For all of you....

....that thought I was complaining or bitching or not having a good time in Italy because of my last blog (it was ment to be funny). This one is for you...

My roommate, teammate, and buddy Carly. She makes me laugh and teaches me Aussie slang, like "I need some T sauce for my snags.”

The riding Toscana is wonderful. There are so many great climbs!!! And the country side is beautiful.

Going to the pet shop in Italy...It looked a little different, no cute puppies and kittens. Instead there was this mangy old cat that Carly thought was sooo cute. It wasn't in my opinion and it smelt bad. I am not a cat lover though....so what can I say.

My roommate, wait I mean roommates donkey, and Flavia the other American.

MY NEW BIKE!

My favorite pizza with breasola and arugula.

It's like a weird dream...

...when

1. you join an Italian cycling team
2. you get yelled at to go faster, faster, faster on a 5 hour ride.
3. on the 5 hr ride you have to be in your 53 the whole time and go faster, faster, faster
4. you figure out this is how every ride will be, there is no other way to train than #2 & 3
5. you go to immigration and get pushed and punched in the ribs...more to this story, email me if you want to know the details...check out the picture

6. the Italians in the house start cleaning and no one tells the non Italian what is going on.
7. 5 kilos of cheese is almost gone in a week and only 3 of the 7 people are eating it. Wow and they are "on a diet"??
8. it's 11:30pm and you are trying to sleep and there is someone in the bathroom talking on the cell phone...and you have to get up at 7:00 to go to immigration.
9. your helmet is so big you look like a bobble head. It will really save my head from getting crushed when I crash and it falls off. But we will get our race helmets "domani" oh and our race bikes.
10. when the lady in the red lipstick (in the picture at immigration) asks me in Italian if I speak German...I just told her that I speak English (but in Italian). Then she managed to grab my bag and try to rip me from the counter...what a morning that was.
11. When the Italians don’t even slow down for red light and we are just praying there are no cars coming through the intersection.
12. you don't understand what they are telling you in Italian so they just repeat and talk louder, because you will then be able to understand some how.
13. something that should take only 2 hours takes half the day...even a conversation that should be a simple yes or no turns into some complicated argument.

But let me tell you the cappuccinos, hot chocolate, and the views on the rides are so, so, so wonderful!!! I guess it is worth it. :)

Team Training Camp The Italian Way

I am back in Lucca Italy for another adventure...2009

One of the many photo shoots we had during camp. You can check out more pictures and an article on the team web site.

One of the rides...I am so happy to be back on the small roads and the beautiful country side of Tuscany! Flavia, Carly, Rosane, Sara, and Serena. I was taking the picture.

Me! My helmet is soooo big! A lot of good it does, I have it the tightest it will go and it still doesn't fit. I won’t give in to the Euro ways and go with out it. So for now, it will look ridiculous until we get our race helmets. Until then...

WOW, do I need to say anything else!

Teammates

The director of the team Alfonso and me after one of our rides.

Carly (Assie), Luigi (massage therapist), and me.

After an awesome climb, what a view! Giulia and me.

We are finished with team camp and are now back at the team house in Lucca. We will have another team camp next month, I think the second week in February. Hopefully the weather will be getting better soon. It is raining a lot, but expected that so I am not too surprised. So far it has been a learning experience, they do things differently in Italy so you just have to go with the flow. I haven't cracked yet, but have come close several times. It helped a lot when we got internet at the team house. I can now be connected to my friends and family which helps so much. Until next time....thanks for reading...hopefully I will have some funny stories to tell soon. Like when I arrived and the owner of the team grabbed my side to check if I was too fat and then when I met his brother he did the same thing. WOW never had that happened before.

Happy New year!

Ben and I went on a walk with his dad (Klaus) on Christmas day. The weather was finally getting nice...even though it doesn't look that nice. The first couple of days we were there I don't think I went out side because it was so cold and or rain/snowing.

We went up Oberwoessen close to Reit Im Winkl, to where his brother lives for a few days. We had an awesome time nordic skiing and riding.

A church in Reit Im Winkl, this was such a cute little town!

Bernd, Ben, and I after our ride through the Alps. What a wonderful day. Bernd was our wonderful tour guide, and Ben's brothers wife's brother. (wow that was a lot)

On our Christmas day walk. That area had a horrible storm that blew down millions of trees, they are still cleaning up from this storm.

Me

Ben and I after one of our rides in Kahler Asten, the highest mountain in the area. The views were beautiful.

Klaus and Ben

Who can guess where this is? Hint...I didn't go there...the picture is from someone else, but it is so beautiful I had to put it up.

Winter and New Team!!!

Bad news...The snow finally came!

We (cyclists) were pretty lucky up until Thanksgiving. Then the snow and cold weather came. I had been riding with long sleeves and vest and Thanksgiving I was riding inside on the rollers! NOT FUN! But it looks like it is going to get nice again, with a high of 42 degrees today and tomorrow the high will be 43 degrees (waaahooo). Ok, well it could be worse it could keep snowing, but at least I can ride on clear roads!!!!

Good news... I leave January 11 to join my new team in Lucca Italy!!!!

I signed with Michela Fanini Record Rox and I can't wait for the new racing season. I am moving over there January 11 and will be there until the end of September. Hopefully I will be able to come back for Nationals. I am learning Italian and that has been a really challenging task. I think that is the most intimidating thing for me with this new chapter of my life. Well, I hope to have more stories over the Holidays and I will for sure have a lot of stories once I get to Italy!!!

Cyclocross

Before I got sick I did a local cyclocross race and I had so much fun!!!!

Here are some pictures...

I AM ALIVE!!!!

Well, the past week I was on the couch and thinking I was going to die (well, not literally, but felt really really sick). When I got back from California I got a phone call from Emily Z saying, "do you have poison oak? Scott does." I laughed and said no, hahaha, I don't sucks for him. No more than a couple hours later I started to itch and see little bump in my leg. I thought, "oh shit, I have poison oak and just made fun of Scott for having it." That's carma for you.

Well, the poison oak was in full force for the following week and I thought surely it should start to feel better soon. Then I came down with a sore throat and that night had a temp of 102 degrees and thought I was just getting the flu. A couple of days later I still had a fever with sore joints and muscle and then my mouth started breaking out with sores. I had about 30 sores and had gone to the urgent care twice. The doctor did not help me at all, but gave me Hydrocodone and sent me on my way. The next day I was worse with more sores, now on my tongue and on the top of my mouth. I went to a regular doctor and finally she gave me something that helped. A few hours later I started to feel better and the fever went away! So if I wouldn't have gotten poison oak and I probably wouldn't have gotten this kids mouth virus. Everything is clearing up and I can see the light!!!! I can't wait to get back on the bike and enjoy these wonderful Fall days before winter hits!!!!!

I don't have any pictures to show, you wouldn't want to see them anyhow. I will put some up of the Dolores cross race that I did. Soon, hopefully!

Bike Safety!

Bike safety is so important and it is sometimes forgotten about. I recently went and had a bike safety talk to Floriday Mesa Elementary School's third graders. They were a wonderful listeners and wrote me great letters thanking me for coming in. Here are some pictures form the talk.

Talking about hand signals. It's important to use them correctly... and to use them!

The most impprtant thing...THE HELMET!!!!

The kids wanted to see me ride the bike. I didn't do any tricks, not because they didn't ask more because I don't know how.

I had such a good time and hopefully the kids learned a lot and it made a difference. Thanks to specialized for the awesome helmets the kids got!!! They all like them and have been using them. Hopefully just wearing them and not to many crashes.

What to do in the off season...

1. Play women's volleyball and get so sore I can't even walk

2. Go mt biking and have to walk 2hours of the 6 hour ride...more to this story that I will not share because it will just piss me off! And you better believe I got sore from all the walking!

3. Start working again...Subbing can be so much fun and it can be not so nice!

4. Help friends move and get even more sore.

5. Soreness was going away so I started lifting. I am not one to take it easy so I got sore again.

6. Have time to go to Bread and eat a lot of yummy food and drink great Lattes!

So I guess all in all, I complain a lot in the off season! I am so glad that I am going to do cyclocross so I can stop being a wimp!

Beautiful Country side in Toscana.

If I was Italian this would be my name!

I think our country side is just beautiful as Italy. We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful place. This was in the high country, by Coal Bank.

I know it's been a long time....

I know, I know, it's been so so long, but I have no idea what I have been doing. Life has been a crazy mess for the past couple of months and maybe I am on track now. After what I thought was my last race (crit Nationals) I had to start working and easy back on the training. So I started subbing for the school district mostly Elementary schools, which was fun, but lots of germs and sick kids. I didn't think much of it at the time because I didn't really need to stay healthy for any big race coming up and I need the money bad. So I continued to sub and ride casually, I even did a few mt bike rides. Then I got a phone call Jim (the director of the National Team) and he said I was going to Italy to race Toscana. Well, I thought to myself, I better start training again I only have 12 days. So I got back in the mode of training, but still had to work. I forgot how hard this was, wow. I got the training in and felt really good with my fitness and I was off to Italy. I got to Lucca and I forgot how much I love it hear. Italy is such a wonderful place and I was ready to race! Then the night before the first race I came down with a sore throat and it turned into a full on cold. I raced the first and second day and now it is the third and I feel even worse. I guess we will see how today goes.

Well, I guess next time I know better then to sub in schools, especially elementary schools, where there are a lot of germs and sick kids. I should know better, I taught for 4 years. Oh well, bills have to be paid!

I don't have any good picture to show you of Italy, I gave my camera to the mechanic in hopes of some good pictures but haven't gotten it back. So hopefully by the end of the trip I will have some good new to report and some good picture.

Zion National Park, it was beautiful!!!!

Home sweet home

I came home to Durango, but then left again...While home it was really nice to get my life back in order and spend time with my family. (for a short time) I am currently at Nationals so I will have to give another update about that soon.

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to all my supporters in Durango! You all have been the best and I am so glad to be a part of the community. Thanks for all your support!!!!!

While I was home I got to go on the group ride with the Church of the High Pines. Thanks for letting me tag along.

My dad AP Small. One of my biggest supporters, right along side with my mom (Donna) and step mom (Margaret). Sorry no pics, next time for sure!!!!

Larry and wife Jana Goldstein, you guys are the best!

The crew for the day. Thanks for such an awesome ride!!!!

Czech, France, then Germany

I guess I don't have a lot to say and I have been really bad about taking pictures so here are a few. We are in France for the next two days and then we will head to Germany. A long drive!

Andrew pinning my number

Me starting the Time Trial at the Czech race.

Rebecca and me

My boyfriend Turtellini in France what a view, he enjoyed it a lot!!!

Lauren and Turtellini, he was helping her with her computer, he is so smart.

Training in Livigno!

I haven't blogged in awhile because I had nothing good to blog about, but last week I was in Livigno training and it was absolutely the best week ever!!!!!! I have never seen so many beautiful views, the pictures don't do it justice. The training was awesome, I have never climbed so much in my life. The weather was spectacular too.


So lets see...what haven I been doing.


After racing with Aaron's I had a short break at home and then I was off to Lucca, Italy again. It was a crazy day, my flight was cancelled, then redirected and finally ended up in Florence. I was picked up, no bags, and the ride home was really, really hot (no AC and about 90+ degrees). But I was fine actually and very happy to be at my second home in Lucca. It's amazing how much you can feel at home in a place when you haven't even spent that much time there. I trained for a couple of days and then took the train up to Livigno. Every day the riding was awesome, the food was great, and it was wonderful seeing a new place. What an adventure! Here are some pictures.

Climbing one of the many passes in the Alps.




Me starting to suffer a little. Look at the snow! This was the only day there were clouds in the sky. I lucked out, 30min after I was done with my ride it started to rain.

Lots of animals roaming around. I loved these little sheep, especially the baby ones.


He was so cute and fuzzy. I am such a sucker for the baby animals!

Me on another climb, I can't even count how many climbs I did!

Oh, Stelvio! Wow, this was an awesome day. Not kidding 48 switch backs.

Getting to the top!

Almost there!

I am one tired girl after doing that climb.

Always in Italy, cappuccino, it's the best!!!