July 1, 2005 Happy Canada Day! Brief recap of what I did in June Hellooo! Okay, okay, here it is, the update you've all been waiting for. Updating from Quebec wasn't possible because of technical difficulties, so I apologize for being nonexistent for the month of June. But I am alive and back home and I'll be in B.C. for what looks like the rest of the summer (except for a short jaunt south to Idaho for my first-ever NORBA). There's still lots of racing action coming up, so it's not like I'll be sitting on my bum from now on. No, no, no, there's still lots of work to be done! It's great to be sleeping in my own bed again! Flashback So. Let's think back, waaaaaaaaaaay back to the beginning of June.... I flew Zurich-Frankfurt (had to pay 200 Swiss Franks for my extra luggage). In Montreal I missed my connection to Quebec City and in Quebec City, each of my three pieces of luggage was on a different plane, hence I had to wait in the airport for three flights to arrive. Then I paid a taxi driver $70 to deliver me to the Motel Central, where I met up with my pal and PoCo (Port Coquitlam) training partner, Jean Ann. We got a super rate and the owner, Didier (a French-Swiss ski instructor), was very nice and helpful. So, if you ever need a place to stay in Ste-Anne-de-Beaupre, Que. (near Mont Ste-Anne and Quebec City), check it out. Our room was equipped with a toaster oven and a microwave, so we got creative with our "cooking." It was great having a training partner again. The trails at Mont Ste-Anne were in good shape... until it started raining. I worried it would be a flashback of last year's National Championships (torrential rain all week leading up to the race, resulting in a giant mud bath of a race in which only 50% of the course was rideable). Luckily, things held off and the course stayed in good condition. The Thursday before the race, I moved up to the mountain to our fancy condo, where I met up with Martina! It was great to see her again! MTB Nationals Race day, June 12, was hot and humid, but I felt strong and had a solid eighth-place performance. Click here to read the full report >> Winter? The week after Nationals was cold and rainy. It was seriously the equivalent of winter in Vancouver -- 11 degrees, windy and rainy. Ugh. After Nationals I moved from the condo that I rented with Martina, Helena, Sarah and Lisa (Lisa came up from Montreal to spend the weekend with me to be my team manager, soigneur, cook and photographer -- THANK YOU!). I moved into a duplex that Sophie-Anne had rented for the month. Jean Ann moved in with us too. I decided I had to change my name to Sandra-Ann in order to fit in.... Living with the girls was fun and chill. All we did was ride, cook, eat, watch TV, read and go swimming in the local swimming hole (a beautiful series of waterfall-fed pools, surrounded by forest and walls of dark rock covered in ferns). I also had several Pedal deadlines due, so I was doing SOME work.... Other things I did in my three weeks in Quebec: - baked bread and granola bars - hung out in the VIP lounge on the race site - rode some great trails - hung out in the lobby of the Chateau Mont Ste-Anne and ate chocolate while mooching wireless - rented a car and drove to Montreal and hung out with Lisa and Alistair (Jean Ann came too) - rode to Quebec City with Sophie-Anne and Jean Ann and watched a stage of the Tour de Beauce - went to the post-Nationals "party" but missed the good part (which involved vandalism, violence and cops) The World Cup June 25 was the Mont Ste-Anne World Cup XC race. I was psyched -- the course was great and I got to start in the second row! I even had a super start (14th after the start loop). Unfortunately I didn't hold that for long. It was super hot and humid and for some reason I didn't deal with it as well as I did at Nationals. I ended up 25th, which is my best World Cup result so far this season. Click here to read more >> Going home I was SO excited to head home on June 27. My brother picked me up from the Vancouver airport, where it was 15 degrees and overcast (ah yes, classic Vancouver). He drove me home to Coquitlam, where Jeanine met us. I made them dinner (chicken fajitas) and we watched a movie (Meet the Fockers -- not very good). It was great to see them and super homey. So for the last few days I've been reacquainting myself with my favourite trails on Burke Mountain (I even found a new mtb trail!!), unpacking, doing paperwork and catching up with my friends. And, of course, I've been training. I'm not racing this weekend, so I'll be training on my usual routes and getting ready to watch the Tour de France, which starts tomorrow! Check out my fav Tour fan site: Le Tour Delicieux! At the moment I am without a car, which makes things like grocery shopping super fun because of the 3.5-kilometre climb I have to go up to get home. It makes things extra fun when I have to lug milk, fruits and veggies up the hill. I really hope I have the car fixed and my license renewed for Thursday, because I'm heading to road nationals in Kamloops. I haven't done a single road race all season, so it should be entertaining.... Parent Update Just got word that my parents are about a five-day paddle south of Bella Bella (remote, cut off town/village on the coast of B.C. I can't believe how quickly they're making their way to Alaska. I think they're cheating and bought an outboard motor for their kayak! Apparently (they talked to my brother) they're in good spirits and the wet weather we've been having hasn't brough them down at all. Wild Idea So I'm considering riding my bike from home to Ixtapa, Mexico in the fall for Melissa and Hector's wedding. I just looked at a map today and it looks really far. I didn't realize how far south in Mexico Ixtapa is. Hmmm.... I think it would be a super cool experience, but at the moment I'm missing a riding partner and I'm not so sure it would be a good idea to do it alone. Any takers? Signing off It's raining again. I just looked on Canadian Cyclist and saw that Lisa placed third in the Pursuit at Track Nationals in Calgary, Alta.! Congrats!!! Jeanine left today for her three-week YMCA conference in Mexico. She's one of two Canadians who were selected to go. Have a blast, baby! Happy Canada Day!!!