The Dirt Field

While on a training ride yesterday, I went into a loose, rocky downhill turn too fast and the bike slid out from under me. My head and face hit the ground first, denting my helmet and smashing my glasses/face into a small rock. Ouch. For the glasses, I mean. They weren't cheap. And I guess for my face, too. On the bright side, I'm starting a new job tomorrow! At least I won't stick out or anything. As my father kindly tried to rationalize, it "just looks like [I] put my makeup on wrong." Great. People won't think I'm injured; they'll just think I'm stupid.

When I first started biking, I was determined to keep it light and fun, nothing too competitive or serious. A few months later, I decided that I was actually going to go to the Olympics. Always keeping it real, that's me. After a few months of training myself and struggling to pull together a decent workout plan based on a number of different training approaches/philosophies, I was directed to Alison Dunlap to get personal coaching from a true expert who had done everything I was hoping to do. I've been working with her since the beginning of 2008 and she has given me some real gems of insight, including: "When you do it right, it's easy. When you do it wrong, it's not." "Try not to eat so much cheese." "The rides that make you win races are the ones where the weather sucks, you feel terrible, and you hate ...continue reading.