kricket

nordic debut

2008-02-25T20:28:00.014-07:00

kristin kricket gina

roll with it

2006-08-29T22:42:00.000-06:00

a break in the action
There were days of playing tether ball in downhill bike helmets, riding horses around the pond, testin’ the Tracks with a legend and drinking lattes with my new neighbor. Memories of grilling out on 2nd Ave, swinging at Bread, shopping on the streets of Telluride and 2 dates with the spa.

back to zone five

Ned telling tales on the start line, Telluride, CO

RK and I pre ride the epic loop, Brian Head, UT

We raced up Hermosa on the Tuesday nighter and 4 so pro chicks showed up for the Thursday short track. The weekend Mountain States Cup brought on an early mechanical - a tough way to start the first of 3 grueling laps. Steep climbs were followed by Brian Head’s one big climb and one big epic loop. An early flat was only the beginning of troubles. By Friday I was in the dentist chair for an unplanned root canal. So much for the National finals at Aspen.

hello pretty
More like, does your face hurt? You know the rest. A week off the bike proved constructive as I came off the couch to win the hometown Dirt Lovers Rally.

three weekends in the high country

2006-07-20T11:46:00.000-06:00

Vallecito and Hermosa Creek
One bright and sunny Saturday morning, Pigtails, Mina and I kicked Randall’s butt sprinting up to Vallecito. His white Texas skin became bright red from the lack of oxygen and intense sun. Lucky for him it was all downhill back to town and we gave him the city limit sign victory just so he could brag to us ‘you’re only as good as your la-a-a-st sprint.’ Uh - huh.

Great ideas come to me during my 30 minute showers...girls shuttle guys to Engineer, girls leave cars at Hermosa Creek, girls ride Hermosa Creek to town, guys ride Engineer to cars. Brilliant! Robin and McKenzie took off with me on the epic 35 mile, 70% downhill ride through the lush, forested singletrack. We sang James Brown and made 1 tech zone stop (Tiles fixed the man-without-tools' seat in 2 minutes flat) on our 3 hour ride home.

Deer Valley
I’m coming back. Or I’m finally in race shape. Whichever, it was fun. Sweet course and a great time racing with my girl-y friends.

start of chicks XC ©travisswicegood

On Friday our party of 12 got together for pre-race dinner prepared by the Dogger. The next night we braved the streets of Park City. Such a See.and.Be.Scene. Not my style but good entertainment. After sizzlin’ the Short Track, it was back to the dream town.

Little Molas and Stony Pass, Silverton
The Patagonia crew headed up to Silverton to celebrate Kara and Jeff’s wedding, camp, fish, hike and bike. The ceremony at Little Molas Lake was absolutely beautiful...blue skies, shimmering water, peaceful mountains and wildflowers set the backdrop for the roundup of dogs, friends and family.

Yea, keep those shades on ‘cause in 10 years you’ll look back and say, ‘what was I thinkin?’

That afternoon thunderstorm is coming. And I have no bathtub to hide in.

Afterwards I jumped on the Colorado Trail and rode through meadows of 4 foot high flowers and across waterfalls - every turn led to the most spectacular scenery. I jumped in the lake and threw the dress back on to meet the Fisherman at the reception in Silverton. Great food, Pottsville beer and music wrapped up the night. The next day was another stellar, high country ride - up to Stony Pass - followed by fly fishing and grub at Handlebars Grill. Cheers to another great weekend.

Happy Blog

2006-06-28T15:24:00.000-06:00

Between my spring races and trip out east, I spent most of my time designing, marketing, promoting and launching 6 new real estate projects at DMR. Very challenging and tiring but I love it and hopefully the work-life balance will return to Durango levels.

Many friends and family were in town - photographer Andy, cyclists from my old White Rock training grounds, the one and only Candy, Miles’ mom Maureen, my brother and Prentice and Lynn from Cali. How nice it was to take them out on the town, on my favorite bike routes, up to the mountains and out on the river. Ahh...summer!!

river ride
This past weekend I woke up to Rucus and Bits, watered the yard and mosey-d on over to the Farmers Market. I can’t wait to go again...Bread coffee in little cups, machine washed salad, sweet desserts and cool art. Good thing I brought my dollars. By 10am the chicks were on their bikes headed towards Vallecito. Instead of riding around the lake we stopped at the general store. Too bad I spent all my dollars, I could have used a soda. Instead Grandma filled us up with cold water and waved goodbye as we headed back to town. The rest of the day was spent on the river tubing - my first outing all year. I narrowly escaped getting swallowed up by a tree as I was watching some yahoos jump off Main St bridge. And as I was balancing on my tube through the rapids I wondered if anyone would want to race from 32nd to 9th? Hmmmm, that’s a great idea.

keepin it real
Sunday was another river day as I hung out on Durango Beach while Miles and Silo went fishing with one fake fly. I learned that it’s illegal to use real (wanted dead or alive) flies. Earlier in the day a group of six girls plus one random guy went mountain biking on the Colorado Trail. Robin and I took our favorite route back on Lightner Creek Road. It’s great riding with Robin. Not only because we both agree cycling is gay, but she has the best stories (mostly about her diehard dad), Hollywood news, sports scores, cooking tips, fashion updates and shocking facts like how the dead deer on the side of the road is so bloated it’s about to pop! Nasty, I know, but memorable. And true.

east coast

2006-06-22T09:48:00.000-06:00

pour some sugar on me
The Norba’s 2nd stop of the year was at Sugar Mountain, North Carolina. So much for roots, mud or singletrack. This ski hill course was a suffer-y 35 minute jeep road climb followed by a 5 minute steep newly cut single track descent. I should have packed my road bike.

My supplier and good friend, Suzanne, showed up for the short track in white shorts - gasp! While the commentators gave us the thumbs up, they explained to the men, please don’t try this at home. After another ice bath in the stream, Nina, Shannon and I packed the cars, packed Nick, picked up Katerina and headed to mfa’s house in Chapel Hill. The entourage ordered pizza, ate homemade chocolate chip cookies and watched my Mavs obliterate Barney and the Heat.

K-Bomb charges to a record setting 10th short track win

You girls are crazy!

Giggly girls, early alarms, airport deliveries, a lot of coffee, a local ride with neighbor Brig, a lil shopping, freshly polished pink nails, dopie soapies, hanging with Glitter and Drew, and a dinner celebration for Lynnie. Happy Birthday!

Krickee and Lynnie near the Lucky something, something, something in Durham, NC

here comes the rain again
TeeRich and I drove through the rolling green mountains of Vermont and were greeted with heavy rains as we turned the corner into Mount Snow. I expected nothing less. Since we kept The Daves up at Sugar, the chicks made camp in one room and kept the living room free for Dance Party.

the traveling circus gets ready for Round 3 - first class Luna Style

In the mornings we slept in, ate two breakfasts with two coffees and in the afternoon it was ride time. We all had smiles and mud on our faces as we picked our climbing lines through the muddy roots and rocks and tested our descending skills on epic east coast singletrack. Fun stuff ‘til race day then it was pure pain and in my case, pure survival.

The course took many victims including Lea who will now have to swing from 1 arm off Bakers Bridge. I fought through the ever present devil on my shoulder and got through it thanks to the never ending support and cheers from spectators lining the course, the crews of photographers, racers, feed and tech-zoners and the sun-up to sun-down percussion section.

Dave in Payne - put it in the big ring Babe!

This ain't no LSM driver - Nina races to the airport

RG sends me a pretty pic I've titled: Oxygen Poisoning – get me to the west coast!

the spring races: small town, grass roots style

2006-06-21T20:45:00.000-06:00

ride the lightning
A mass start from the horse barn at the Cortez fairgrounds, racers smiling, local media on the scene. Lisa shakin her groove thang for the camera man. Lea’s face as she looks back to see a herd of Sport guys racing us to the single track. McKenzie killin it. Post race spaghetti feast, dogs rolling in the dirt, race tales and crafty awards.

thank you for coming to Gallup
Nothing but love from the town. Promoters handing over endless envelopes of cash and my favorite event - street sprints - 300 meters down old Hwy 66. Mix it up with a big lap mountain bike race, a downtown crit and a road race through the state park - all in 2 days.

Miles bridging the gap, downtown Gallup, NM

beat the train
An epic ride from Durango to Silverton. Two mountain passes, 5600 ft of climbing, roads closed to cars, thousands of riders each with their own goal. Family and friends hanging out, riding, racing and celebrating the legendary cycling town I call home.

riding towards the the first summit, Coal Bank 10640 ELEV

Wyatt knows bike racers fuel on sugar, send over some more Fruit Loops

Start of the pro men's criterium

Sad Blog

2006-06-21T11:20:00.000-06:00

a message from a fanatical blog ambassador

Dear Kricket,

I give up on your blog. I had to wade through the sorry *** Norba site to find the results. I enjoyed your blog even when you talked **** about me. Now I have nothing to go by. I have to resort to reading Todd's spelling errors and Sager's sob stories.

Update that blog or I will sneak in and do it for you!

Just for Sven, I'll post the stories and pics of the last 6 weeks and try not to mis-spell or cry. Check back tomorrow...in the meantime, here's a preview thanks to my campaign man Dave.

the OC and the IE

2006-05-12T15:25:00.001-06:00

My trip to Cali was awesome. Not only did I get to see my brother and his bros at Mansion de Lynn, I met up with Pren and Company for dinner on Laguna Beach. Earlier that day I rode through nature trails, explored rivers and hidden caves and learned how to do big wheelies in Laguna Canyon.

checkin on the tide

the scenery

the scene: blondies with the dark haired rich guys in CLKs with cellies
hmmm...I wonder what my other boyfriend/girlfriend is doing

On Friday we drove inland to the empire for the first NORBA national. The course was sweet - desert singletrack climbs, techie downhills and urban thrills. A fun pre-ride was followed by pool time and a trip to a savvy Italian eatery with Team Trek. While waiting for our table, we hung out in the parking lot of a mad C-Rock concert–skate board demo–car show. We didn’t think the guy who just polished his hotwheels would mind us posing for a pic.

Lea, Kricket and Rebecca in, on and around the display model

Race day came and went. For me, a really fun race but a really bad result. Chalk it up to early season. At least my bike ran like a dream and my clothing kit made one photographer’s day. Back at the bike racer’s ‘dorm,’ we told race stories (my favorite part of racing), refueled, checked internet blogs (so dumb) and met up with the Park Ranger for dinner. After one more day in the smog racing short track, I left the IE to get back to the beaches of the OC.

short track climb

short track dust

bye, bye beach

life moves faster than the speed of the river

2006-05-01T10:03:00.000-06:00

fuerte or muerte?
A month ago I made it back from my spring training camp on the island of Curacao. While the resorts and ocean were beautiful, the rest of the island was dirty, drug ridden and sketch-ie! The race course was next to a jail and as I’m sure you heard, a pro guy was attacked during World Cup pre-ride. Not exactly the most relaxing and focused trip as a solo chick but one which taught me many lessons in self reliance. Luckily the LunaChixs were at the same bay and adopted me for a few days. Our down time was spent on the beach, snorkeling, eating pancakes with euro chocolate sauce and watching the final four.

town
My friends were in town. My parents were in town. Lea and Shonny finally made it back to town. I moved offices into town. I moved homes into town. And then I did a crit race in town. Things are coming together, just in time for this weekend’s Norba opener in Cali.

happy may day
As a kid in Wisconsin we celebrated May Day by creating may baskets (a cup full of grass, dandelions and left over Easter candy), placing them on boyfriends’ door steps, ringing the bell and running. The whole point was to let the boys catch you so they’d have to kiss you. But I’d rather beat them in the sprint home, winded and without a kiss, but in my mind - the winner.

bikes and bikinis

2006-04-05T17:33:00.003-06:00

the finish line at the World Cup race in Curacao

march madness

2006-03-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

80 inches in 5 days
Durango finally celebrated winter. So much for the flip flops. I pulled out the pink Roxy boots (and as cute as they are, I’d prefer they stay in the back row of the closet), the trainer (not even Ned was riding), the snowboard and a sled to sail down 29th.

Miles ready to tele, McKenzie and Brent unofficially measuring snowfall at Purgatory

Fireworks kick off the sledding competition at Jeremy's going away party

yo hablo Orbea
The Alma is in the house. It’s so hot it will make you want to go back to a hard tail. Awww, yea. Thanks Ronnie! And Suzanne, for the -seen in Japanese Vogue- Exteondo kit. Sweetness.

training
I was in Bend this week to work with the one and only, always out of control, Andy. His most helpful tip had nothing to do with training - he showed me how to open a beer using a Shimano mountain bike pedal. The always in control, Justin, ran me through an extreme strength session, loading the squat rack with 45’s until I collapsed.

Andy wondering how long can this take?

mud and blood
The last few days I’ve been sliding around in the mud in the Gulch. Today’s hot lap resulted in a bloody crash. Not a good look for tonight’s photo shoot.

Hurting

race report
Many D-town racers headed to New Mexico this weekend for 2 days of racing. Irene joined Nina on the podium and Miles finished the day in 10th. Must have been those spin ups-s-s at the infamous Thursday Niter.

sunny and 70

2006-03-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

It’s been spring like weather at Purgatory. We found a little snow to play in but the only ripping was on J and his big butt. Snapped the pic, fired a snowball and it was full on war.

Back in town it’s been miniskirt and flip flop weather. McKenzie was up last weekend for the Saturday ritual: ride, burritos, coffee, dog run, eat more burritos, drink more coffee.

Bella and Fuzz play stick. Silo is off the back.

Now that I’ve finished up design work for the mad scientist in Oregon, I’m on to Erin’s real estate booklet. That may be the end of my moonlighting since travel days start soon. There have been many volunteers to be my support crew in Curacao - too bad none of them can wrench! There is so much going and so little time to write but 2 things I must mention: Beckie won a silver at the Olympics and Cale shaved his beard.

hanging out

2006-02-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

A three day weekend began with a morning of strength training followed by a victory lap through the Valley and an afternoon at Terri D’s spa. Ahhh...steam rooms, massages and relaxation. Although the relaxation turned into a Seinfeld moment when a red hot bootie jumped out of the steam room and ran to the fridge for a bottle of Evian. Woa! I guess she overheated. The evening mellowed out with a birthday celebration at Carvers - a place we visited often this weekend as Miles’ parents were in town. There was a lot of story telling, coffee drinking, good eating, Main Street shopping and Vallecito skiing.

as the bikewheel spins

This week I bought my plane ticket to Curacao for the World Cup. A bike race on the beach...how sweet is that!

A new Trek TT bike (nope, not mine) is the inspiration behind March is Bike in Arizona Month. I haven't decided if I'll be racing or training or both?

Theresa and I made the latest issue of Mountain Bike Action...and not just a tiny pic of us pushing our bikes.

Thanks to Gully who hooked me up with Hutchinson tires. There is nothing better than a Python!

and

Congrats to Ranger June (Kim) who finished 2nd overall next to my Orbea sister, Christina, at the desert classic in Lajitas (Terlingua).

life.in Durango

2006-02-16T10:10:00.000-07:00

play.in
Gina and Kayla came up to Purgatory for a day of skiing. We made our way down Demon and to Purgy’s for pizza.

train.in
Last week was 6 days of 12 intensity workouts. I love those weeks. Sunday was a rest day so Miles and I took Bella and Silo for a hike on the Colorado Trail. Eventually we ran into some snow but the trailhead was as dry as summer.

film.in
Wherry and I were Monday’s guest stars at Dr. Frank’s filming. The SRA guru is creating an exercise video for cyclists and I can attest, it’s good stuff.

design.in
Check out Sven’s poster...it’s finally finished so I may have time to work on my own sponsorship. Or at least blog more than he does.

the back side

2006-02-08T22:19:00.000-07:00

Last week’s Marketing Meeting was on the mountain at Dante’s. We made our way up the six pack, through the forest and over the hill for some serious fun.

Grady is race ready! Matt and Loryn patiently wait for Smallheer....*sigh* board-ers!

hold my purse while I ride

More powder time on Friday and Saturday at the annual She Ride Board Camp. A great group of girls and awesome weather made the day of carving a blast!

snow down

To celebrate winter, we rode the cruisers to Durango’s parade on Main. Whip cream shots kept our energy levels up for the climb to Steamworks and sprints down 2nd Ave. It’s always fun until someone gets hurt. This time it was the Schwinn. She popped a tire, lost the battle and called it a night.

Crowds gather and cheer for the flames

Elke takes over the hot cocoa bar while Lea orders hers sans cocoa!"

Cruisin' for a brusin'

snow daze

2006-01-31T15:08:00.000-07:00

With snow came the Robinette's (Ian is the cutest!) Nordic racing (Miles chases ‘that Cale’ who chases winner TBrown), guy trips to Wolf Creek (Manny I’d rather meet you at the Stars game!) and chick trips to Purgatory (media stars mix it up with pro biker chicks - one of which is banned from the all star pass!)

Miles finishes 6th at the Purgatory Nordic Race

Playing in the snow and riding my bike came to a halt due to my 2nd Annual D-Town Asthma Attack. So much fun to be had and I’ve been on the sidelines. It’s given me plenty of time to listen to Sven complain about the promo poster I’m supposed to be designing for him (it has too many logos!). He has time to complain ‘cause he, too, is on the sidelines after crunching his knee skiing Silverton.

Sven and his tracks, pre-injury, Silverton, Colorado

With any luck I’ll be able to do the SheRide Snowboard Camp on Friday and get back to intensity on the bike by Saturday. In the meantime, I’ve been going to the gym, relaxing at the spa and steam room, reading fitness mags, catching up on my online shopping, e-baying bikes and working on the race and travel schedule for 06.

birth days
Happy wishes to Ranger Kim, Scals, Tamara and Jennifer Rideshare who have all had birthdays in the last week! I miss you all. Special thoughts to baby boy Wagner who'll be 'dropping by' in the next few weeks. JRide - you are most adorable!

Proud parents to be, Jennifer and Ed

secret road

2006-01-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

We rode the only road in Durango city limits with snow. A 40 minute paved climb without traffic. It’s a secret road that Elke, Lea and Lisa don’t know about because they didn’t quite make the 11am Ride. Something about beats and 4 in the morning.

biker chicks
After a trip through the Valley, the girl-y girls went for their Sunday stroll down Main. We hit the coffee shop, Spaah Shop and the clearance rack at From the Heart. Robin showed her true weakness - a love for handbags - and was oh so close to justifying her desire to drop $250 on the one with sparkles. ‘It’s the perfect size!’ Irene about dropped dead claiming for $250 ‘I could get a whole new drivetrain!’

a colorado christmas

2006-01-09T14:17:00.000-07:00

riding in Denver on Christmas Day

ringing in the New Year in Telluride

kickin’ it below majestic Wilson Peak at Faraway Ranch

wisconsin winter wonderland

2006-01-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

skiing with mom and dad in Kettle Moraine

playing hockey at the Lewis Pond

chillin’ with Lew and Pren

hangin’ with Scals and Sarah

meeting up with the Gualdron family

celebrate

2005-12-23T21:14:00.000-07:00

standing room only
Durango’s tribute to cycling was a huge success. Bob Roll added his personal touch to an inspiring multimedia presentation that recognized and honored the legends of D-town. Many of the legends were live and on stage...the two dirt lovers were on the beach but taped a segment earlier in the week thanking the community for supporting cycling. The video of Wherry’s victory at the US Pro Championship received the loudest roar from the crowd. Another favorite moment was Lance’s closing comment about his protege...he’s good. Congrats Kristin and Tom for putting together an outstanding event.

the week before Christmas
It was pretty crazy. Holiday luncheons, dinners, a Sven party, a Brinley party, a W2A party, two a day workouts, friends in town, nordic skiing, snowboarding, decorating, shopping, finishing up work, packing the car and traveling to Denver to fly to Wisconsin.

becky is elf for a day

2005-12-23T20:25:00.000-07:00

Jay, do you have any pics of this? All I have is her playing snowboard babe down Paradise in Purgatory after singing naughty Christmas carols on the ride up.

When she wasn’t assisting me at work, RG and I rode the valley, picked up some sparkles at the spaah shop, ate organic goods and went to a party where Santa encouraged us to get in the holiday spirit.

weeks later...

2005-12-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

i don’t really like snow
But for the Love of Purg I went up the mountain for an X-treme Sven photo shoot. The photographer almost took out the model as he launched off a booter screaming ‘there’s enough powder for everyone’ followed by a flashy tumble.

single digits
The temps warmed up a bit for weekend bike riding. Steph’s chemical heat packs were no longer necessary.

welcome home
I missed you!

classic
Miles comes back from the beach and brings me snow. We packed the skiis and the dogs and went Nordic-ing up the forest service roads. Bella and Miles were flat gettin’ it while Silo and I checked out.

crazy.ness on hawaii's big island
Puffy's back and Shonny's on her way.

training
I’m in the middle of 5 days of 2 a days. Soon I’ll have more weight on the squat rack than t-Mouse.

nice poster
In a town known for cycling...Durango’s infamous gather. TD: I hope you’re putting me next to the Bobke.

double days

2005-12-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

i love them
While setting the alarm at 5:30 bites (to say the least), it sure feels good when you’re done with weights by 7, leaving work at 2:30 and hitting the trails at 3pm. Now that’s a good day.

warning
Look for me in the blotter...blonde chick in white Prelude practicing high speed turns down Florida Road. Good thing I had some ski passes with me for Trooper D.

chicks
The hot boy is still making turns in the Pacific but the hot chicks are back in town. On Monday we went to the spa and shopped on Main. Wednesday it was over to Ken and Sue’s for the chick meal: salad and dessert. The chocolate molton cake was worth the 18 minute wait!

the schoolhouse rocks
The MTV-U crew has been at the resort filming. Last night we treated ‘em with style, served up some pizza and pool at the schoolhouse and explained to the locals what a veejay was. You know, like Downtown Julie Brown.

it's a date

2005-11-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

i’d rather be surfing

2005-11-27T18:32:00.001-07:00

My mountain man is at the beach and his babe is in the mountains. Somehow this doesn’t seem right. I sent him off with surf gear in hopes he loves rippin’H20 as much as I do.

sNOw
No Miles, there is still no snow. But it sure is cold! And windy. I tried passing this info on to a fellow rider today but he just thought I was being a girl. Sure enough, he was back a short time later, frozen and in need of more clothes. You should have told me to take a jacket! Oh, as if my full on winter gear didn't clue you in. : )

forced rest week
When your obsession is working out and patience is not your strength, being sick really hurts. It hurts even more when you’re supposed to be starting your first week of training. Fret no more...I am back!

thanks.giving

2005-11-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

i’m thinking of you
warm thoughts
and happy memories
keep friends and family
close at heart

go Cowboys!
I'm sporting the Dallas Cowboy jersey today. I hear ya...How did a kid living in the Land of Lambeau become a Cowboy fan? Well, it had something to do with competitiveness, my brother and the hail mary to Drew Pearson. Unlike years past, today my brother and I won’t be heading to Texas Stadium. He’s in Vegas at the Mountain West Conference Tournament and I’m hanging out at the resort. But the spirit is alive and next year...we-are-so-there!

bounce with me

2005-11-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

I was subject to penalization for not making it to Elke’s trampoline party on Friday. Fortunately the downhill diva, bigtime and his followers made it to Steamworks for the other party - Snyder’s birthday. His net-bought mullet wig worn under a trucker i.d. hat was tight.

too much cake
Saturday was a day of rest.

wheels

a job well done

After some a.m. bike maintenance [thanks J.Viv for the freehub. and to Miles for the install] I jumped on the guys ride through the K-called Texas Gulch and onto the secret now-called C's Trail. A sweet Sunday ride.

it doesn't get much better than this

live and in color

2005-11-15T19:14:00.000-07:00

Justin and Andy review video

Andy and Kricket in real time

bend, oregon

2005-11-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

is Neil going to be there?
After a long day of travel, Brig and Mer picked me up at the airport and we went to a birthday party for Neil Young. Who needs the Real Neil when you have Andy? The host was rollin’ life size music videos, handing out lyrics, food and drinks, throwing t-shirts to the fans and topped off the night by blowing out all 60 candles on the cake. What a rock star!

rebound
In the a.m. we fueled up on a ‘lil oatmeal before getting on our bikes.

Brig eats oatmeal every day of the year

Brig hit the streets while I went to meet Justin at the lab to get some testing done. For a half hour I looked at a screen monitoring my heart rate, cadence and pedaling efficiency while Justin took blood readings. According to me (and my blood), the last 3 minutes hurt a whole lot. I finished the day's workout with a strength training session ...lots and lots of squats... before football and fajitas with the Bend bad asses.

up hill
Another good morning of intervals and bloody fingers...this time outdoors.

Justin, Kricket and her fingers after hill repeats

how much is it?
Meredith had the day off so we walked to town for some lunch and shopping. chicks!

can i kick it? yes, you can

i've got skills

2005-11-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

cross it up
The dogs were more fun to watch at Sunday’s cross race than Shriver and Berry doing hot laps in the grass. The crowds gathered at the tech-y section...2 pieces of cement. I left uninspired to race desert cross but inspired to do a little off roading. Miles, Ben and I toured Test Tracks, Hey Ladies - Hey Guys on Main, over to the Gulch and onto the Secret - but - not - so - secret - anymore - Trail.

quick.come!
The dirty african’s visa ran out. On Monday we sent him away with burgers, beers and cheers. We’ll miss you Roan.

got snow?
mmmmm...no. I ran up Demon in shorts and a tank top yesterday. Weather forecaster M.Durango tells me this winter is going to be an Indian Summer. I hope he’s right.

game on

2005-11-10T22:16:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I cruised down to ABQ to watch TCU Volleyball and hang with Prentice and my brother. The drive was smooth until the last few miles...my hopes of being in the mix of a COPS filming were shattered when the only problem on the road was a stalled car. How does a stalled car shut down 4 lanes of traffic and cause an hour back up? Not to worry, for once I was early. I made it in time for the singing of the national anthem then proceeded to watch the Frogs go down in three. Not good. My brother said I’ve witnessed the two worst matches in recent TCU history and he has banned me from coming to any more games! Ouch. At least he bought my dinner.

big city life

t-Knocker and the Frogs

game three

me and Pren and LewDew

yesterday’s news

2005-11-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

RG said it was too big
Since there's no riding for Becky due to a broken nose, neck and T12 suffered while sprinting some guy in some mountain bike race...Becky drove to Arkansas to go camping.

She arrived at midnight only to be chased down by Grandpa, the campsite commander, who claimed she was speeding recklessly. A few flirtatious words and hair tosses later, Grandpa released Becky and found her a place to pitch her tent. She put up the tent only to realize it was too big. Too big? Maybe it needs another warm body.

yea, right! do you do any jumps?
In cycling headlines...TD showed up for the Miller Junior High Club Ride on Wednesday only to be heckled by the BMX-ers. Reporters say he took it in stride but later put the wood to the kids up Telegraph.

Elsewhere...SLC Heather and TLPina came home from collegiate nationals with titles. A.Colby lands in Velonews. And Ranger Kim lands Shonny as lead instructor at the womens mountain bike camp in Waco, Texas.

run?

2005-11-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

i’ve got my reasons
I scored a new Nike tee from my dear friend - long, lost Cell. The unveiling is coming soon...perhaps at Monday’s Test Tracks 12 minute sprint. Or at our next Lunch Run on the Naked Lady Trail.

happy halloween

2005-10-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we spent the entire day getting ready for Halloween. Nothing like throwing together costumes, food and decorations in a matter of hours. After getting hair extensions applied at Sunridge, Anna showed up. She found Enrique and his mole in the kitchen with Dr. Love.

Two mobsters, devils, Germans, walk-of-shamers and Napoleon Dynamites later, the party moved to Steamworks via cruisers, mountain bikes, road bikes and cross bikes. Anna was a passenger on the Townie while Enrique pedaled. The cast of characters quickly realized it’s not summer anymore! We warmed up on the dance floor to beats even Brian would approve of, spent midnight on the cat walk and finished the night with a running start and sprint back to 2nd Ave.

tennis anyone?

2005-10-28T15:45:00.000-06:00

halloween costumes
It was between a genie and Anna Kournikova. I was a genie once. It was kinda lame. So...providing I can pull together enough Adidas tennis clothing (I'm a Nike girl, you know) and enough blonde hair for a colossal braid, I have a costume. Now if only I had an Enrique.

i’m in

2005-10-27T20:35:00.000-06:00

musclin the Tuesday niter

The season officially ended with a group sprint through the Valley. My lead out man blew up...leaving me to fend for myself and resulting in a 7th place finish.

takin some rest
On Wednesday the boys took the sougniers to East by Southwest to celebrate Moab and thank us for our hard work. I ordered the frilly drink that Joey likes. It was pretty + sweet and pretty sweet.

tacklin the Hogsback
After work Irene and I skipped the gym and went hiking through the coasts of Test Tracks and over Hogsback Ridge before trippin home.

been ridin?

2005-10-24T20:45:00.000-06:00

so much so that I have biker tan lines
On Saturday Robin-the-Elk-Hunter and I cruised through town to the Colorado Trail and spent the day climbing and descending the La Platas. Sunday was the 6th longest ride I’ve ever done. I don't know, it just happened. A perfect, sunny day, wind at our back, up Florida, past Helens, over to Vallecito...2 hours later we’re without water or food. Who knew we’d be gone so long? Well, it’s downhill all the way back...except for that kinda big climb and that section of rollers and that short grinder. We made it back to town and after a chocolate donut a Valley loop sounded like a good idea. Until I crossed Baker’s Bridge and the wind was no longer working in my favor. This is when I noticed my arms were red and a frantic pulling up of my sleeve revealed the inevitable: tan lines.

just ride the cruiser
Today I did a 2-a-day. Because it was my day off. And another beautiful, gorgeous, amazing day. My first ride was a solo trip through the Gulch. The second ride was called attack - Miles - to - Trimble - and - back. Tomorrow is the last group ride of the year and then I’m taking Tommy D’s advice: just ride the cruiser.

cruisin into another year

2005-10-22T16:42:00.000-06:00

ten twenty one

So yesterday was my birthday. I kicked it off with a trip to the coffee shop on my new cruiser. It’s a Schwinn 3-speed with a deluxe breaking system...don’t pedal backwards unless you want to stop. suddenly. The day was gorgeous and I had fun hanging at the river, chatting on the phone, going to the spa, doing a little shopping on Main and dining at Kennebec Cafe. Wow! Can we do this every Friday?

Kricket on her American.classic.made.for.chicks World Tourist

twenty four hours of moab

2005-10-17T21:52:00.000-06:00

12:03 pm: the start

racers head out for their first lap after a mass start - LeMond style

1:07 pm: the transition

Miles turns the 4th hottest lap

4:07 am: the mechanic

Brent sportin the bunny ears as he keeps the leaders bike dialed

4:37 am: the pain

Kricket and Brent are the lone pit crew survivors.
All they know is: it's on the tailgate

7:15 am: the sunrise

Colby leaves the pit with a belly full of burritos

8:33 am: the suffering

Miles doesn't want to leave: it hurts. it's cold. isn't it cold?

11:27 am: the home stretch

Colby thinks this is it...

11:33 am: the victory lap

...but the crowd and film crew yell for one more record breaking lap!
He rallies.

article and results

colby kills it

2005-10-17T13:13:00.000-06:00

hammers 18 laps
and
wins the 24 Hours of Moab

impressive!

these words are my own

2005-10-07T19:30:00.000-06:00

The work week was shortened to 3 days thanks to a nasty cold passed on by the roommate. On Tuesday the nurse came over with breakfast, lunch, Bread pastries and dinner. It was more food than I had eaten in a week. Guess I needed it.

ok, i’ll do it
By Thursday I was better. After an easy tour of Durango via bike path I met up with the Fisher Authority to get her inside tips on crewin’ for a 24-hr race. She was most impressed with my OCD “bike check list” and agreed that pink nail polish should always be applied pre-race. By the end of dinner I had learned all the secrets of the trade and I’m ready for Moab.

overlook
Friday began with breakfast not at Bread but at some diner on College Drive. Somehow I volunteered to play secretary or should I say “assistant” all day. By 3:00 I was set free and ventured out on Junction Creek Trail to the Animas Overlook. Some of the D-boyz call this boring...

fall.in behind

2005-10-04T19:00:00.000-06:00

where was I? oh yea, the race
It was fun and fast. Besides being scolded for drafting and having the expert dudes drag race me when I tried to pass, it was awesome! The promoters served up a feast and the pro payout was Texas-style. We left with our bellies and wallets full and headed back to D-town to enjoy a sunny, warm afternoon at the river.

the self portrait: Kricket and Robin wait for awards

Miles and Silo on the Animas

sunday’s scene
An early morning stop at Bread and a drive up to Mt. Purgatory. To remind myself I’m not that fast! I rode up Coal Bank...with Irene. She didn’t spend as much time as I did gazing at the fall colors. We went our separate ways at the top as I had to get to the Hermosa Creek Trail Head to feed the boys who were 3.5 hours into a 10 hour ride. By noon my duties were over and after a surprise run in with Kate and Eric, it was on to couch + football time.

driving: view from the sun roof

riding: me lookin' down

view from the dirt road leading to Hermosa Creek

Miles and Colby tailgating

Kate and Eric spinning out the legs

Off Road to Durango

road apple rally results

2005-10-01T17:37:00.000-06:00

chicks: Tescher wins. K.Lew 2nd. Susie 3rd.
boyz: Colby wins. Damin 2nd. TBrown 3rd.

Ned checking out ???...and results.

steamy

2005-09-28T10:14:00.000-06:00

the storms came in
and
the thursday night chick ride
moved
to Steamworks

Irene • Steph • Kristin • Kricket

where have you been?

2005-09-27T15:32:00.000-06:00

planning a beach trip

trail running at Test Tracks
I learned there’s an East Coast and West Coast. We ran on the East Coast where it’s root-y. The dogs went with us and the out-of-shape-black-one was faster than me. At least I took him in the sprint.

canoeing at Haviland
I wasn’t leaving until I saw a fish. Does a dead one or a jumping one count?

moving at work
he stole my phone line..my iPod earphones are crushed..we need a door!

playing in puddles
The sky opened up on my ride down the mountain. Nothing like getting pelted by rain at 40mph.

running at Edgemont
This time with an iPod and without a sprint.

hiking the Colorado Trail
I’m too sore to run.

riding at Test Tracks
M.Durango was my tour guide. Did you know?...the name “Test Tracks” evolved because that’s where they used to test Yeti’s...the trail named “40 ounce” came about because they would line the trail with empty 40 ounce-rs...the trail named “Star Wars” should be re-named “Toilet Bowl” because it’s more accurate - you funnel down like the water when you flush the toilet.

going to a wedding
I learned that at a Colorado mountain wedding, the beer drinking happens during the I-do's.

pre-riding the Road Apple
Fast. Fun. Hot. Sandy. I ended up with the worst biker tan lines! Nothing a 'lil Florida T&L can't fix.

watching the Cowboys
win

dining at Ken and Sue’s
Oh no, the hot guy is with a chick!

more mammoth: a photo post

2005-09-26T19:10:00.000-06:00

group ride

chick race

play time

back to business

never say goodbye

heading home

rockin’ it. rollin’ it. keepin’ it together.

2005-09-22T21:33:00.000-06:00

beats n’ jacks
The road trip to Mammoth began with beats, continued with beats and ended with beats.

keepin' the legs fresh

crossing the California state line...Cheers!

the Village People: hotties only

We lived in luxury for 5 days...enjoying king size beds, spa soaps, fluffy robes, hot tubs, fun friends, awesome rides, great food, wine and sugar delivered to our door on a silver platter.

bike racin’

start of the women’s pro XC

I’m sure you’ve heard the stories:
Ned was on the podium
Alison raced her last race
AC muscled Well-z in the STXC
and
Shonny performed her infamous trampoline move - the front flip - 300 yards from the finish, costing her the “W”

but maybe not the inside stories:
‘Lil Brig finished 13th in his first ever pro XC race
The Gould climbed into 12th
Heather and Ranger Kim made a podium appearance
Mark brought home the stars n' stripes
JP missed his feed
and
Elke ran over Kricket in the Super D-iva

what happens in Mammoth, stays in Mammoth
That’s what they told me.

the incomplete version:
The celebration began in the Luna tent where Waldic showed us the keg and ‘the sign.’ The party moved to the tiki bar where guys took off their shirts to arm wrestle girls and then girls took off...

servin it 2 tha boyz

2005-09-20T15:19:00.000-06:00

on the A ride last Tuesday

Mammoth story
the dirt-y version...later tonight

gettin er done

2005-09-20T13:00:00.000-06:00

from CyclingNews to Mountain Biking Magazine!

copyright Mountain Biking Magazine, September 2005

passin’ out

2005-09-12T23:58:00.000-06:00

Since I've never driven a motorcycle, I decided not to motorpace Shonny. How about the passes?

One by one we arrive at Bread. Two hours later we’ve said hello to half the town and have had our fill of chatter, coffee and sugar. We better go before we bonk. Heck yea!

At the Schoolhouse, Peanut watched over our stuff as the (Two) Mile High Club began the parade up the pass.
Irene and Wink at 8800 ft

We rode pretty darn hard, bringing light headed-ness and illness to all.
Irene and Kricket nearing tree line

One down, two to go. I don’t know if I want to do another one?!? said number 12 in the World. Let’s take photos. Enjoy the views. Goof off a little.
the Club over by the sign

Oh no! Here come those Bread boys. Don’t let ‘em catch us! The two 100 lb-ers took off and won the downhill competition...proving the theories of aerodynamics and ghetto booties are correct.

The climb up Molas Pass was fast but not fast enough, since nobody puked. Wink was our leader until the Irene train flew by. His statement to the press: I could have gotten on if I wanted. Sure...

The good thing about the passes is that they get easier and shorter. Well...they get shorter. Only 3 more miles! We made it over the top! Dizziness disappeared and awareness returned. Hey, isn’t it time for lunch? And a trip to the river? Heck yea!

the home stretch

the (two) mile high club

2005-09-12T07:39:00.000-06:00

Coal Bank Pass
Summit
ELEV 10,640 FT
Irene • Kricket • Wink • Shonny • Robert

there's something magical

2005-09-08T16:35:00.000-06:00

in the moon and stars

put 'em on

go fast!

by the way...

2005-09-08T14:14:00.000-06:00

there’s still one more national race
After a tough training weekend I’ve been chillin’ with the chicks. Robin and I rode a half valley on Monday and in the Gulch last night. She showed me the hidden dirt road that drops into Florida...hmmm...a back way home. Nice! Today I’m dragging Nimetz out for intervals up the dreaded Demon. It’s kinda chilly so my Luna arm warmers may go out for their first ride. Aw yea!

thanks mom and dad
My parents sent me a card congratulating me on my top 20: you rock! just don’t hit any! And they wonder how I got to be such a smart *** : )

welcome back J!

2005-09-07T22:06:00.000-06:00

Three months after breaking his neck and back, Jason is ready to get his shred on!

just another day at the office
Skinner goes for the double...

and the Alpine Slide Winners Trophy.

pure Lewdew

2005-09-07T07:14:00.000-06:00

my brother isn’t good enough to have a blog but he’s got a sports radio gig. classic.

the most beautiful day

2005-09-06T12:40:00.000-06:00

Sunday was full of sunshine, bright blue skies, crisp mountain air and late summer shadows. We started the morning at [where else?] Bread where Maple, Cale, Irene and I reflected on our lives in the San Juan Mountains. After a few sips of coffee, we looked around and came to the conclusion: it’s pretty sweet.

i love my mountain bike
We left from 2nd Ave and rode the rocks of Elke’s secret training trail on our way to the Colorado Trail. A mid-night thunderstorm left the ground in perfect condition. We switch backed our way through the dewy trees up to Gudy’s rest and followed the boys through the high and mighty magnificent mountainsides.

a river runs through it
Four hours later we picked up some Zia’s and headed to the river for fly fishing lessons. I learned there are no fish in the Animas.

main course
On to Main Street where I was still hoping for a ride on a Harley...

on a mission

2005-09-03T22:46:00.000-06:00

After a stop by Bread (thank you Rob!), Irene and I made our way to Cascade and began our quest.

first assignment
Ride over 2 passes and back. To distract the imminent pain, we counted the Harleys that passed us. I stopped counting at 207, Irene rounded it off to 350.

next task
Jump off the cliffs into Cascade Creek. Yea, it’s cold! Air temp: 60. Water temp: barely above freezing. But we made a pact (we’re stubborn) and we’re going.

the hike

the climb

the salute

the jump

the climb out

the redemption

final duty
Sample every brewer at Purgatory’s Brewfest Celebration. Too much structure? Never.

bikers welcome

2005-09-02T09:40:00.000-06:00

Last night I saw more leather than I have since the 80s. So much for a quiet night out on the patio. Harleys lined the streets and rigs rumbled down Main. If I dare hit downtown this weekend, I’ll be sure to dig out my Bon Jovi jacket. Too bad I ditched the Pretty Women boots.

today’s inspiration
• Agassi scoring a 2nd round victory at his 20th visit to the Open
• The athletes competing at the UCI World Championships in Italy
• Alex tearing up the Valley after giving birth 4 weeks ago
• Brie winning $100 at the Go Go Dancing Competition
• The Pineapple Pit Female Wrestlers

sven is back

2005-09-01T13:06:00.000-06:00

sporting his new kicks

pretending like that's him on the billboard

assuring me he will be on the cover of Ski Mag
copyright Onie Bolduc

smiling because his cookie contains no ham

elsewhere at work...
Loryn and Matt find a stray tent to use at Brewfest this Saturday. Anybody want to go? ride.swim.brews

going for six

2005-08-31T08:30:00.000-06:00

Good luck Chris!
This weekend the 5 time champion defends his title at the 24 Hours of Adrenaline World Solo Championships. Check him out live and in color: www.eatough24.ww.com

home sweet home

2005-08-31T00:15:00.000-06:00

my heart’s like an open book...for the whole world to read
There was no sleep to be had on Sunday. We drove the superhighways of New York and Jersey arriving at Fred’s house just in time for me to pack my bike, say goodbye and jump in the 3:00am shuttle to the airport.

just when things went right...it doesn’t mean they were always wrong
The sun was rising at the Denver airport and my connection was ontime. Amazing!

i had to run away high...so I wouldn’t come home low
Back in Durango, my friend "bad Stephanie" rode her bike up to Bread to meet me before work.

i’m on my way...just set me free
With coffee in hand and sun roof open, I ventured up the mountain and stopped by Purgatory.

just take this song and you’ll never feel...left all alone
The day ended with sushi, pink flowers, chocolate birthday cake, friends, laughter, hugs and finally...sleep.

number plate 20

2005-08-30T18:27:00.000-06:00

it wasn’t pretty but I brought back a top 20 overall finish
Mentally drained and full of stress, I lined up knowing this was it: the epic East coast riding I had been waiting for all year. This is mountain biking. This is what I love! Let's do it. Staging, roll up, fans banging the boards and we’re off. I blew up 4 minutes later. I stayed in denial for 10 more minutes until I went from the front of the train to the last car. I couldn’t recover. I suffered to the point of tears. I fought my demons that said ‘go home.’ I told myself ‘just get to the descent.’ At last my heart rate started to recover. Slowly I came back to life. One by one I picked girls off. By the end of lap three I moved up into the top 30. I crossed the finish line disappointed but with a small sense of accomplishment.

thanks to
me for not giving up
my friends, family and crew for all their support
the fans for their cheers
the pro men and women for their encouragement and inspiration

no more words

2005-08-27T20:26:00.000-06:00

full moon

fuller moon

super star

super stud

super HOT

rest day, part II

2005-08-24T17:55:00.000-06:00

a trip to Chesapeake Bay

captain stubbing checks out "t"

a little coffee fix before "Traitor" Joe’s

rest day

2005-08-24T12:10:00.000-06:00

I have 10 more hours to go but so far today I’ve accomplished nothin’! I slept in, drank coffee and water while sitting on the deck watching the geese and the corn grow. No work, no ride, no weights, no shopping, no leaving the house, nothin’! It’s a hard thing to do.

The last two days have been spent riding and hanging out. Here’s Tee on yesterday’s three hour chick ride on the country roads of Maryland.

the circus

2005-08-22T09:43:00.000-06:00

chix STXC
After a gloomy morning, the sun came out in the Allegheny Mountains. The womens pro short track was a battle between the Lunatics, Dara and Sue. With 2 laps to go Katerina launched an attack and held on for the win.

boyz STXC
A group of 5 (K-Bomb, JHK, Wells, Shep, McGrath) attacked each other for 20 minutes. Shep went with 3 laps to go, the group came back. McGrath went with 2 to go and showed dem boyz how to git-R-done !

XC side notes
Kathy is a 10
Theresa finishes with a season best

sites to see
common sites

an uncommon site: the Rock lives!

a good site

a little something from Snowshoe

2005-08-20T20:23:00.000-06:00

bloggers paradise
Free wireless, blogging with Nick, Starbucks coffee, a band in the plaza and fireworks.

race report
A great start, riding in the top 15, glimpses of the top 10, slid into some rocks, tore my sidewall, game over.

Maryland to West Virginia

2005-08-18T20:47:00.000-06:00

my creative work for Roxy...forever dreaming i'm at the beach

New Mexico to Maryland

2005-08-18T08:09:00.000-06:00

since I couldn't get out of DRO, I flew on a Farmington crop duster

thanks to Theresa and Chris for the sweet hook up

wake up call

2005-08-17T05:24:00.000-06:00

eat.sleep.ride

2005-08-15T15:04:00.000-06:00

saturday
start it off right with a trip to Bread...what a gorgeous day

get on the mountain bike and head to the Gulch for hill repeats

ahhh...time to rest and work on the tan lines

a little sushi with Stephanie

sunday
start it off right with a trip to Bread...good morning Rob!

get on the road bike and head to the Valley for recovery

ahhh...time to ice the legs in the river

a little sticks-n-bark with Jason

more pix of mountain bike chix

2005-08-12T10:30:00.000-06:00

the girls from Phoenix will reunite in Snowshoe
Theresa, me and RG (yea, that's the hottie sleeping in the car)

on sale now

2005-08-12T10:04:00.000-06:00

KFL

a whole lotta nothin’

2005-08-11T21:01:00.000-06:00

rush hour
‘I was on the highway for me fif-teeen minutes!! A whole crew of smart cows were crossing the road. WTF? I’m waiting on cows? On a highway? There weren’t any farmers or anything. What were they doing?’

it’s ok, have a donut
There are some finds at the Hermosa Market. I’ve been checking out the Entenmanns EXTREME grab ‘ems for months. And today, I picked them up. Check out this sweet packaging...

And they live up to their promise.

Scott 2 donuts later

3 donuts later

cruisin' to burger night: the inauguration

2005-08-10T16:15:00.000-06:00

Ride the cruiser? In my strappy sandals? Alright.
We rode down 2nd Ave and across the train tracks to the Palace. No such luck getting on the patio so we grabbed a table in the bar and pulled it next to 4 other tables of regulars. Order beer. Order burger. Drink beer. Eat burger. Back on the bikes.

We’re going where? To get chocolate? Alright.
To Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory we went. Roan and Nick (the Mark Wiggins of Durango) enjoyed their treats while Miles and I warmed up for the 10 o’clock street sprints down Main. The secret to winning is to be the racer that says, “go!” I caught on quickly and did the 2 arm salute twice! Now that’s a good night.

i get around

2005-08-10T14:41:00.000-06:00

i may not have fans with KFL t-shirts but i'm in the Niki Gudex diaries

and a C-dog guest star

RG, you're bragging is rubbing off on me

on the road again

2005-08-09T22:48:00.000-06:00

pro mountain bike chicks have it rough

RG dreaming of AC

brian head

2005-08-09T22:15:00.000-06:00

is anyone leaving after work on Thursday?
Oh, I forgot, nobody in Durango works. Lucky for me, Miles works a little. I met him and Roan at their house, packed the station wagon and got on the road. Being the last racers to leave town gives you some advantages...you've heard about the trail and trail conditions so you at least think about packing mud tires and warm clothes. And you've heard all about the driving routes, speed traps and the places to eat, golf, tour and shop along the way. Since it was 5pm and pouring rain, we decided to take the quickest route, stopping only once in Moab for dinner and ice cream. Without any speeding tickets and with only one wrong, snee-kay turn, we arrived at midnight and stumbled into Shagman's condo. Feeling my way through the dark, I climbed into and then broke a cot (so much for being quiet).

RnR: register and ride
We woke up to a house full of pro racer dudes, their groupies and soigners...one by one they flocked into the kitchen for a full on breakfast buffet. In an effort to beat the rain, we quickly headed to registration and out on the trail. Thanks to Potts for driving us up the 5 mile road climb to the fun part of the course. I jumped on the back half which was killer downhill singletrack that made you forget you were on the west coast. The Boyscouts were in the feed zone and offered me a 'Cookie for a Kiss!' Um... 'I'm good.'

the park ranger
Kim was "held up" in Vegas and made it to the resort just in time for the afternoon rain, hail and lightning. I picked up some coffee and company (Fred) and motorpaced her up the mountain pass start. Back at the ranch we made some dinner, painted nails and had spa treatments. I'm telling ya, it's rough.

game day
We slept in and skipped the 10am spin. The dirty african flipped pancakes without a spatula, showing the ladies how it's done. Race time brought sunny skies. The start brought pain and suffering. An epic loop that would have been on if only we were at sea level. It took all I had to crawl my way into the top 25. Then I crawled into bed.

adventures in telluride

2005-08-04T09:53:00.000-06:00

Long, lost Cell was racing her moto across the deserts of Utah and Colorado...I caught up with her in Telluride...

7am coffee on main street

a ride up the gondola

"Factory" and I mountain biking - like the good ol' days

and playing ...aaahhhh!!

oh yea, take that!

just riding along

2005-08-03T09:29:00.000-06:00

at 8900 feet on the Worlds Course
the first-sanctioned International Mountain Bike Championships started here

it came back in 01

on the Hermosa Creek Trail

the commute home
back side of Purgatory mountain

at the back of the Tub-o-rama 05 train
the smelter rapids worked us! a missing tube, a missing tuber, a missing pair of Oakleys and a shin missing skin
everybody's doing it

with Cell DuryAce in tell U ride
pics to be posted

working girl ride

2005-07-27T21:22:00.000-06:00

It's the ride where you go fast, without a purpose, trying to beat the sun going down, stressed because you haven't been on your bike in days so let’s hit LT right from the gun. Not much different from the "Sport ride" except I didn't have anyone to race, brag or wipe out with.

As I headed back on South Rim I came up on 2 dudes. Little did I know one of which was the legendary Grewal until I introduced myself and he said, ‘hi, i'm Jeet.’ Of course I had some chick response like, ‘i know you!’ I'm smooth like that.

what else?

My 4 year old {road bike} has been adopted and is on her way to Idaho. A new ride will be unveiled shortly. And yes, it too is PINK.

My long lost friend Cell is in town. She’s racing her moto in a secret place that I can’t reveal since she hasn’t purchased a valid trail pass.

AC is also in D-town. We’ll see if he keeps his promise to take me kayaking. If not, maybe I can go tubing with the real joey.

I met Jeff yesterday. He's supercool - probably 'cause he's from the midwest.

Tomorrow I’m riding home from work on the Hermosa Creek Trail. It will be prime monsoon time...I better go pack the rain jacket.

hangin' out at work

2005-07-26T15:35:00.000-06:00

to Aspen and back

2005-07-25T09:15:00.000-06:00

a beautiful drive
a sweet condo
a cute grocery delivery boy
a king size bed with 10 pillows

The morning sunshine and the smell of chocolate chip pancakes woke me up on Saturday. How nice it is to not have to set an alarm! I enjoyed my breakfast and watched the end of the tour TT before heading up to Snowmass for the XC "ride".

no more living the high life
Since I registered late, I didn't get a call up. When I looked at Frosty he smiled and said 'you're last'. I smiled and said, 'thanks'. Well...if there's a time to be on the back row, this would be the time. We headed up the paved road, the gravel road, the dirt road, a single track switch back and another dirt road before descending on some single track and more roads. I picked off a few girls on the descent and a handful on the second lap but mostly I just rode with zero power and the 10,000 ft headache.

On a good note, I finished before the insane lightning storm and was able to take cover under the Giant tent. On a not-so-good note, my travel buddy was MIA. Hours later, still freezing and now starving, I gave up and headed back to town only to find the condo locked. I paced the wet streets, looking for something to eat while dialing numbers. Finally... MIA answered. He told me where the hidden key was and said he'd give me the 30 min bath story later.

out on the town
By 9pm we were done telling stories and ready to meet up with some friends for dinner. I was not too excited to go back out in the rain but it turned out to be a wonderful time! The restaurant was warm and vibrant, full of a cast of characters and much laughter. It was a lovely ending to a rough day at the office.

ramble on

2005-07-22T13:15:00.000-06:00

llamas on coal bank pass
I left work at 4:11 on Wednesday to ride. Brunso didn't go with me because 'i'm not leaving until 4:15.' So we rode 2 minutes apart from each other for an hour and met back in the Purg parking lot. He stated that our new jerseys were HOT - temp? or looks? - and claimed 2 people wanted to buy the thing off his back. 2 people? On Coal Bank pass? All I saw were 2 llamas.

cleaning with Pledge and dropping names
Next stop was Dr. Frank's where I was stuck behind Wherry and the HealthNut guest star of the week - Sayers. I hung out in the waiting room with Shriver and the love of his life - a gorgeous, glowing mountain bike. I think he sparkles her up with Pledge.

into thin air
I'm leaving tonight for the 5th NORBA National in Aspen. I haven't been there since I was 14 when my hamburger was $6.00, my brother and I launched off the loft onto the first floor sofa and my horse trotted into the lake. I'm pretty much dreading this race. Jason gave me a non-inspiring course description: hot and slow! and asked me to bring him legs and lungs. I'm hurting already.

our Purgatory jerseys

2005-07-21T14:30:00.000-06:00

just in time for the Iron Horse

3:20 am

2005-07-18T19:55:00.000-06:00

That would be when Rebecca G woke me up to go to the airport. I mumbled goodbye to Kim, grabbed the blanket and crawled into the back of the Suburban. Thank you Sam for the moonlight escort! We arrived first to the ticket counter followed by the ticket agents, LunaTix, GT Wells, JHK and most of the NORBA circus.

Shonny and I shared USA Today's Sports section, RG studied for her test, Wells dreamt about his tee time, Pat re-enacted his feed zone sugar shower and Katerina busted Waldek for not making a run at the River Swing. We determined he must have been scared off by the beer drinking locals.

The circus cleared security - all but Pat who got a thorough pat down - and parted our ways. Katerina, Heather and I were on the same flight so we picked up some coffee, waited in our designated "B" line and found 3 seats together. We chatted until take off, fell asleep during the flight and woke up to a rough landing. Katerina jumped not from the landing but because she 'missed the feed. Or whatever you call it.' Heather assured her she'd get one on the second lap. We transferred planes and said goodbye. See you in Aspen!

cross country

2005-07-17T16:51:00.000-06:00

There is no easy way to get to Schweitzer. We drove to SLC, flew into Seattle and back over Mt. Rainier to Spokane where our newly appointed Team Director picked us up. There was still plenty of daylight to get a ride in (‘must be because we’re so close to Alaska’) so off we went on the fast, flow-y singletrack that was no longer fast, flow-y or singletrack. How sweet it once was, I’ll never know, but it was fun to ride fresh trail.

We woke up to breakfast in bed (thanks Miss Peggy!) and some tour action. After picking up new kicks from John, the chicks picked up Sam and went out for a spin before the semi-pro race. Brig-star 1-up’d his Deer Valley performance and finished in the number 2 spot.

A late morning downpour had the pro racers scrambling to change tires. Rain, hail and cold temps had me struggling to finish. Team b.u.t-R crossed the line and headed for the hot tub. Becky and I drowned our sorrows and told war stories until we had feeling back in our hands and smiles back on our faces.

Today I’ve been cheering on the marathon, expert and short track racers and resting up for the biggest game in town - the River Rope Swing. Giant boys, show us the way...

angel fire

2005-07-12T16:06:00.000-06:00

world cup racing

poster signing

two chicks climbing

our fans posing

cause it’s here that i’ve got to stay

2005-07-08T15:48:00.000-06:00

For lunch the Girls from Purg went to Aspen Cafe for Steve Miller Band sing along and to check out the construction workers. Shania seemed to know every one of them...must be her southern charm.

This afternoon I talked to Ronnie who is shipping my PINK Mitis Dama, Rebecca who is stuck in her condo at Angel Fire, my bike wrench who is pimping my ride, Cell who is adventuring in Telluride, Aunt Lynnie who is en route to Durango and Gloria who is sporting her new biker tan lines in South Padre.

Sven is telling me my "blog time" is not billable as he's opening the fridge and secretly replacing the stash of Red Bull with Miller Lite. I've gotta roll anyway as tomorrow I'm leaving for the World Cup. allez! allez!

durango [tour] time

2005-07-06T13:56:00.000-06:00

On the morning of the Team TT, there is no rush to get to work. The first leisurely stop was Bread where Jason and I ran into Wherry who was on his way to the airport for his next gig, the Cascade Classic. Two coffee re-fills later, it was over to Chris and Kathy's for more Tour watching. We stayed long enough to see the crash and Discovery walk away with the W.

It was after 10am by the time we landed at Purgatory...hey, we're still the first ones in the office! Sweet, we can make more coffee and check out the Tour coverage online. By 1pm everyone made it up to the mountain so we had a lunch meeting (miniature golf) to discuss current events (Fraser has a roommate). By 3pm we had to get back to our desks to log onto DWC for our Tuesday night "ride" schedule. And by 4pm it was time to head back down the mountain and get race ready!

A new kid showed up for this weeks showdown. C-Dog they called him. The powerhouse was pulling us through the Valley and then blew...a tire or something...right before the climb. This left Hal, Jeff, Joe, Scott and I to battle it up old Shalona. I was not a threat for long as I cracked 6 minutes in. The boys attacked each other at the RR tracks and when all was said and done, it was Joe who won a week of bragging rights.

for the girls

2005-07-05T21:35:00.000-06:00

thanks to Jonathan Devich

Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

freedom

2005-07-05T09:18:00.000-06:00

slumber party
I left the house Friday night in my favorite PINK pj bottoms carrying a bottle of wine to go to dinner and a sleep over at my friend's house. Finally, a chance to chill!
Dinner was magnificent and I slept in, missing Chris and Kathy's Tour de France party. I hear Matt was the first to arrive and Sven, the DMR coffee-getter, got coffee. Fortunately, the B&B I stayed at was equipped with Tivo and I watched the 4 hours of coverage in 1 while eating chocolate chip pancakes. Rough life!

my Sha-rona
Ooo you make my motor run, motor run... Enough chill time, it was on to my 3rd hard ride of the week - the Valley and 4 climbs up new Shalona. I was rollin' pretty well until the 2.5hr mark when I ran out of water and needed food. Instead of climbing home, I picked up some Bread goodies, met up with a few fellow biker dudes and headed to the river where we ran into the Cowboy's long lost cousin.

"kristi, you're a wa-ter-per-son"
Sunday's mountain bike ride was sweet!
I ran into the D-town boyz who just finished a local race - Chase Ned through the Gulch. We rode Dry Fork together before I had to turn off so I could get home in time to go rafting! Fearless river guide, Cyrus, took a group of us out on the Animas. We had a blast! Irene and I stayed busy bailing water out of the boat and hanging on for our lives as Cyrus tried dumping us out at Smelter. I’m addicted!

silver lining
To celebrate the 4th, the crew enjoyed a picnic and fireworks in Silverton.

whirlwind

2005-07-01T10:53:00.000-06:00

tired head
The week started with a 4am wake up call to get to MKE and back to DRO. My driver was still sleeping when I landed but the mention of breakfast at Carvers shook him out of bed. The afternoon was spent riding up Hesperus and down Wild Cat followed by a visit to Dr. Frank where I caught up with Kristin. Final stop - the Valley for dinner, coffee and a game plan for July's training and racing.

party central
Kiera & The Girls were on their best behavior at Lady Falconburgh's on Tuesday night. I passed on Beastie Boys karaoke and hung out with Robin who is going to Michigan for 3 weeks. The next night Irene had a backyard bash which ended early when the propane ran out. As I was heading home, Christian called from Skinny's to invite me to a parade on Main Street. Last night was Robbie's victory party where we talked SRM's, 80's rock and about the mysterious - Hincapie - look - alike Kate calls 'not George.'

the little engine that could
Yesterday afternoon the land yachts and I huffed and puffed our way up and over Coal Bank. My HR had to stay in a zone that hurts...just below race pace. I was happy when I passed the 10,800 ft sign without passing out or getting taken out. As I descended back to Purgatory, Jennifer Rideshare called with excited news! We couldn't chat long, however, as I was taking the corners too hot, narrowly avoiding a kricket off the cliff.

3 day weekend
I better get some sleep tonight as I have Tour parties, Mesa parties, Purg parties, rafting trips, hot spring soaking, 4 climbs up Shalona and 2 climbs up the Colorado Trail.

stars and stripes

2005-06-29T10:30:00.001-06:00

Congrats Robbie!
Robbie solos away from a break on the second to last climb, puts more than a minute on the chase group and wins the Maters National Road Race!!!

story and pics

wisconsin Rules

2005-06-27T18:15:00.000-06:00

The first stop is always Backyard Bikes. Mike hooked me up on a Fisher and I was on my way to the fun, fast, endless singletrack of Kettle Moraine.

Tractors own the road. Look out for golf carts, too.

On the last day of Lewis Camp, the red carpet is rolled out. 5 claps on 3 for MVP Suchy!

All good Catholics attend Friday Night Fish Fry. We must be Wiscon.sinners as we headed to Hernades to celebrate mom and dad's birthdays!

When the lake de-ices, trade the hockey stick for the wake board. Can I get a back flip?

No shirts allowed at the Brewers game. We can too get a tan in the shade!

It's a state law that you must finish your entire beer
before ordering another no matter how warm it is, how much back wash is in 'der or how many people have helped you drink it. And you can't leave Lake Geneva until you sink 10 baskets at Champs! 1....1....1....1....1....1.... 2!!!....2....2....

back home

2005-06-24T15:12:00.000-06:00

at backyard bikes

on Wisconsin

2005-06-23T13:23:00.000-06:00

days in Durango
Getting up for work on Monday was rough as we strolled into town at 2am and there was not much sleep to be had. Nothing a little Bread coffee couldn’t fix. The Purg crew went out on the scenic chair lift for ‘research.’ I was entertained by the 12 year old boys shouting, ‘don’t be a chick-ennn!’ to the girls on the alpine slide. The girls took their message to heart, resulting in a crash and burn. Yea, get it girls! Before heading back to the drawing board, we checked out our new entrance sign.
Monday ended with a trip to SRA where Meg, JPowers (who, for the record, was not the semi-pro JellyBean on the Orbea at Deer Valley) and I hung out with Dr. Frank until he had to go to one of his dinners.

race to work day
The morning kicked off with the City of Durango’s Ride to Work Day. I dropped my stuff off at Scott’s, driver of the Purgatory team car, and began the ride from Ninja’s house. We were 10 minutes in front of team leader, Sven, and his domestique, Russell, so we toured homes and golf courses, let them get in front of us and launched a sneak attack. Race on! Each attack was preceded by pouring water on eachother leaving us all dehydrated for the final climb up Needles. Ninja won the polka dot jersey but some late race tactics put Sven in the Village first.

dolphins in Ouray and angels in NM
My crazy cousin Julie drove the e-bay purchased Dolphin across Colorado and ended up in Ouray. I called her cellie to see if she could drive down to Purg but since it was storming and her camper doesn’t have windshield wipers, we kept our visit to a digital one. Jules had a message for her mom (Lynnie) ‘not to worry...the camper has half an engine which is plenty to get back to Ft. Collins.’ After much story telling and giggling, Jules and I said goodbye.
As soon as I hung up, Rebecca called. She has been workin’ it!! Thanks to AC, we’re going to the World Cup!

unpack and pack
Last night I unpacked all of my stuff from Deer Valley and packed for my trip to Wisconsin. I can’t wait to get back home! The cowboy stopped by with dinner and dessert and once again, forgot to grab his hat. Guess I get to wear it on the plane. Time to go...

the unofficial winner of Ride to Work Day

2005-06-22T12:49:00.000-06:00

Sven Armstrong

kickin’ it in the Valley

2005-06-20T14:15:00.000-06:00

parade in the parking lot
The morning of the XC was spent breaking computers and downloading music onto iPods. Thanks to the cowboy for taking care of the real business - our bikes. I test rode mine up to the expo wearing flip flops + a PINK skirt while listening to my new tunes and carrying 3 feed bags to deliver to Brig. Getting on the bike was not a struggle, but dismounting was. Fortunately no one was hurt and not even Fabio from Ford could sneak a peek. I found Brig and gave him the feed zone instructions and checked in with Frosty who ran down the latest race info...parade lap + 2 full laps for the chicks, start time is pushed back 30 minutes.

playing in the dirt
Warm up went pretty well and I headed to the start line in time to hear them call up the largest mens pro field of the year. The pro women, herded like cattle, waited for the men to do their 5 minute neutral parade loop through the resort, back through the start/finish and onto the dirt. Pretty sweet! The chicks were let out of the pen and directed onto the parade route. It was fast and fun, unlike the upcoming jeep road climb. After the climb was an awesome,“worm dirt” singletrack descent followed by switchback climbs and intense, sandy, rocky, switchback downhills. The course was a blast but the “stop & go” made it hard to move up and there wasn’t much room to pass. This became troublesome when the pro men caught us. The 10 chick train derailed as we each pulled off and got back on the trail to let them by. Rebecca got tangled up with one of the guys and turned into a rolling ball of dust on the final descent. One by one we funneled to the finish line...not a great result but a great time battling with bad ass chicks.

food and friends
Racing was followed by a pasta dinner and slide show of photos that Wink took while running next to us playing superfan. Thanks Wink! And thanks to all the fans...from the downhill dudes who reunited us in the grocery store to Ben from Kona to Poz the Trekker to Brig the feeder to Sager’s teenage boy groupies to people we’ve met along the way and people we’ve never met. After dinner, ice cream and Sol, RG and I dropped off Brig in SLC and stayed the night at Laura’s, my best friend from college. We spent the morning chillin’ outside on the deck. As RG says, ‘everyone should have a deck’. It was another beautiful day with birds chirping, coffee brewing, girls giggling, boys playing and beats in the background. What a life!

the last dance
It was time for the girls to pack up and head back to Deer Valley for the short track. We checked out the course and watched some of the racing before putting on our costumes. At the start line I handed Elke my iPod - she was unlucky in finding some country music. The ‘hurricane of pain' began and I jumped into the top 15. Sara B-Z went down in front of Niki + I and the gap that opened never closed. One by one we tried to bridge, one by one we fell back and eventually all but the top 8 got pulled. The finish was an exciting one as a $250 prime went to Shonny who solo’d the final laps, ate it in a corner but hung on for her 2nd win of the weekend. The pro mens race played out pretty much the same with K-Bomb flatting, T-Wells attacking and riding alone for the victory.

moonlighting in the Valley

2005-06-18T22:32:00.000-06:00

hitch hikers on Main
Rebecca and I decide to warm up for the TT by riding from the boys condo to the course. We really weren’t sure where we were going, but how hard can it be? Take the main road and if you get to the freeway, you’ve gone too far. So, away we go. On the main road, to the freeway. Uh, we’ve gone too far. We look behind us and see the bobsled course but which of the 2 mountain climbs will lead us to the Olympic Village? While RG looks for bobsled signs, bikers and/or policemen, I find a nice, young man in a ranched out pick up truck who doesn’t really know where to go but would love to be our escort. He carefully places our bikes in the bed next to his large collection of work tools. Skinsuits, helmets, PINK booties and all, we jump in the truck and take our chances on road #2. Things are looking up as we roll into the Village, get waved through security and are dropped off red carpet style. Aw yea...nice entrance.

babes up bobsled
It’s 6:10pm and our start is in 5 minutes. We show up to the line only to find out they’re running behind. This is now a moonlight TT. The coffee buzz is wearing out and so are we as we continue warming up and the officials continue telling us ‘15 more minutes.’ Finally our names appear on the electronic board and we’re sent up the paved bobsled run on our modified mountain bikes for 5 minutes of fun and pain. We take a quick tour of the Olympic museum and eat graham crackers with the guard before riding in the dark back to the condo.

girls gettin’ groceries
It must be close to midnight by the time we get to the grocery store. Delirious and with serious sugar lows, RG thinks calling boys on her cellie will somehow help her find bagels and Gatorade. I’m having no luck finding pesto that doesn’t contain cow guts and now I can’t find RG. As I’m checking out in aisle 4, my phone rings and it’s RG wondering where I am. All the discussion in the world wouldn’t help as she’s in aisle 3 but thinks she’s in aisle 15 due to the “15 items and under” sign. Fortunately the group of downhill dudes have been observing our *confusion* and they reunite us. We pop jelly beans and drink protein shakes on our drive home, make pasta sans cow, take power showers and fall into bed.