Howdy from Norwich, UK!

Looking at my last post....

Gelderland was a blow out race for me, meaning I was just getting over a cold and turning the corner on actually feeling like myself again and the race was just to test the lungs and legs.  I felt decent for the first 50k and then I just went backwards, every time I wanted to go hard, my legs and lungs said, 'NO'!  The length of the race was 140k, so as I drifted back at kilometer 92, I was thinking about getting in a vehicle to pull out of the race.

Usually in a race, at the very end, they have what's called the broom wagon.  It sweeps up all the leftover riders that are dropped from the race, so they aren't a danger to traffic, they get back to their team safely and they don't have to keep going and you team is waiting around for you to show up.....

So there I am looking for the broom wagon and it never comes!!! So now, I'm in the middle of the Netherlands somewhere, not quite sure how to get back to the team's location but I would figure it out.  So I keep looking back and there is regular traffic starting back up now, passing me and I keep looking back to see if any of the vehicles look like team related vehicles.  FOUND ONE! I flagged a random guy down and he asked if I wanted a ride back - YES please:).  So he hops out, puts my bike in the back, I get in the front seat with his black lab - Chipo - and we head down the road.  His daughter was in the race and she wasn't too far in front of me, they are from the Netherlands and this is her first year racing.  You gotta get to know someone if you are riding in their car right?! :) So that was Gelderland.....

Fleche Wallone(126k) was a different story.  Since it was only a couple of days later, I was still worried or nervous about how I would feel, plus it's a hell of a lot harder race.  On Tuesday we drove to see/ride the course and have team presentation.  Team presentation is held in a square, a band playing small pieces of 80's music in the background as you walk up, in your racing kit, then you stand there and wave, then walk off the stage.  Afterwards, we then had to get in line to take photos and live still shots - like the NFL guys when they announce where they went to college? But we didn't have to say anything, just needed the shot.

FW is one of my favorite races, it's after all the flat, sprinter races, you have climbers there, so the peleton is just that little bit easier to move around.  It's just a wonderful race! And the end climb has the famous, Muur de Huy, it's 1k of pure uphill hell, some places are as steep at 26% - owwwww!!!

I finished 20th, which for me is a success.  Again, coming off a cold and not sure how the day was going to go, I think it went really well:)!

So now the fun part! After the race it was the packing shuffle! We leave the race immediately, get back to Fitland and get bikes packed, clothes somewhat washed, bags packed, organize departure times(6am), go to dinner, go to BED! It's a hustle ....

I'm currently sitting in my hosts' house in Norwich, UK.  They are wonderful!!! They have taken me in and made me family, I'm comfortable in the kitchen and getting used to being on the opposite side of the road! I will be here till the 3rd of May, that's when the team arrives and we start Tour of Britain on May 7th.....

So now I get to explore some new roads, ride with new folks and have some fun!!!

 Our fearless director... Jack Seehafer joining us for a lovely morning breakfast... I've never seen someone hotrod a town bike until now.....

 Enjoying a taste of the new Fitland, it's such a nice place!!!

 Course recon selfie:)

 So this is the start of the Muur de Huy, after this I couldn't take a picture and ride, it's not possible....

 Leah and I under the tent before presentation.  She's one of the best in the world people....

 Then we had to give head shots and this was the guy giving Lauren direction

 Race bible....

 Traveling to the UK via the tunnel train.

 Driving onto the train

 Parking...

 And then you pop out the other side on the left hand side of the road....

 Beer that Andrew imports from Belgium.... none for me .... I'm in training

 I got to be a part of Reuben's 3rd birthday party, he is such a cutie.... this is his dad on the right and Andrew on the left..

 One of the many, many churches here...

 Left hand side of the road, left hand side of the road...

 Cafe stop... it's a universal cycling thing

Today's group for the ride.... good fun....

Reading: Wonder Girl: The Magnificent Sporting Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias by Don Van Natta Jr.
Watching: bike racing
Listening: Budapest by Guy Ezra
Eating: lots of fruit
Website: http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/club/profile?club_id=6707

The week after Energiewacht

The last 2 days of Energiewacht were more about finishing up the race and moving on but not before Maura crashed the last day - twice within 1k but she is ok!!!  So it was good that that race was OVER!  Then the travel started....

Sunday: leave race 5pm, arrive at Fitland at 8pm, eat dinner, pack bikes in bike bags for flying, repack clothes, go to bed at 11pm

Monday: wake up 4:50, depart 5:30am, 2hr drive to the airport, flight at 9:35 to Madrid, arrive 12:30ish, drive from Madrid to Ponferrada - 4hrs, arrive at hotel, eat dinner, call it a day....

Tuesday: breakfast 8:30, ride at 9:30, lunch, chill, dinner, call it a day....

Wednesday: breakfast 8:30, ride at 9:30, pack bikes, lunch at 2:30, drive back to Madrid to airport hotel - 7pm, dinner at 8:30, bed at 10....

Thursday: wake up call 3:45am, flight at 6:30, back at Sittard - 12pm, lunch, bike ride, dinner, SLEEP!!!!

But it was worth it, I got to ride and see all of the world championship courses and hopefully have loads of information come September.  We had police escort both days which was needed because there were a couple of roads that are one way and we had full access to the whole road at all times, it was awesome! 

Once back here in Fitland, I've just been recovering, sleeping, eating(a lot) and now getting ready for the next couple of races - Gelderland(140k on Easter Sunday) and Fleche Wallone(world cup) on Wednesday.  That will be my last race with the national team for this block and then I head to Britain to meet my Optum teammates.  We race Tour of Britain - May 7-12th and then I head back to the US.

Here are some pictures from my phone from the past week or so....

 This was one of our starts of Energiewacht....imagine.... 170+ girls, all nervously fitting in this:)

 Taking a walk around the park in Ponferrada...

 Kids playing some soccer....

 Watching a game of bocce ball....

 Too bad we couldn't eat outside, instead we ate downstairs for meals.... oh well...

 The police escort getting organized...

 Our hotel....

 Having a good time...

 One of the beautiful views of the city...

 Day 2 of riding - Ruth Winder, Tayler Wiles, Carmen Small and Megan Garnier...

 The whole crew....

 Our rooms...

 The iron work was really beautiful....

 So we had a discussion about RyanAir flights and the comical emergency descriptions.... if you look closely, this one asks you to take our your ear rings and dentures in case of an emergency landing....

 Apparently the cool thing here is to have your socks OUTSIDE your leg warmers.  News to me but when in Europe!!!

I think this is canola or rapeseed? I googled it;) .... 

Reading: Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut

Watching: all of the girls, sitting around talking and on the Internet

Eating: oatmeal, blueberries, raspberries, banana, pb, yogurt, sunflower seeds, walnuts

Listening: Stay with Me by Sam Smith

Website: http://www.letour.fr/la-fleche-wallonne-femme/2014/us/  this is the race I'm doing on Wednesday....

Gent, Flanders, Energiewacht...

Wow, what a trip so far! I couldn’t believe it... as I crossed the line at Gent Wevelgem, I had just WON! I was so happy to represent myself, my trade team and my country with a win.  I enjoyed the press tent, then drug testing, then podium.  It was so much fun!!!!

We had a week in between Gent and Flanders races so we headed back to Sittard for the week.  The weather was perfect, such a difference from last year is all I can keep thinking! We drove back to the Flanders course on Wednesday of that week to preview the course and take photos, we made a day trip out of it.... 

So Flanders wasn’t my best day, legs weren’t all there and then I had a mechanical before the final and last climb.  I was flying(with the group) on the small roads, run over a rough patch and my chain manages to go around my crank arm.  I tried back pedalling and shifting while staying as calm as possible.  Then when all else fails, you put your hand in the air and stop on the side of the road.  The neutral car was there promptly and he at first couldn’t get the chain loose, so he runs to the car and was about to get a bike off the rack and then he runs back and tries with the chain again(more aggressive this time) and manages to get it unhooked.  He gives me a push and I’m on my way but by that point it was game over and I knew it..... argh! That’s racing though.....

So the VERY next day we had another race - Dottingnies.  This race is a funny start, it goes from a two lane road to a BIKE PATH within the first 1.5k, so it’s very important to start near or on the front of the race or you risk the chance of missing the winning break 10k into a 116k race! Guess where we ended up??? Dead last in the group! haha! It’s comical now but at the time it really sucked.  So once the gun sounded, here we go....it’s all hell to get to the front as soon as possible.  Your legs are screaming at you because you go from zero to HARD instantly.  Try this - walk out your front door and start sprinting down the street for 30min.... yeah, something like that:) 

Anyway, Maura and I ended up being the only two riders from USAC to finish - bummer.  The other girls pulled the plug and called it a day.  Can you blame them? Flanders is one of the hardest races in the world - period. 

So back to Sittard we drove for one night before driving to Energiewacht Tour.  It started on Wednesday.  This has been a roller coaster of a bike race, it always is and I knew this year wouldn’t be any different.

I’ve managed to do such a better job of positioning this year, I don’t know, I guess it comes with time?  The peleton moves a bit different here than in the US and it takes a while to filter and see where you need to be.  We look and feel like a school of fish swimming around.  Day 2 was a bad day for the team, we lost 2 girls, one in the very beginning of the day and the other at the very end of the day.  I’ll spare you the details, they both crashed, both ended up at the hospital.....

The four of us that are left are in good spirits and still laughing and cutting up.  We are sticking together and making the most of our situation and it’s always funny, you always have interesting stories to tell once you go home.  Never fails.

 KD is a trip!!!!

 The day we arrived, going for a spin....

 This is my room post Gent win:) Fitland is so cute;)

 Waiting to go to the store.... Ruth, Maura and Katie...

 I can't believe the weather this year, so nice!!!

 Selfie!

 One of the cobbled sections of Flanders on recon day....

 An easy spin and what do I find?

 Breakfast at the hotel....

 Maura and I waiting to go for a spin....

 Flanders profile....

 A gift from a dear friend of mine....

 The other Lauren is improvising when we don't have a sandwich bag....

 The family that looks after us when we aren't with our own....

 Tea time for these two! Energiewacht presentation, sitting around waiting in our chamois

 Working hard on the TT helmets....to get them to fit just right:)

 Waiting on podium for Ruth, she won the Best Young Rider jersey this day....

Our sleeping arrangements.... .thank goodness there are only 2 people in this room, middle bed is where you put your clothes:)

Ok, I’ll do my best to keep this updated next week:)! 

Reading: Sum It Up, pat Summitt with Sally Jenkins - she is TOUGH!!! But I like her style a LOT!

Watching: the wheels in front, behind, beside me

Eating: tonight’s dinner - quinoa with kale, cheese and butter, sauteed chicken with red onions and garlic, topped with pineapple.  Interesting mix but we do our best:)

Listening: Nickel Creek’s new CD I downloaded, check out Rest of My Life

Website: www.sram.com