It must be the busy and rush of life in the big USA, because I have neglected this blog so badly that it reflects the state of all the house plants I’ve ever cared for… all dead.
As of November 9th I have been back on American soil, in Santa Fe NM, and as of December 14th in Arizona.
With the aspiration to race hard in cycling this year and get as much experience as I can, the logical decision lead me to buying a plane ticket back to the US and signing with Team Kenda Women’s Cycling Team. In Italy I knew I wouldn’t be able to train well over winter. It’s cold, wet and depressing from December to about March, so good outdoor cycling is never 100%. Plus, women’s cycling is quite dim with only 4 national races. Most elite women race in Germany and France all summer. While in the US I could find a warm place for winter training and have a summer full of racing. My coach Jaime Dispenza lives in Tuscon, AZ (where I am now) and helped me out so much getting situated and planning my travels back from Italy. He told me about the warm winter days and open roads of Tucson and I was sold. There’s nothing like avoiding the snow and cold of winter for long bike rides with the desert sun at your back.
I spent about a month in Santa Fe visiting family and friends and getting some good altitude training. I also got a cyclocross bike and only a week after arriving from Italy was out for my first race. Since the category system is not by age group like it is in Italy, but is done by points and experience, I started out in the lowest Category 4. I won the race, but I would have been happier not having to start 15 seconds behind the 1/2/3 category. Never having done cyclocross it was tough getting used to the technical part of sand, barriers, stairs and tight turns, but that made it all the more fun. This night cross race was a blast for my first cyclocross race and got me excited for more racing.
The following weekends I raced in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Las Cruces and El Paso getting great practice with technique and bike handling skills. I was lucky enough to get nice weather all through the end of November and beginning of December. Then the second weekend of December a big storm came in and dropped a few inches of snow. This forced me inside and onto a stationary bike, then I spent my extra time packing up my car to head to Arizona.
Friday, December 14th, I headed to Phoenix, (which worked out because another snow storm came to NM that weekend) where I caught the only rainy day of the year on that Saturday. But even with rain it was still warm and I was able to ride in shorts, such a great ride. Sunday, December 16th, I raced in the AZ state cyclocross championships and being a less technical course was able to break ahead early and win. It was so nice being in shorts and sunshine that the pain of the race almost became a second thought.
Monday, December 17th, I drove down to Tucson and was immediately hooked. The area where Jaime lives is right at the base of the mountains that border eastern Tucson. Walk out the door and there is Sabino Canyon for miles of hiking and trail running, and winding hilly roads to pass the day biking. The famous Catalina Highway which winds up to Mt. Lemmon (26 miles of continuous uphill) is so close that most of my workouts and hill riding is on that road.
Things came together so perfectly that I am able to live in Jaime’s neighborhood and these past few weeks have flown by. I have been training in perfect weather and am constantly amazed at the beauty of the desert landscape.
It’s going to be a great winter of cycling and I can’t wait for another day in paradise!