10/11/07- So a lot has been going on since my last update. Since I last left off, I went to Stuttgart for the Road World Championships. It was cold, but we lucked out with no rain. Although the results did not show it we had a good race as a team, and I was really happy with how my own personal performance was. It is hard when as a country we have so many strong and capable women. We went into Worlds with high expectations and in the Time Trial our girls came home with 2nd, 4th and 5th. I know the girls expected and wished for better, but in my book that is an awesome performance and they worked really hard for it. Alison had a great debut at her first World and showed that in a few years she will be right up there with the rest of them. Nothing like getting your first time jitters out of the way.

After Worlds was over, I was on the first plane back to Asheville and my next three days were consumed with haircuts, manicures, facials, and pedicures as well as a few last minute shopping trips for some items that I needed for Jamaica. After all the running around and packing we were off to Charlotte to catch our plane. I was nervous and excited to see the resort and how everything was going to be laid out. Before we left I had tried getting some information on the ceremony and the way things worked, but the attitude of Jamaica is "No Problem Mon", so that is how we started the vacation. We realized that the resorts has weddings all the time, so I was confident they knew what they were doing.

When we arrived at the resort we took a walk around and tried to become familiar with where everything was located and how things worked. The resort was beautiful, and I knew right away we had picked a great location. All the staff was so friendly and accommodating, and everything we need was right there. You really never needed to leave the resort. When the wedding day came I was nervous for sure, but the staff at the salon did a great job with my hair and makeup, and our wedding coordinator Nadia made sure everything was looking perfect. It was a perfect day, perfect vacation, and I wouldn't have changed anything. Couples San Souci is worth every penny and Mike and I are already trying to figure out when we can go back. Thank you to all the staff who made it such a memorable week.

Check out this link for our photo album from the trip and our wedding day. Our photos from Jamaica

9/22/07- We are done racing Holland, which Kristin once again showed that she is on great from in her time trial and she won the overall GC. After Holland some of the girls headed to Ardeche France and showed once again that the US is a strong force here in Europe. The girls took 2 stage wins, a 2nd place, a 4th place, a 3rd in overall GC, and the sprinters jersey. Nice work. Up next for me was my mom's vacation which was no doubt entertaining. She managed to find her way from Pisa airport to her hotel in San Marcaro in Piano, which was a quaint quiet bed and breakfast. We spent an afternoon in Pisa doing the tourist thing, another day we took the train to Florence and did the tourist thing, another day we walked around Lucca doing the tourist thing, and then it was time for me to do the racing thing at the Giro Della Toscana. In the process of all that I have also been trying to organize everything for my wedding that is in two weeks. I don't know what we were thinking to plan it so close to my arrival back in the States. Especially since I found out last week that I made the Worlds Team and now instead of having 9 days at home before we leave I have 3. No stress, no stress!!! In all honestly I am really looking forward to it, Mike and I are in a really good place right now and I am looking forward to the rest of our lives together. After all it is about time, I mean we have been together for almost eight years and we have been engaged for 3(??).

After Toscana I have a few more days here in Italy before we head to Germany, which I hear the weather will not be so lovely. I am not ready for WINTER....in all honestly I am never ready for WINTER. I guess that is why when I go on vacation I go to the warm, sunny destinations. Sorry Chris, no skiing in the near future for me. Just the beach and fun in the sun!!

8/25/07- So I am back in Lucca after the race in Germany. It was a 3 day stage race in the Albstadt region of Germany. It was pretty short but really intense. The first day was a 4km prologue, followed by a 100km road race with hills (which was essentially 3 km up, 4 km false flat, and 3 km downhill for each lap), and the last day was a european crit which was a 2.6 km circuit for a total of 35 laps or 92 kms. We had decided as a team we wanted a break so after a flurry of attacks I took my opportunity on a little riser and just went with everything that I had. I created a separation with 5 riders and 3 of us worked solidly for a few laps. Unfortunately we were only 8 laps into the race so there was still a long way to go to crossing the line. At about 20 laps to go two more women bridged across and brought some much needed horsepower to the break. We did it, made it all the way to the line with 22 seconds to spare. It was touch and go for a while but we had a well oiled machine. I was feeling the effort from being off for so long and sprinted to a fourth place, not a bad way to start the last part of my season here in Europe since I was also 9th in the prologue just a few days earlier.

After Germany we drove to Lucca and today we had our own personal tour guides to take us into Pisa, so today was the first time I saw the tower up close and not from the car. It was so crowded with all the tourists, but then again I guess today was Saturday. We stopped at a lovely cafe with great pastries and from what I hear amazing cappuccinos. The drive through Switzerland was so pretty and green, it was just so captivating. The last picture was taken from a restaurant in Switzerland where we stopped and had breakfast after many unsuccessful attempts before.

8/2/07- Ok so I have been really tired after Altoona was over. We had a great week of racing and the TEAm was awesome. We walked away with 3 stage wins, the team GC, 3 in the top five of the overall GC and the Queen of the Mountains win. So it was a very successful week. I finally conquered the Martinsburg stage that I have always disliked and I won the stage. I still disliked the stage since we got poured on about 3/4 of the way through the stage, fortunately I was already off the front in a group of 12 so it made it a little easier to maneuver through our group. When we came into town for the finish the corners were still pretty wet so I was cautious and waited until the last corner to start my sprint. The girls in the break did a great job and fought hard all the way to the line. We ended up coming in 1 min 27 seconds ahead of Kori and Kristin who led the group in for 13th.

So now I am home and we have the Charlotte Criterium coming up on Saturday. It is nice to have a race so close to home and not have to deal with the travel. Especially some of the travel that the Boulder people had to deal with after Altoona was over. They all thought they were going to be getting home Sunday night after the crit, to find out that their flights were cancelled and they couldn't get out on another flight until Monday afternoon. They all eventually made it home, but they were not happy campers with the airlines.

I have some pics below from Altoona and hopefully I will be getting more. I know the picture of me crossing the line I should have two hands up...there is another picture somewhere and I do have two hands up. But can't you see the joy on my face and how enjoyable that stage mush have been!!

7/20/07- Nationals is over and I have been home for almost a week now. The road race went well for me, but did not turn out as hoped for the team. Oh well such is bike racing, you can't control everything. It really was not that exciting of a race since the course was so hard and so much climbing. Anyway it has been nice to be home, watching the tour, and getting in some good riding on my familiar roads. For the second time this year I was home to do the group ride, it is always fun to throw down on the river and push yourself although I was feeling the efforts from the road race the day before not to mention that I arrived home at 2 am Tuesday morning after a very delayed day of travel in the airports. Up next is Tour De Toona for TEAm Lipton. Mike will be directing us and we are all looking forward to a hard week of racing under his guidance. The first stage is a team time trial this year, and while in years past Mike has always pushed for this I am not so sure what to think about it for this year. Competing in a time trial with the current World Champion is not an easy task. I have done some TTT with Kristin and lets just say that the memories are very painful. I will let you know how it goes.

On another note we have been doing a lot of work around the house. Ok so maybe we haven't actually done the work but our handyman Leonard has. He busted his butt the week we were gone and we have already been getting comments on the fact that it looks like a completely different house. I am excited to get to the finishing touches, like new siding and roof and planting some trees and flowers. The biggest job of the week was cutting and framing in 2 garage doors. It was definitely not an easy task or a clean one. The garage right now has a layer of cinder block over everything. Oh well just gives me things to clean.

7/14/07- So I made it to Seven Springs and we have had some great adventures so far. The first of course being the run to the grocery store. At one point Benny called us to find out where we were and how much groceries we were getting because we were gone for so long. Of course we were just lost and hadn't even made it to the grocery store when I answered the call. We successfully cracked Kori and she was ready to give up and go back home. We eventually found our way and loaded up on all the necessities of a bike racer, lots of cereal including Bumpers (natural peanut butter cereal). The next day our plan was to check out the TT course, when we come to find out that there is no pre-riding. So drove to check it out, and after clarifying with some Masters that have already raced it we got the scoop. The course was on a 4 lane highway, but we were only using the right 2 lanes and it was a 6km section of road that we went out and back on for two loops totaling 24kms. Once we understood all the cones that were used to mark your lane and how the turnarounds were going to work it made a little more sense. It was going to be an eventful time trial that was for sure. The rest of the week entailed rest and relaxation in our dark holes of the condos that we are staying in. I will update later on how the time trial went, and the road race is still to come.

7/10/07- I am back to racing after my broken hand, and it has been a whirlwind few weeks since I started back. I started my travels with the Montreal World Cup and Tour, followed by Liberty Classic (one of my favorites), then Nature Valley, a Team Pursuit Camp in Colorado Springs, and now I am off to Seven Springs Pennsylvania for US Road Nationals. It has been a slow recovery process and I have been taking it one day at a time. Everyday my legs feel a little better, and my head is reminding me why I like racing so much. It has been fun racing with the TEAm, and as much as I hate to say it I enjoyed the track and the training that went along with it. Between all these crazy trips I did have a few days at home where Mike and I enjoyed some rest and relaxation as well as a lot of the fine restaurants that Asheville has to offer. I have to say I love Asheville and I am so happy everything the city has to offer. It was great to be able to go out and enjoy the mountains, even while dragging Mike along with me. He has gotten a bug to start riding again. I can't wait for the winter to start torturing him with some great rides. As I am redoing my site I will be adding pictures, so check back soon. Wish me luck at Nationals.