2011 in Review

This has been a year of changes. 2011 has been one that, looking back, was very stressful and mentally challenging. As a result, I’ve learned a lot about myself and other people and think that I’ve grown as a person- is that too cliché?

While I know some of you would love to read- in great detail- all about the past year’s highs and lows, lefts and rights and everything in between, I know some of you probably just want to get to the good stuff. So, in an effort to save you guys some time and give you only the filet of information, here’s a list of notable moments from 2011.

January

• PB&Co. 2011 marked my first year on a real team.
•  Pneumonia Being sick really sucks. It sucks more to not take the time to get back to 100% and be behind the eight ball for months.

March

•  Broken bikes In the span of three weeks, two bikes were broken- the first at the hands of an airline, and the second from UPS. In that time, my time trial bike and I became much closer friends.

May

• Sydney World Cup This was my first trip to Australia and was another continent to check off the list. The extra days spent in Sydney were some of the best of the year. It was also another birthday on foreign soil.

June

• Broken collarbone The “squirrel incident” as some people have called it was one of those where you have to laugh to keep from crying because it was so dumb. While on the bike path, riding about 15kph, a squirrel ran in front of me. I swerved to avoid running it over- and possibly killing it- and dumped my bike over, breaking my collarbone in the process. Thankfully it was my already gimpy side because I would’ve been S.O.L. if it’d been the good side.
• The decision to move After months of waffling over whether or not to move out of the training center, I decided it was time to go. Almost five years in Colorado Springs had taken its toll on me and it was time to get the hell out! I had no idea where I was going to go or what I’d do for money but I knew something needed to change and I was the only one with the power to make it happen, so I did!

September

• Moving After road worlds, I packed everything into my car and hit the road for San Diego. A teammate had an open room and I needed a place to live. Southern California has so many more opportunities to race, better weather for year round training and, most importantly, it wasn’t Colorado Springs! So far, it’s proven to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
• New coach Following the theme of change, after the move I began working with a new coach. It’s important to me to have a coach I can see on a regular basis, ride with, and have face-to-face contact. We made some changes to training routines trying to freshen things up to help make training enjoyable again. So far, it’s been working out really well.

November

•  Nanee The hardest part of the year has been the death of my grandmother. There are so many things that could be said, but they’re best saved for another time. Rather, this Dr. Seuss quote sums it up well: “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” There are so many lessons she taught and so many wonderful memories she gave me that I won’t ever forget.

These are the moments that stick out when thinking back on the year. Things like airplane seatmates, and people clipping their nails in public places- and leaving the clipping all over the floor- are some things you may see in future posts. Until then, here’s to a fantastic 2012!