weekend in paradise

I am at home this weekend having the house to just Max and I. It's sweetened by being the only weekend at home for me untill July 5th. I find that there is often an adjustment phase from travelling to home life and that hit me on Saturday, when faced with the entire day at my disposal I just didn't know how to get myself going. After floating around for a while, I drove to Crested Butte to ride but really couldn't get into the groove. My friend Cathie saved the day by inviting me to the wine bar for Sushi, after which I came home and watched 3 episodes of Greys Anatomy on the computer (live streamed from ABC - I tell you its a girls best friend!)

With all that unproductivity out of my system yesterday was a gift, and I took the dog and drove to Brush creek road by Crested Butte to do my MTB workout and run. So great and amazing views.

Max was in hog heaven with a mixed bag of a short ride, some free time - where he used it to steal a loaf of bread out of the back of the van of a camper I was talking with (honestly), some time on the lead by the car, a run and a swim = happy muddy dog.


I want to give a huge shout out to Trek/VW rider Sue Haywood for her 11th place in the Offenburg World cup. She had an amazing start to get herself from 38th on the grid up to 10th in the singletrack. Check these pictures out. Sue is about fourth row on the right.

to Tenth!
Photo ©: Frank Bodenmuller/PhotoSport International/http://www.cyclingnews.com/clickthru.php3?url=http://www.mtbsector.com/

The mens event looked gnarly - Holy cow - would you have ridden this??

Photo: Rob Jones, Canadian cyclist.

cheers

Jenny

Temecula XT pics

Its 2.30 in the afternoon and I've been really procrastinating, so over a cup of joe I found these pics from Rich Cruse of last weekends XT event.
Here's me on the right coming out of the swim. (am surprised a photographer was still around!)
Right- 0. Time to get out the door. cheers
Jen

a month condensed

A month has flown by just like that. We are back in Gunni now and its GREAT.

Rather than recapping on a full month of events here are some of the highlights and lowlights of the SO CALI trip.

Performance wise. My 5th in the NMBS #2 shorttrack, my 5th in the Opening Xterra. Brians 5th in the opening XTERRA.

Food of the day was definately Sushi, where early on Lea and I ate Sushi for four meals in 6 days that pace mellowed but Brian and I did go back to Robins Dono ( an independant, surprisingly cheap, surprisingly good japanese resturant amid the mall sprawl of Ontario. Robins dono is in a strip mall on hte corner of millikien and 4th st - about 2 miles from the airport) when he flew to Ontario. Closely following was shop of the Month - Trader Joes.

Mike and Pam Lee our West coast regional team managers put me up in Mission Veijo for a week and that was super fun. Did you know Mike lee was a child actor.

My Low point was contracting an on contact rash from swimming in a lake that had me looking like a chicken pox ridden itchy scratchy creature from the deep. Sadly racing my bike that weekend only spread it and there was nothing I could do to help matters but wait it out.

The Idyllwild race, riding and camping tops the best of list. Its so fun there, 80% single track and good prize money to boot. I won the XC race.

Riding in Fontana after the fact. I drove to Ontario early in the day to beat traffic and pick up Brian. So I parked in the fontana carpark and rode at the XC venue. Seemend rougher around the edges in the cold light of day. But do beleive I got the start dialed as I rode my intervals around the short track course. Too sketchy to ride by myself on the whole xc course. the things we do eh?

Being back in gunnison is the best and we even have a race tonight.

enjoy

Jenny

can you where me now?

Its a good thing the title of our blog implicates not only where are we... but why aren't we staying in touch.

We've been doing really well . I am geting ready to drive out to California on Tuesday evening. You'd think the more I travel the less I'd take.. but given the option of taking the van and given the duration of this trip. I just keep adding stuff to my list.

I do recall when equipment used to mean running shoes and racing shoes and maybe a pair of tights/ polypro/ and jacket. If it was an xc race then a bag of spikes would be useful (remember the 18's). Well! let me tell you how much those times have changed. Add an Xterra triathlon to a mountain bike racing schedule and its getting rather ridiculous on the ol' equip front! Plus ... part of the reason I'm driving is to transport Brians bike out so.....

Its fun though and you know this is what I love to do with my life.

Our upcoming travels include for me:

Norba # 2 In Santa Barbara ( the last time I was there was with Jacko and Nelson Laux on a running/ Gin drinking trip in 1999) Loved it though... was my first run on the beach in the US. So am excited to go back ( probably san's the Gin this time). Then Norba # 3 in Fontana. Followed by the best race in the US - in my opinion - the Idyllwild challenge and the Opening race of truth - Temecula Xterra. ( wonder if I could possibly not be last pro woman out of the water this year??).

Brian is training well in Gunnison - he's getting fit, and running the Black Mesa Ascent then flying out to Cali to join me for the XT.

Life in Gunni has been rather great... we where going to a mexican potluck. Style?! B'man stylie -Always!

The other huge benefit of some time in town are the people we have to train with. I've been greedily racking up my training w/ friends time.

This picture doesn't do it justice but last Sunday the US Air force where doing fly bys on the Gunni Airport.. this happens sevetral times a year and its so trippy. The plane is HUGE and from Heartmans it comes into view and takes up alot of the sky, enough to give you a huge fright -its kinda cool.

The pic is of Jackie/ Ashley Burt and I at Heartmans.

cheers

Jenny

These times they are a changing

It seems about time that I posted some pics on the Blog again and without a fresh image to share thought I'd post a swimming one for our motivation.



After several years of puddling around in the 'ool ( theres no P in ours) I'm realising that my improvement as a swimmer isn't going to happen by Osmosis.

The harsh truth was made sweeter today when our little group grew to include, not only Jari and Kate but also Brian, Sully and Jason. So here it is for the record perhaps the first real swimming workout I've done.

5 by 150's ( first 50 hard enough to induce drowning like response and last 100 moderate)followed by little or no recovery if you're me as I'm the slowest.
5 by 50 m's where Jari ( I love her!) helps me learn to pull with my back and shoulder instead of my forearm.
5 by 100m's on the 1 min 50. ( and I do them all under 1.40... rock on as this for me is an improvement)
A blissful cooldown. total time 1 hour 03... (thats two 1 hour barriers in a week!)

Now whats better than One pro cyclist making a fool of themselves around town?? Two pro cyclists! Brian joined me today for a set of single leg drills. In towns like Boulder these may be the norm on the roads but around these them parts???? Add that it was snowing and the scene had me grinning ear to ear. How fun to pay like a fool on expensive toys while calling it training. Now if you the reader questions the legitimacy of this workout. I challenge you to try it. One legged pedalling is hard Yakka!

Finally good luck to ... Sea otter people and NZ Xterra championship athletes.

Enjoy
Jenny and Brian

Right place Right time

Its been my goal lately to break the hour barrier with my runs and swims. Running is aok it just takes commitment but 'swimming'. Swimming for an hour to me is like 3 hours on the trainer riding a pro saddle and watching March of the Penguins ( De ja vue.... Oh well they where grim times )

Luckily I have friends... and at just the right time I ran into them at the Pool. I could kiss the ground Jari walks on for the swim session today. All of a sudden the world opened up and instead of counting laps in five minute increments. I swam with Kate and Jari (well behind them) but we did a workout, it was FUN and time flew. Whats better is we are meeting on Friday, whats even better is I'm looking forward to it.

Like a bear with a sore tooth no toe

I broke a tooth last year and have known since then that its needed repairing with a crown. As I'm both scared of the dentist and wasn't keen on paying for such a thing I'd been putting it off. However looking at my next six months of travelling and racing I realised that I should do it now. I have a temp ( made out of the same stuff as nylon fingernails) tooth untill my real crown is made. Its been quite sore though and tomorrow I have to go back and get it remodelled.
Sore teeth make me 'fragile' but to add to the fun I moved a chair yesterday - (rearranging the lounge) while wearing Birkenstocks - and defrosting the freezer - in the half hour before meeting a client at the gym Why?? who knows... I managed in one clean sweep to stubb and lift up a good third of my big toenail. Oh my god... it huurrtt.... and I yelled. Max just looked at me from under the table.
In the rush of the big toe pain ... clarity came.... I should stick to doing one thing at a time.

So thats my Forest Gump mantra for the day. Life is like.... a box of chocolates best enjoyed one chocolate at a time. Or someting like that.

Jehney.