reason. Life is moving at the speed of light... now if I could only pedal my bike at the speed of light too. Hmmm.

2 random & fun things

I know, I know... I owe you pictures and a race report from the Manchester World Cup. Don't worry, as soon as you forget about it, I will post something.

Right now I am in Mill Valley, CA at Peanut Butter & Co TWENTY 12 Team Camp... worthy of 5 blog posts a day. That is the product of the problem... I don't have time to post!

So, here are my two quick/fun/random things for today:

Erin, my neice, posted the fastest Super G time in her age group... even beating the boys! I am hoping that one day she teaches me to ski and doesn't laugh.

Second, the posse in Blaine, MN who run the Fixed Gear Classic did a great promo video. Check it out by clicking on this sentence (I need to explain these things to some family members.)

If you have never raced this velodrome, you are missing out. No, not like "you are missing out if you have never race Alpenrose." It's an entirely different kind of "missing out." Smooth, 250m, outdoor, not as many tattoos or piercings.... you get it.

Last year I pulled off winning both the endurance and the sprint omniums. That was a TON of racing in 3 days. This year... who knows?!?

Anything better then Boulder?

Not to me!

What do you do when you have three days at home every month?

Well...it is really busy! I often get questions about logistics...and "all the other stuff" that is involved with being a professional cyclist. Today involves a mountain of laundry...do you bother to wash a shredded National Team skinsuit? Feels wrong putting the stars and stripes in the trash...without a small ceremony of folding and firing off a rifle into the air! With that started (and two showers to put some jet lag behind me), I unfortunately have to open the bike box, dig out my beautiful Felt TK1 (that now looks like it has been to battle...and has!), and take it to University Bikes for Doug Emerson's group of merry mechanics to go over it and make sure it is ready to ride another day. Good News...the bike is good...but the new Zipp Super 9 "Short Range Ballistic Missile" rear disc is now ready for discus toss in the street. It is now 10:30, I am have passed on a couple jars of PB&Co to the guys that keep me on two wheels...and pretty happy about it!

Now what? What day is it...and how many more hours do I have in Boulder before headed to team camp in CA? Small pleasure...trip to Great Harvest for a fresh loaf of bread and a hot sample with honey! Off to the chiropractor for the cold laser thanks to Dr. Boyton. They were good enough to call and check on me this morning...yep, same as last time you saw me, beat up from sliding across the track and ready for some body voodoo! Then home for some some lunch...hot bowl of Greg's Moosewood Brazilian black bean soup with lots of cilantro...gotta feed the machine!

Nap! Maybe. Build up the road bike and get ready to head over to Boulder Center for Sports Medicine with four pairs of shoes for a cleat fitting with Sean. Ah yes, getting on the bike and feeling like a lab rat! Done? Check in at Coach Neal's office...more PB&Co to deliver (or beer)!

I thought I didn't have anything to do today and it is a full-off rest day? If I'm lucky, the sun will be going down and I'll be wandering down to Pearl Street to see some Boulder amigos that I haven't seen since...what month is it?

Who knew there was so much to it!

Race reports and pictures from Beijing coming soon. Maybe tomorrow I will have more brain function.

Where in the world?

From Beijing, I went home to Boulder for a week. The plan was to have a wonderful, relaxing week at home with Greg. Although I am happy to be home whenever possible, I wasn't too much fun to live with while I suffered with the "Beijing funk" that kept me miserably sick all week. Not much fun when you are also dealing with some wacky jet lag. So much for doing something fun for Greg's birthday!! (I lost some big points that week)

Right as the cold snap of the century was hitting Boulder, I hopped on a plane and headed back to LA for more track camp fun.

I didn't want to rub it in... actually never even mentioned it on my calls home... but the weather in LA was PERFECT! While Boulder was struggling to get above 0 degrees, LA was flirting with 70 degrees.

Travel day beach ride... hello sunshine!

We normally don't get out much at track camp. A typical day looks like this:

- eat

- morning road ride

- eat

- afternoon track training

- eat

- sleep

The only variation is whether track or road is morning or afternoon... oh, and, who is in charge of cooking our team dinner. (Thank goodness KMac has joined the team... we had all run out of creative ideas for Extended Stay dinners.)

BUT... this camp, we actually carved out an afternoon and did something FUN!

Yes! The famous Dave Towle joined us for an afternoon on the Grey's Anatomy set.

If you didn't believe me....

More interesting then the set... Patrick Dempsey's Mercedes Gullwing

If one day of fun wasn't enough... we had a road ride scheduled another day. Wait, let me explain. We had a road ride scheduled without also having track training scheduled. Driven by the desire to see more then stoplights and concrete, we jumped in the car and drove out to Pasadena to join our friend Peyton for some long hours in the sun!

Ah, brakes, hills, sun, gears... something out of the ordinary! Thanks Peyton!

So, that was last week in pictures. I am now sitting in Manchester, UK getting prepared for the last World Cup of the season. The winter has flown by and reflection brings many positive thoughts!