More from Austin. Next time I go there, I'm getting a pair of cowgirl boots!

Here is a nice selection of pics from our off-the-bike time in Austin. Thanks to Rick Kent for taking so many pics through the weekend.

I wish all race trips were like this one!! ;)

The folks in Austin really made a big, big deal about bringing the race to their town and thanks to Michael Ball of Rock Racing....the event received some great sponsorship and the name of the event became "Austin Rocks"....and let me tell ya, it sure did! My teammate Jen McRae, and my good friend and former teammate Kate Sherwin both live in Austin, so I have a darn good reason to go back real real soon.

People talk about Austin being this and that with music scene being so great, and with Lancy Pants opening a store etc etc...but for me, it will always be a special place just because that weekend was so wonderful. True that. It will be hard to repeat that kind of good time anytime soon, that's for sure.

Anyway, other than that.....we had Manhattan Beach, not the best weekend for me on many levels. The race was actually a bit of a buzz kill because it just never seemed to get aggressive enough, thus leaving everyone and their mum to feel like a sprinter come the end of the race (so typical hey). We pulled off third with Jen, which is great (never complain about podiums!)....but we know we can be on that top step. That is the goal. The best thing to come out of that race was the awesome host housing and support we received from my good friend and client Jim Manton of Sand Canyon Cyclery. He and his family and friends took really great care of my team, and to top it all off, we did a women's ride out of his shop that turned out to be a highlight for us all! Very cool stuff :)

So...post the Manhattan Beach race, I went right into a week long visit with my special, main man, Myles (sorry no pics yet cuz i lost the silly cord to upload!). Myles came here with two friends for a week. Ahem. Thats' right, three teenage boys for a week of Summer break! Talk about tiring a little mama out...lol. It was all about driving, and riding bikes, and sightseeing, and beaches and movies and girls hahaha! Jeez I could hardly keep up with these guys! Myles is just such a sweetheart though, even with the challenges of him being a teen!

I love him bunches and miss him every single day that he is not with me.....

So thats that. There's the update. Actually been training my arse off too (like I said in my other post!). I've been logging a bunch of miles on the bike in new places, with new people, and finally feeling like I am able to explore this new territory of mine on the bike ---and not just in the car!

Okay....just keepin' it fresh and keepin' it real (and throwing in a cold one here and there too!)


Peace