I have been on the road for about two weeks now and I am loving the amazing weather and riding that I have had the opportunity to take advantage of so far. To Sum up the first couple of days in LA, I felt like I was a kid who got thrown into the deep end of the pool and didn't know how to swim. I had been really busy with finishing up high school and I hadn't raced since late July. After the initial shock of the long rides, hot weather, and thousands of feet of climbing every day I began to feel better and better. By the end of the trip I felt great and I could see a huge gain in my fitness. Besides the fact that I suffered a bit in the beginning, the trip was a ton of fun! We got to ride with Phil Gaimon who just signed with Garmin for the upcoming season and we went to a great restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner. I found it funny that this was the first year that I lost weight over thanksgiving compared to the usual tradition of eating a ton and passing out later.
As the last day of camp arrived all of my teammates were packing up to go back home to the frigid Midwest, but I was excited to pack up for Tucson, AZ. Gord Fraser, who directed my team at the Tour de la'Abitbi over the summer and lives in Tucson connected me with his friends who offered to host me for two weeks. These first couple of days in Tucson have been amazing. My host family is super generous and welcoming. They have truly made me feel at home. The riding here is also great. There are bike lanes on all of the roads and there are so many different routes to choose from. I am very confident with how my training is going. I am working very hard and I know that this will be great year for me.I am also really learning about what it takes to take cycling to the next level, everything from eating right to maximizing recovery.
Thanks for reading
