Mt Lemon

So yesterday we rode from the apartment, through town, through University of Arizona campus out to Mt. Lemon and started the climb at mile 0. Around mile 3 there was a pleasant surprise! One of my teammates from cyclocross, Rebecca Much, joined us for the rest of the way up. She has been in town for a week or so and is staying till March, how nice! Anyway, hanging out with friends while riding helps pass the time TONS!

My final destination up Lemon was mile 14, that was 2:30hrs into the ride and I was scheduled for 4 so it was a perfect turnaround spot. It is absolutely gorgeous up there, the temperature drops about 10 degrees while you are climbing and you climb about 5,000ft and I wasn't even at the top! The top was still about 12miles up, which Rebecca went on and took care of business:)

The ride back down, I kept thinking, "Wow, I don't remember the climb being this long"! Which I guess is good news;) And then we came back through campus(which is beautiful), town and back home, ended up being 4:30hrs. Yay!

Today was recovery day: yoga, laundry, bee bop around town and do a bit of shopping and looking, took a killer nap this afternoon and going to John and Leslie's for dinner tonight. I'm hoping to catch up with Anne Guzman sometime soon, she is one of the first girls in pro cycling I met. She is from Canada, good climber and super sweet and fun to hang out with. We've kept in touch since Redlands race last year and it is amazing that life has made full circle to Redlands again so soon! Time flies!

Well that's about it so far.....hope Miller isn't getting too used to the hot foot baths...ain't happening at home sucka!!!

Lovin Tucson

So the first day, I got a little lost, the bike maps aren't like regular maps and roads on the map don't really mimic the real roads too much but that is ok, it was still beautiful and warm! Ended up with 3hrs and 10min, perfect:)

Today was an easier 2hrs, I took the same route and without getting lost, it didn't take too long at all. It has a nice 5min. intense climb and then drops off the other side down back to town, very nice! Then did a bit of yoga to keep things in proper working order, then grocery, home, chilled, cooked some suppa!

Small rant: I wish that everywhere would offer to sell wine and liquor in the grocery stores like they do here and other places I've been, it sure does make life a lot easier on me!:)

Also yesterday, Mike and I went by a local bike shop, Fair Wheel Bikes and Bruce hooked us up with a couple of good rides as well as some good grub in town! Thank you very much!!! I'm sure I will be back for food, bike stuff or something:) The week is young;)

Tomorrow is gonna be a long day in the saddle, gotta put the time in so it makes it all worth it. I love that I'm doing this for a living! I feel blessed:) Well, gonna go kick my feet up and read and probably be asleep by 9.

PS: called to check on Miller and Laura is officially spoiling him!!! Hot foot baths after walks??? No, no, no, he is a boy....DOG! hahah, oh well, he sure does love going over there, now I know why eh?

Tucson, AZ

Well, I got the official word from the team director for the first races of the season as well as team training camp.

So that means I've headed south for the winter for some warm weather riding. It gets the mind fresh because the change in weather lets you wear short sleeves and shorts only, not bundled up like normal winter time riding. Leslie and John Cox are letting us stay in their extra apartment they have for free. That is such a relief! I met Leslie and John this past summer in Dolores, they have a summer home in Dolores because it isn't as hot as Tucson and in the winter they stay here, in their house behind the apt.

I woke up this morning, made some coffee, stepped outside to see what it felt like and it was PERFECT! T-shirt and pants all week!!!

Something else that is awesome, the apt. is right downtown, within walking distance from a couple of museums! I wonder if I will have the legs to do a little recreational walking?

Well, I'm looking forward to jumping on the bike, so I'm off!! Got a map of all the bike paths, an idea where Mt. Lemon is and plenty of food to go.......

Hope Miller is acting right at Laura's(I told him, no skunks, no mud rolling.....)

Randoms

So a couple of things I shipped back to Colorado made it to the house yesterday! I'm pretty excited! While I was home I shopped around in downtown Vicksburg on Washington St. If you guys ever get a chance to cruse over to Vicksburg, definitely check out the coffee shop, HWY 61 and above it is the Attic Gallery.

Also, there is an awesome, small bookstore next door and right up the road there is an art gallery, H.C. Porter that is amazing stuff!

A couple of things: the Attic Gallery showcases local MS artists only and there is paintings, pictures, nick nacks, all kinds of stuff EVERYWHERE! Walking up the steps, it starts there and it is on the walls, on the floor and there are 2 stories of nothing but cool art!!! It is a favorite of mine.

The H.C. Porter gallery, I'm not so sure on this stuff, but she takes regular pictures and then pulls the color out of them and then paints on top of it, I think.....it is amazing stuff!

The coffee shop is just awesome! Quiet, quaint and I swear when I was home at Christmas and I was there enjoying some awesome hot chocolate, that I saw Morgan Freeman.....if not that man looked just LIKE him! They also have fresh baked breads in the morning available for purchase, yummmm

The book store next door has a local artist section that is amazing! I picked up a couple of awesome books: Give my poor heart ease by William Ferris and a Faulkner book, New Orleans Sketches. Can I read two books at the same time? YES!!!

Then once you've done all that for a couple of hours, head down the hill one block and check out the awesome murals on the flood wall, you can walk along the walking path and read about each painting and how it is a representation of Vicksburg. They are pretty amazing paintings! Then walk back up the hill and head a block or two up and check out some cute shops before stopping in on a restaurant, I think it is Duff's. Grab some good food and drinks and then you have to have the bread pudding! I don't even like bread pudding but theirs was AWESOME!

If you want to go in a diff. direction head past the coffee shop a block down and hit up Rusty's! They are expanding! And anything you get there is awesome! And right across the street is a new museum about the river boats, I don't think it is open yet? Dunno....

I think it would be an awesome mini vacation get away. To stay in one of the B&B's right there downtown and walk around and check out all the shops and enjoy some good food and some serious hills! And don't forget to cruise through the military park, again, amazing stuff in there!!! Great photo opportunities:)

Anyway, I'm proud of my little home town:) So stop by sometime and check it out!

Link

Check out this link:)

It was an interview with my new director Lisa Hunt. She is a former pro rider, turned director and an awesome person:)

Thanks for readin!

http://www.podiuminsight.com/2009/12/21/team-vbf-with-lisa-hunt/

Finally

I can finally spill the beans on my signing with a professional team! I will be racing the 2010 season with Team VBF(Vera Bradley Foundation)! I'm so excited! I'm one of the newbies on the team which is made up of some stellar women that have had some major accomplishments. There are multiple National champions on the team and some amazing racers that have been at this for a while and know what it takes to do this full time.

I'm really excited to be racing for this team because will are not only racing for our sponsors we are also racing to bring awareness to breast cancer-I dig that cause.....

Anyway, here is the link to the press release. It was in velo news a couple of weeks ago but if you didn't see it:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2009/12/news/valueact-womens-team-is-now-team-vbf_101996

I bet we will be ALL PINK! hahah! I'm not much on pink but it is growing on me;)

So for now, my plan is to start on some long, hard rides and get ready for camp in March and look forward to a long, productive season!

Answering questions

Here are a couple of answers for Michelle:) Love the questions by the way! I don't ever think of the details:)

I won't know where or when I will be racing until team camp, which is the first week of March. But the season runs from the end of March till almost October so there will be plenty of racing to be had! Camp will probably be when we get our kit, bikes, etc. as well. I will be sponsored by Specialized so no more yellow shoes:( I will be wearing whatever the team gives me:)!!

So as I know more information I will update cha!! Thanks again for all the questions!

Anymore?