Hasta La Vista

Alright. You can thank Comcast for not getting any Colorado pictures. Or a timely update. Seriously. It's been 2.5 weeks, 10 phone calls, a trip to the Comcast office, and my address still isn't in the "database".

Here are some terribly delayed CO trip highlights:






and, if you are so inclined, more here .

In other news, Philly is pretty cool. Although it will be much better after Axel finally gets here on Thursday. I joined a new team and they seem pretty cool, although quite the opposite of Wild Card. I'll probably race for Penn's team, too. The riding out here is lovely. It takes a bit to get out of the city, but once you do it's lots of rolling hills, quaint farms and twisty roads. I'm still learning the road network though, and haven't been brave enough to venture out on my own yet. This whole "terrain" and lack of a solid grid of roads is going to take some getting used to.

So this will probably be the last post on FASTGRRLZ for quite a while. I should probably start a blog of my own, but I doubt anyone would read it. Don't delete us from your GoogleReader, though. Maybe once Miz Miles gets to Portland we can trade stories on here about cross season...

-B.Chan, signing off

oh Mr. Axel!

suxxxxxxxxx !

want to hear your update B.Chan!

And i won't be updating this blog nomore.....all's at smellmychamois.blogspot.com

we are going slowly..... ever....so.....slow....ly...

Oh Noes!

Axel is Broke.

Back from CO

Well, unfortunately Axel and I are back in Illinois. I'll post a full recap in a day or two but a couple highlights:

1. We successfully climbed Mt. Evans, the highest paved road in North America at 14,270 ft. Alex actually climbed from Idaho Springs, bringing his total altitude gain for the day to 7,000+ feet. What a hoss. I was just happy to make it to the top on my double.
2. We had a close encounter with a mama bear and her babies while hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. Alex probably saved me from being eaten/mauled.
3. Alex's Mom didn't shoot us when we pulled up at 3:30am and camped on the family lawn.
4. 12 days. 2 showers.

More later.... but now I've gotta get some sleep. kbai!

NEW BLOG!

Check Dan's and My new Blog, called SMELL MY CHAMOIS, for updates about our trip to Portland.

I probably won't be on fastgrrrlz much because we won't be going so fast and because Dan's not a girl.

relax...

So I certainly don't feel too fast right now.  Dan and I have moved out of the Shire completely, as of Thursday night.  I have Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday off work so I've been just relaxing... and getting some stuff ready for the trip.  I got soap, olive oil, agave nectar, sponges....  I cleaned my mtn bike and patched the tire, and mounted a computer on my touring gig.  SO productive.  I also got a really good tan (burn..) at the pool yesterday and went back for more today.  Dan and I made chocolate fondue.  It's the life.  My friend Soli and her guy Robert are up here visiting for a day from STL and we made some fruity yummm pancakes for brekkie and lounged.  Now we are going to ride into town and find the Korean food that we're all craving.  Ahhh  I don't know how much more relaxation I can take!  I always need something to focus the attentions on...   ahh bikes.  fast.  fast at bikes.  

Soon we'll be off on our trip and it will be a whole new sort of relaxation.  Tomorrow we are going to whittle our posessions down even more and start stuffing things in our bags.  

Which three kits will I take? 

Sock choices:  DiNO Series woolie boolies, Capo black & white high socks, the black ones with the rose from the cross race in michigan, the pearl high woolies, the 7-up socks...

Oh must think of a new blog name for D and I.  Forthcoming.

Greetings from Boulder, CO.....

There are very steep mountains here and I go very slowly up them.

More later kthxbai!

Good Job at Elk Grove!

Congrats to Pascale Petro from Project Five for winning the 3/4 race at Elk Grove!  Can you say peak?  Wow.  This lady is smart and unstoppable.  Amy Stauffer was 2nd, Siobhan Jones finished 3rd.  Fine Chicago women Jannette Rho of Bouledogue Tout Noir and Leah Sanda of Flatlandia finished 4th and 5th.  AWESOME.  I'm curious as to whether Pascale will cat up soon?  And Jannette and Leah?  

The great thing about this is that R. F. from Vanderbitchen came in 8th.  Ouch.

AAAAAAnd we all know that B.Chan and I could have taken ALL of them.  

Just kidding... really!  Good job!

........

Meanwhile, we are moving out.  I packed up my Eastons.  Our stuff is loaded up on the front porch of the thrift shop on Elm Street (well, not the Eastons).  Dan and I have moved into Susan's place for the next two weeks; the bed is so big that I forgot he was in it last night and kicked my leg out really hard---perfect for an anti-snuggler like D.Penn.  It's a posh lifestyle we're living right now--no bike parts popping out of my morning oatmeal or fluffy cat hair on my bath towel (SURPRISE! I gave Ollie a bath!).  I thought I didn't have much stuff, but it keeps appearing.  Moving sucks.  More moving today after work though...

Mountain biking yesterday!  YA!  Nick and I drove out to Kickapoo and met Gene and Don there.  Birkenstock didn't show up at the Shire, which was good because we didn't have room for him or his bike.  No one knew Jason's phone # (he thinks we use cell phones here!).  Nick and I were happy to see Gene and Don and we hit the trail when Larry also didn't show up.  Kickapoo is hard!  But so fun.  The blackberries were are coming in and the trail was dry.  Wish I would be here for the race at the end of August.

BTW Axel and Becky left on Friday.  Not sure what their plans are exactly.  Baiiiiiiiiiiiii!  I kind of miss them already.  Good thing we got an overdose of each other during Superweek!

Dan and I are going to start a blog about our trip.  We're leaving the 16th of August.  I'm so excited!