First Encounters

I MET MY OTHER TITLE SPONSOR on the way to Firestone, NMBS #3. we didn't talk and frankly the driver gave me a pretty nasty look when i took this photo. But what do you expect from a Truck Driver!The company does a lot for my team and well my ability to wear a stellar Onsie to the races.


A first encounter that did NOT go down as planned: Meeting Wendy Simms. Whatever. I'm over it. we even drove into the venue behind a van with British Columbia plates and a KONA in the back. I knew it wasn't her bike, but i just hoped it was tucked in behind it. No dice.

Here in the IE it is 99 degrees today. Not the ideal set up for PE, so i took the girl into a class room for a little DVD aerobic action. Since i strive to be a wonderful role model, i had to partake in the punishment as well.


KICK BOXING. The girls whine and complain and say its not fair because i am in shape. Well, that may be a fact, but i am NOT inshape for such torture. My hip flexors will probably take a week to recover. oops. And i began to sweat in my school clothes. i HATE that.

Oh yes. i raced my bike this weekend because that's what i do to squander my time, money, and calories. As i say another grand weekend closer to my goals and closer to fitness.

The Fun Factory was in rare form, rolling into Los Olivos with Sarah Kaufman - new addition to our very select club, Christie, Matt, Trevor, Romolo, Carolyn, Shelli and Jesse. Jesse was an integral part of all of our success this weekend. He took pictures which will make us famous and did more walking around that course than i would ever desire to or willing complete on my own. (I am trying to get the rest of them to start blogs too.) Maybe next time, you too can stay with us. it will make everything that much cheaper.

Between random illness, loud hotel guests, scortching heat and lack of sleep, we all seemed to come out alive, happy, and still friends. And thats all that counts!

I must say that i did find the ticket to hydration. Be sick. if you can't breath out of your nose and you can't hear anything because your sinus system is completely plugged, you will inevitably breath out of your mouth causing a severe case of parched throat and mouth. I drank twice as much as usual thus avoiding the perils of heat exhaustion.

i saw girls walking backwards on the course to find shade. I passed girls i have never been near in a race and when i asked them if they were ok the answer was always "NO."

Hopefully everyone is recovered and feeling more normal today!!

I did find these photos on the net which really reminded me of the conditions we were in this weekend:
The DUST


The parched ground


This, coupled with the make-shift shower out by the trees, conviced me that this venue was in fact better, than Fontana.