Lauren Hall: Training in Tucson

I've been in Tucson for a while training and enjoying the 'warm' weather, hanging out with friends, filling time with reading, Modern Family marathons, eating good food and of course sleeping;)!!

My good friends, Dave and Alisha, have been so awesome for letting me stay with them and be their third wheel on outings. It's been nice to have a riding partner too, even though we may not have the exact training schedule, we can at least start together and then split off when time calls for it.

It's been interesting weather here, lots of rain on a couple of days but it makes for a beautiful back drop when the mountains are dusted with snow. Things are settling in for 2012 for all the teams and mornings usually bring a new e-mail for things to send back: sizes, favorite flavors of mix, filling out questionnaires. I'm looking forward to training camp, looking forward to meeting the gals and getting into race mode BUT first comes training and preparation. Now is the time to put in the LONG miles, getting the body used to efforts and waking up from winter mode and boy will that make you tired!! But it is such a gratifying feeling.

It's interesting how FB and Twitter has probably made coaches' lives a bit harder because you will see teams at training camp, you hear of women putting in extremely long miles and rides and then you see the questioning in other athletes' training. Am I doing enough? Am I riding long enough? Pushing hard enough? You can always do more...;)

I've started juicing fruits and veggies! I saw a documentary while riding the trainer one day: Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and I was sold. I started talking to my friend Ally Stacher, cause I know she has veggie juicing experience and she helped a ton - which one I needed, how to travel with it and some other handy tips - thank you Ally:)!! It is easy, tasty and good for you!! I'm trying to talk mom into trying it, so I'm taking my juicer home with me for Christmas to get her started. I have faith.....

I also found a recipe for ribs in a slow cooker! I know, quite the contrast from juicing but my roots are planted and BBQ is my all time favorite food, always will be and when I see a new recipe, I'm up for giving it a try and tasting the goodness! I've never had a slow cooker and once I used Alisha's I was sold that I need one and that everyone needs one! They are such a life saver for a cyclist. Just think, start something yummy in the morning, go for a long ride, come home, smell the goodness in the works, make lunch, shower, rest and BAM supper is ready! hahaha!!!! It's gotta be good if it's been cooking for 8hrs!!! So again, when I go home, I will be juicing fruits and veggies for mom and making ribs for dad! Can't wait....

So here are some pictures from my stay in Tucson, enjoy:

Tucson Botanical Gardens had a Christmas special one night and it was so much fun!! We saw Santa and wanted our picture taken. Who knew that when we sat on his lap he was a DIRTY SANTA!!!! He said we were on the 'naughty' list! YUCK!!! Don't ruin it old man!