Addicted...Really?!?

This unbelievably warm January weather is quite deceiving! The warm sun looks so inviting as I sit inside looking out. However, once I don my warm riding gear and hit the trails...I am greeted by mucky, horribly sticky MUD. You know the kind that cakes to your tires and inhibits any spinning of the wheels because the mud is instantly 3 inches thick on the tread. Your bike goes from 21 lbs to 40 lbs in a matter of 2 pedal strokes. Bahhhhh! The trails are great when they are hard-packed with snow, but 40 degree days melt that nice riding surface to an impassable swamp. Unless I want to live on the trainer, I'm left with two options: 1) Cold road rides on pot-holed, winter damaged roads or 2) Head South for dry dirt! This weekend I'm going with option number 2. The 60 degree weather and dry trails of St. George are calling my name.
Because the last week of recruiting riding partners to accompany me failed miserably (thanks a lot friends), I plan on flying solo on the Hurricane Rim/JEM trail on Sunday. Saturday will be an all out torture fest I'm sure. Conveniently, Nicky Wangsgard, a member of the Primal women's road team, who also happens to be my coach, will be dragging me around on the road bike. She is nearly race-ready and is sure to hand me a big time a$$-kicking! Lets just say my power meter never sees the numbers we're in for this weekend!
So I'm leaving my hard-working husband behind and missing out on Ogden's Winterfest (a great party if I do say so myself) for some Spring-like weather in St. George. Its a little crazy to me that for 20+ years I loved winter and couldn't get enough powder days on the skis/snowboard and now all I want is warm weather and dry trails. My friend Dr. Jeff Harrision (an AVID skier, yet fellow Leadville 100 finisher) tells me "You have a serious problem that needs intervention. You are addicted!" Yes, Jeff... I know!

And So Begins the Next Chapter

A short three years ago I bought a hand-me-down mountain bike from my sister-in-law Jamie and went for a fun ride on the Ogden Shoreline trail with Chris, my brother-in-law. After the ride I thought "I guess I could like this biking stuff." It wasn't basketball, softball, or the usual team sports I was used to. But hey, it was exercise and I got to be outdoors... so what the heck. Then, Chris and my husband Brandon decided to start a club team for the local bike junkies sponsored by Ogden's favorite brew pub Roosters (the good beer would be a perk to joining the team!). Little did I know this 'idea' would catapult me into this wild obsession and addiction! The Rooster's Endurance Team introduced me to bike racing and I've been hooked ever since.
Its been amazing to see how the Rooster's team has transformed in such a short time (thanks to Brandon's blood, sweat, and tears). I am very honored to have been part of the grassroots beginnings. But, change is inevitable...for both the Roosters team and me! The Roosters team recently joined forces with Biker's Edge, another local race team. They aim to be bigger, faster, and more competative than ever! With their flashy new jerseys, this team is going to make a name for themselves.
And for me...Team Jamis! Jason Sager, team manager for Jamis has given me an incredible opportunity to pursue this racing dream of mine. I'm lucky to join a great team with teammates whose resumes are far superior to mine, giving me a chance to learn and improve my riding skills. Not to mention, I'm the only girl, so keeping up with the boys will undoubtedly force speed and bike handling skills!
So, I have quite the summer ahead of me. Juggling the last two semesters of physician assistant school with this recent upgrade to "racing with the big girls" will be the feat of a lifetime! However, one that I am ready to take head on. In the mean time, I continue my Winter training. A mix of the trainer, snow MTB rides, and weekend road trips with my O-Town riding pals to St. George/Boulder City (and when my legs aren't screaming "Stop", a little skiing too!). And that folks...concludes my very first ever blog!