Quiet time

This month is when I enjoy the roads mostly by myself, buckle down with some off season work and enjoy my quiet time.  I'm still in Colorado till the weather turns a bit worse, riding, baking/cooking some wonderful food - soups! lots of soups! Cornbread, almond cake, chocolate chip cookies and last but not least, a yummy kale salad;)  and buying my time till I head to warmer weather.

So not a lot to talk about or any pictures but how about some gift ideas for the athlete in your family for Christmas?! Here ya go….. (I have a lot of time to think on the bike sometimes)

1. Bose noise canceling headphones

2. Entry fee to an event they are training for.

3. Gym membership renewal.

4. Sunscreen

5. Massage

6. iTunes gift card

7. A little bit of wind protection - Dermatone

Ok, well that's all I've got:) Happy Thanksgiving and happy holidays!

Reading: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain, after Wheelmen I read Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink
Watching: the weather….
Eating: Kale salad with dates, almonds.  Dressed with lemon juice, shallots and red pepper flakes.
Listening: I'll give you 2:
1. Little Milton - Grits Ain't Groceries  2. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis - White Walls
Website: http://food52.com/provisions

MS, possums and gaters...

On Oct. 18th I flew to Asheville, N.C. to visit my brother, sis-in-law and niece.  Mom and dad drove up the following Monday(dad's b-day) and we stayed till Thursday.  We played with the baby mostly, she is starting to really talk, did a little shopping and dad and Ben worked on his shed project.

Thursday,  the 3 of us(me, mom and dad) drove across Tennessee, stopped in Nashville at my cousin's brewery, Yazoo Brewery.  He gave us the grand tour of the new bottling line and we visited for a little while in the tap room, admiring all of the MS art work.   By the afternoon we arrived in Olive Branch, MS to stay with my oldest brother, sis-in-law and nephew.  T3 had a soccer game and we had lots of fun watching him run around - he is such a clown!

The next day, back in the car to Vicksburg, MS via downtown Tunica to have lunch with my brother.  Lots of visiting, lots of driving and never enough time.

Things slowed down just a touch once I was in Vicksburg.  I juiced for mom and dad, cooked supper, walked in the park, rode my bike with my uncle, visited a bike shop and Googled whatever dad wanted - which was a LOT! He would say, "punch up on the puter…." something about music, something about a town, something about cycling, something about a place we visited once before.  Google has ALL the answers.

On Friday, November 1, I flew back home to Colorado and now I'm gearing up for 2014 season.  I've signed on for another year at Optum and I can't wait.  The management, sponsors and riders are stellar and I wouldn't be anywhere else.

So, I have lots of fun pictures for you guys… have a good laugh.

 This is a pig's foot.  We went to a party called Pig Fest…. I got tha T-shirt…. that's my uncle Peter on the right.

 Riding through the military park, one of the views…..

 Roadkill in Louisiana - gaters!!!!!

 I'm looking for a good possum recipe…. anyone? Anyone?

 The awesome employees of Indian Cycle in Jackson - stop by and say hello if you are ever in MS...

 Dad is a bad influence!

 Happy B-day dad!!!!

 We went to a boat guy in Mooresville, N.C. to look at his work, click HERE to see his website.  He had lots of boats and toys:)

 Boats….

More boats...

 An engine we ended up taking back to one of dad's buddies…..

 This is Pat, the owner, with dad...

 Brother Ben and dad working on a project...

 My sweet, sweet niece...

 Pumpkin time!

 Startin em young! Baby pull ups!

 5 more before bedtime!!!

 Our goofy pumpkin….

 My cousin's brewery in Nashville, can't miss it! Website click HERE

 My nephew with the whoopee cushion we bought him:) hahaha! sorry mom and dad;)

 Lunch time...

 At the Hollywood in Hollywood, MS!!!! Well actually the original burned down and they rebuilt in Robinsonville, MS.  I had the fried catfish - oh my gawwwd good!

 At a wedding with some wonderful people and friends.

 I'm sure Dan was about all pictured out at this point, what a trooper...

 Selfie with mom!

Fred!!!

Hal n Mals is one of the best places ever and these are some of my closest friends….

Reading: Wheelmen by Reed Albergotti
Watching: Saturday football
Eating: leftover Halloween candy ;)
Listening: Cold Mountains by Crooked Still
Website: http://www.themississippigiftcompany.com  I love Mississippi!!!!

Europe and home

Poof..... and just like that it’s over.  It’s such a bittersweet ending, I’m excited to go home, go on vacation, be a normal person - walk too much, drink too much, eat foods I know are bad for me without feeling guilty, go to sleep late, visit my family in Mississippi - but man I was wanting to race more.  That’s a good sign for a rider, no burnout at the end of the year....

After Toscana and all of it’s fiascos, we settled back into our apartments in the hills, had a couple of days of recovery, grocery runs and laundry runs then it was time to get set for the world championships team time trial.  This is a race against the clock, 6 riders on aero bikes, with aero helmets and clothing, riding as a unit and as aero as possible for 42kilometers.  We averaged just under 50k/hr, it was fast but not fast enough.  We ended up 8th, not what we wanted but what an experience.  We raced through the streets of Florence, right in the heart of everything!!! The crowds, the noises, it was all a blur to us but I could feel the buzz.  I really hope I get to experience more world championships....Once we finished the race, we changed clothes and hung around the expo and watched all of the men’s teams come in before having dinner with our men’s team.  20 people trying to eat at one table in Italy means dinner doesn’t start till 9pm and lasts till 1am - longest. day. ever. (but so much fun)

So the next couple of blogs will be of off season and what’s to come in 2014, it should be an interesting next couple of years - it always is in the crazy sport I imagine.

 Riding around in Villard de Lans, France

 Janel being silly...

 Top of the climb, it was so beautiful!!!!  Villard de lans was by far one of the best places I've visited in France - quiet, people were friendly, the roads were amazing, the town was wonderful.

 Another fun ride with the girls....

 Every afternoon we would pile into the car and drive here - the tourist information center - for free wifi to connect with loved ones back home and to check FB of course!

 Winter Olympics....

 Getting goofy, for some reason the soap dispenser was funny?

 2 vehicles, 9 people, bikes, bags, coolers - yup, filled to the brim.

 Doing laundry - how exciting!

 Our apartments outside of Montecatini Terme..

 The beautiful bridge behind the apartments, the flowers were so pretty.

 We found the pot of gold!!! All kinds of yummy sweets...

 Post race - double fisting gelato...

 One of the guys behind the scenes, my friend, Anton Vos.  He is a wonderful photographer....

 A coffee shop in town, he is called the cappuccino king and it seems the place for all cyclists to stop.

 Number pinned for the race.

 Post race BEER!

 I won! I won!!! I'm always winning;)

 Here come the RadioShack guys...

 A couple of my goofy guy teammates - Chad Haga, Mike Friedman and Tom Zirbel - sillies...

 VACATION!

I had so much fun picking apples!!!!

Reading: The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls and I just finished Mudbound by Hillary Jordan - I recommend them both!

Watching: Football, baseball and the weather(supposed to snow soon)

Eating: apples fresh from the tree, homemade hummus

Website: while we spent many a hour on the internet I introduced the girls to www.thisiswhyimbroke.com