November 9 , 2006
Planning ahead
Researching for California, packing for Cross Nationals, planning my 2007 racing calendar, checking out airfares...

The perpetual planner. That's me. I LOVE making plans. Not only do I plan my own trips, I plan my friends' trips, my family's trips.... For me, a lot of the excitement and fun of travelling is in the planning stages. It allows me to get excited way ahead of time and stay excited as I discover new details about where I'm going and what I'll be doing. Currently, I have several plans on the go. The most immediate is the upcoming (tomorrow) jaunt to Vancouver Island for the National Cyclocross Championships, followed by an Island 'Cross Series in Parksville the following day.


Map! There's Nanaimo on the left!

Trip Number Two (not including the spur-of-the-moment ones that seem to pop up all the time) is the December road trip to Southern California (and who knows, maybe we'll even end up in Mexico!), during which we plan to mountain bike, surf, camp, and hang out in funky cafes.

Big Trip Number Three, is of course, my return to Switzerland for the 2007 cross country mountain bike racing series. The great thing about that one, is that there is a mini-trip almost every weekend for the purpose of racing, plus I'd love to head to Spain for a week or two in March/April for some fair weather training.


(L) The bike trail is over there; (R) Ah, Spain by bike

Then there's the trip back to Canada in July for the National Championships, after which I'll be hopping over to Europe AGAIN to finish off the season.

World Cup Finals are in Slovenia... how cool would THAT be? Then there's La Ruta de los Conquistadores -- the multi-day mountain bike race across Costa Rica. No guarantees yet, but there's a good chance I'll find myself there next November. And there are a couple of different options concerning how I will actually get to Costa Rica. Riding my bike there would be some pretty hefty endurance training.


(L) Map of Costa Rica; (C) Surfing -- something to do after the race; (R) A Costa Rican parrot

As usual, I'm always open to having some company on my adventures, so if any of this fits into your schedule, drop me a line. Did I mention there are Great White Sharks on the California coast? Hmm... that surfing plan sure does sound like a good one....

Birthday, Mexican Style!
October 29 is a special day for two of my good friends: Andrea and Hector! Congrats on getting another year older! Unfortunately, I couldn't make it to Andrea's party, since she was back in Switzerland, but I did make it to Hector's... which was in Ladner.

This was one awesome party for Hector, who turned 29 on the 29th. Melissa made an amazing spread of Mexican goodies, including three types of enchiladas, various salsas (guacamole, pico de gallo, frijoles, salsa verde, mole), nopales (cactus leaves), spicy potatoes, plus a delicious cake. We also imbibed in some Mexican liqueur and festive blue Martinis courtesy of Sarah. To top it all off, there was a candy-filled piniata! It was Sarah who lopped off the top of the chili pepper-shaped piniata, releasing the sugary goodness to all. Good times for sure. It wasn't quite as awesome as the wedding, but Hector and Melissa sure do know how to put on one heck of a shindig!


(L) Me enjoying my matching martini; (R) The girls having fun.


Jeanine gives the pepper all she's got. Photos courtesy of Jeff Werner. Why didn't you take any pics of the birthday boy?!

Marcel is coming!
Yup, one of my Swiss cousins, Marcel, is arriving on November 11. I believe he will be bringing chocolate and cheese, so I can't wait to see him!


(L) Swiss cheese with a guest; (R) Swiss chocolate.

I am, of course, also excited to hang out with him. He is considering coming on this California adventure with Jeanine and me, which I think would be a blast (apparently sharks aren't that interested in humans)! Last time he was here, we introduced him to Timbits, which he likes. Can you think of anything else Canadian he really needs to try? He and his brothers always find these things delectable when they're here: root beer, SunRype fruit bars, McDonalds, Sunny Delight. Interesting, isn't it? I can't remember if he likes maple syrup.

Best 'cross race ever!
A couple of weekends ago, I had my best 'cross race ever. Maybe it was because my super duper parents came to cheer me on. Hmm... too bad my brother didn't show. I bet if he was there, I would've won. :-P Just kidding. Despite the fact that I felt really strong, I somehow doubt I could've taken on Wendy Simms, two-time National Cyclocross Champion. Anyway, I placed fourth, which I've done three times this 'cross season. I just can't seem to break into the top three. That's a good goal for Nationals, I suppose. However, I did place third overall in the BC Cup Series, which isn't too shabby at all, considering it's my first-ever 'cross season. It might have something to do with my svelte Felt F1X bike.... Check out the full race report.

Getting ready for the snow (if it ever comes)
So this year, I've decided to embrace winter. However, the weather dudes have said it will be another mild one because of El Nino, which means my snow plans have all been spoiled. I believe there will be snow. There had better be. Here are the three reasons: 1. I bought new DH skis (can't let the $79.99 go to waste!); 2. I signed up for a learn-to XC skate ski course; 3. I'm getting snowshoes and I'm planning on racing in the Yeti Snowshoe Running Series. So hurry up and snow already!


(L) These are my skis; (C) This is my snowshoe (I will have two); (R) This is El Nino.