This Weekend

Bobbay and I got out for a good mtb ride on Saturday in Park City. Seemed everyone was out and about enjoying this thing called Summer that finally arrived. 4600 feet of climbing, 3 hours or so, one missed corner (me - stupid u turns!), one jammed ring finger later (Bob - dang rocks!), and almost 2 head on collisions later (me - my brakes/rotors ROCK) we had had a great day and called it quits while we were ahead.

On Sunday I got to go experience a little bit of Heber Valley that I have never ridden before. I decided to jump right out of my comfort zone (finally!) and hit some dirt roads on my mtb that are pretty off of the beaten path but start right in Heber Valley. Some of them get up to 8000 feet starting from out valley floor which is at 5600 feet. It was pretty fun exploring new territory and I have so much left still to explore! I am excited now to check it all out while I am still home for a little bit until nationals.

Looking down over the Cascade Springs road into Heber

Deer Creek Reservior

Looking down on Heber Valley

Pretty fun day exploring I must say.

JUST in Time

I missed this storm by seriously.....2 seconds today.

I have been completely MIA I know. Life has been interesting these last few weeks with my dad deciding that he wanted to finally be part of the action and head to the hospital too for just under a week. He is out now and is actually talking more than he has all year to the staff at his nursing home. Well.....talking is relative but he is saying some words again here and there.

As for mom......it was a great month for all of us having her infection free and feeling better but unfortunately as of just a few days ago she has the infection back again (for the 7th time) which means no Rheumatoid Arthritis treatments for a few more months and also being quarantined in her assisted living facility. She is super depressed and rightly so. It is so incredibly hard to watch a parent suffer.

Chris on the other hand started physical therapy this week. That doesn't mean he is walking but it does mean he is putting 25% of his weight on his foot again. He will be on crutches yet another month to make it a grand total of 3 months. Icky. He is finding the differences between therapists absolutely amazing with some saying "Go for it!!" and others saying "You won't be doing anything until November." I say to him go for the first therapist to keep you sane!

As for me, I have been sleeping about 10 hours a night along with napping daily. I think the stress of sick parents again combined with a rest week put me under and it taking it out of me some. It is hard but I will get through it all I promise.....I think I have to don't I? : )

I will get some stuff up from the last races in CO too. I have pictures and stories of all sorts I want to share but sleep and family had to come first in the meantime.

Riding Frisco/Breckenridge

Amanda has done plenty of riding and racing on the trails around here in CO so she was kind enough to lead Heather and I around these last few days.

She kindly showed us the Colorado Trail from Frisco that meandered along a stream for a while as we made our way up, up and away in a blanket of trees.

The trail ended in Breckenridge and so we took a quick bike tour of the very cute town. It reminded me of Park City Main Street except it was flatter, longer and wider. After that we hit the bike path for a bit and then headed up the Gold Mine Trail which was a very uphill trail that lead back to the Colorado Trail. It was a great 3 hour fun ride.

Today I just chilled on the bike path spinning out all the nastiness from yesterday's ride.

The name of the game here in Frisco though is get out and ride before the rain hits. I have turned into a different person riding at 9am and 10am! It is definitely nice to have the whole day ahead of you after you are done though!

A lot of the trees here were hit by the pine beetle and are nothing but carcasses now.

But despite that, beautiful views are really everywhere you look.

It is amazing how far the bike path here goes and just how many ski resorts are around Frisco too.

Main Street Frisco

There is "Breckenfridge" (as we are now calling it because the high has been around 55 for about a week now), A-Basin, Copper Mountain, Vail, Beaver Creek and Keystone to name a few all just around the corner from each other off of I-70. And you can pretty much ride to most of them on a bike path too!

Tonight the 3 Amigas headed out for Sushi.

Amiga #1: Amanda

Amiga # 2: Heather - never give this girl chop sticks

Amiga #3: Moi

Heather prepares for our races on Friday and Saturday. But hey, we looked it up after, there are 65g of carbs in that puppy!

We are all looking forward to heading to Colorado Springs tomorrow to pre-ride the course. We are also looking forward to getting some proper sleep there as well. This 9000 feet of elevation we are sleeping at is a bit much even for us Park City folk.

Whoa

It is always interesting when you go to order Hammer Products and you go to their main page and you see your own face and team staring back at you. (It rotates through a bunch of pics). I got super confused at first. Funny.

Vail and Frisco, CO

Heather starting the Time Trial yesterday in Vail Village



Yesterday I took Heather down to the Teva Games Road Hill Climb and while she was busy killing it for 8th place with a tail wind I went for a ride on the Vail Bike Path. I had no idea that thing makes its way all the way to Frisco and beyond!


The views were pretty nice along the way too!

Heather had an interesting way to change right in front of the guy sitting in the Element - using her dress!

After she was settled we decided to go check out some of the Teva Games. That is a first that I have actually gone and enjoyed an event after my own racing. There was kayaking, rock climbing, dog jumping, trail running, tight rope walking, slope style bmx, you name it to watch and it was so fun to go see other athletes doing their thing. The environment is fabulous and the event itself is so fun to be at and go to. I will definitely be hitting this one again next year.

Here are a bunch of people enjoying the dog jumping while sipping on some brew-hah and praying to god that the next storm burst only brings rain this time.

And on a fun note, I called Brandy whom I roomed with last year for the Teva Games and haven't seen since. She has been pretty busy though winning titles. But she happened to be 5 minutes away in Vail Village after just winning her 10k Trail Run yesterday so she and her hubby came down to hang out. She is also the current National Mountain Trails Champion and the current National Snow Shoe Champion. All while holding down a full time job. Impressive. You go girl! Read more on Brandy here and here.

As for today in Frisco, the name of the game was wander on over to the local breakfast place looking like a dirty unkempt cyclist and then get on the bike as soon as possible. The weather here is getting to be predictable in that you have to get your buns out the door before noon or else get snowed/rained/hailed on as you can see.

Amanda and I picked up the bike path up in Frisco and headed East for a while. The views were great looking back on Frisco, CO.

But we both are agreeing that sleeping at 9000 feet every night has its challenges. And that would be why its nap time right now. Need to catch up on some ZZZZ's.

More quick info on the Teva Games here too if you want.

Teva Mountain Games - Vail, CO

It is amazing what a month of bliss without parental issues and without your hubby needing surgery can do. I felt like me again today officially for the first time this year racing. Usually I have this feeling at the beginning of March but being that my life seemed to be continually getting curve balls thrown at it since last November, it certainly didn't work out that way this year. But I seem to feel good now finally.

Still not stellar fast but I am feeling good which is something I was waiting for this whole time. I knew I hadn't been feeling myself forever now and to come away with feeling the way I did during the race today made me happy no matter where I placed!! Just to have the oomph, the power and the desire to bury yourself to stay with a group or pass someone was all I was waiting for and its back.....finally!!

As for the race I got the hole shot today off the line which was great but what wasn't great was how the first lap was not as good for me as the last two. Odd because I had a good solid warm up. But that aside all went super well today on the dry course. I was able to not float too far back on that first lap and then make my way back towards the front on the next two. I was actually looking forward to the climbs! I am a crazy cat sometimes.


I had no idea that I had placed 6th place when it was all said and done. That was a nice surprise. I guess I was too busy trying to get back up to the front to even think about it. Ah yes, back to being me again!!

(left to right) Pua, Georgia, Katie, Judy, some chick

As for Heather Holmes race, she rocked it the whole time dealing with some mechanicals issues that are just part of bike racing. The thing was that she didn't quit even though the mechancials started only 10 minutes into the race!! She kept going and rolled across the finish line in 15th. Now that is some determination!

And, Amanda after putting in endless hours in the saddle in preparation for her 100 mile races coming up, still had enough steam to come away with a Top 15 result also.

As for the boys race, Andy S. decided that what I did last year was so cool that he would do it too....in the EXACT spot I did. He picked up the one and only nail and flatted while duking it out up front. And, as another determined Kenda Tomac rider, he too, fixed the flat and carried on finishing the race out.

Colin decided that I wasn't going to be the only one to bring in 6th place so he rocked it hard and stayed on the heels of those boys up front and took that final podium spot also. Yes I said, final podium spot...you gotta love non sanctioned events because they did a podium and a great payout for Top 6. Cool beans.


Colin on the right with Sid, Adam, Sam and Todd




Vail Mountain Resort was pleasant today with mild temps.



Next up is lounging in Frisco until we head down to Colorado Springs later in the week.

UT to CO

On Monday I packed my bike up in Alabama readying it for a flight home. I was outside in the sun doing this and the sweat was literally dripping off my nose. Perhaps it was the humidity or perhaps it was my body trying to digest the steak I ate last night at Ken and Linda's.

Oh yeah......

Then home for 2 whole entire days and off to the Teva Games in Vail, CO with Heather Holmes, my teammate. It's not a bad drive out there - about 7 hours. Got a good pre-ride in and things are looking quite the same as in years past. About 1100 feet of climbing per lap at Vail Resort and women are doing 3 laps. Fire road and singletrack climbing and a more rooty and semi technical singletrack descent.

Ran into Erika Powers from the big Salt Lake out there too pre-riding the course. It is great to see our local talent branching out!

The ground was mostly dry but I would say it is just slightly more than tacky right now. If it rains tonight we will be tire changing it up tomorrow! The parts that weren't mostly dry were pretty darn slimy. Those were only on the uphills but it seemed to be bypassed pretty easily as you could see the "dry" lines people were taking on the side of the ski slope in the grass.

We are back at our team Camp Colin in Frisco now where we will be until next Thursday when we head down to the next national race in Colorado Springs.