sudbury, aka bluebury

This past week training has been very hard and has required a considerable amount of self discipline. No, not because my workouts have been particularly strenuous. Because it's BLUEBERRY season! Did you know that Sudbury means blueberry in french? Now, that may or may not be accurate but the fact remains that the mtb trails in the 'bury are overrun by b.bushes and it's interfering with my training. I'm addicted to them.  I actually have to tell myself, "Just look ahead. Squint your eyes so that your surroundings are a bit fuzzy and you won't even notice them".

are ya achin'? YUP YUP YUP YUP

Did you know that Sudbury is the blueberry capital of Ontario? That one is actually true.

A lesson:
Before Sudbury had its notorious super smoke stack that now sends pollution from the mines elsewhere, the sulfuric vapor poured over the landscape in the form of acid rain and wiped out most of the vegetation. Luckily not all was lost. Blueberries thrive in acidic soil and the plants spread like wild fire over the Sudbury Basin. Because 90% of the sulfuric vapor is now removed from the area, we're losing our acidic soils* and we could possibility lose our beautiful blueberry bushes AND title! Maybe 10 years from now when I'm a mutant and have a third arm from eating too many toxic berries I'll be happy that they're disappearing but for now I'm just plain concerned.
*I actually know that this is actually a good thing

In other news, I have been dogsitting 2 extra little friends this week and for the first time in the history of my being, I am over-dogged. Dogged right out. 4 is just too many. They are all big, and will all fight to the bitter end for some reason or another.

Happy EH Day to all. Time to watch the Wimbledon finals. Go Kvitova.

e.blueberry.

I'll be the DD tonight (debbie downer)

After the Lake to Lake Classic last weekend it's safe to say I'm having a rough season. All of my races so far have been mediocre at best and I'm starting to get a bit frustrated.

Ever have those dreams where a murderer is chasing after you and you just can't move your legs? That's how I felt racing the L2L this year, minus the murderer of course. The race started off too fast for me to handle and I was dropped within 2 minutes.  No matter how much I pushed on the road sections, I just couldn't seem to generate any power.  Like so:

1 min into race

1.5 min into race

But it's ok! I'm really looking forward to Buckwallow which is my favyMcfave race of the season and some other wicked events that are coming up in July.

Congratulations to Anton for cleaning up on the weekend, Fruity for getting more flats than I've ever had in my life, and  Aaron for being the Lord of the Chainrings. And GOOD LUCK to Melinda and Steve who have been training hard for the BC Bike Race on July 1st - 9th. You may have seen them racing in vests at the O-cups, similar to those you might see on a fisherman, packed with handy pockets and other nifty features.* Well now you know why. Bring home the GOLD!

*I jest

one chainring to rule them all

Anton modeling his new whip

WBs - we're all winners

so I fell a few times.

In case you haven't already had a chance to laugh at these photos that were shot at the Hardwood Hills Canada Cup two weekends ago, here's the link: http://racedayrush.zoomphoto.ca/event/14892/.   hahah still funny.

While pre-riding the day before I had spent about 20 minutes trying to convince myself that the rock with the wood ramp was a non-issue and very do-able. And after watching pre-riders of seemingly all abilities hop right over it with ease, I talked myself into "just doing it!" during the race. For me, when it's an issue of mind over matter, my mind is sure to prevail. I went at the ramp STRAIGHT ON, didn't even consider shifting my weight back or lifting my front wheel, then had a good chuckle as I flew over the handlebars.

That wasn't my only fall either... I had had a nightmare a few nights earlier where instead of bikes, we all had to bounce around the course on red, rubber balls. Two officials were standing on either side of the boneshaker, making sure every rider bounced down head first, or else they would be disqualified. Needless to say, I had been dreading the boneshaker for a while. Since this was my first time riding Hardwood in the elite wave, I had never ridden the BS from the top before. Generally I love the techy sections of the courses but again, this was an affair of mind over matter. My mind came out on top and I crashed down hard on the last lap. I left Hardwood in an unwarranted full arm splint that day and was mountain biking within 24hrs.

On to the next weekend! Two days of complete mountain bike fun. On Saturday, Toronto hosted its first ever Toronto Mountain Bike Festival and the Wild Betties were there in full force! The Festival was quaint and no match to the Ontario Mountain Bike Fest, but the organizers said they achieved this years goals in getting new riders out on the trails and hope to expand the event for the coming years.

Sunday of course was the Albion O-Cup. I think I am happy with my race, although it would always be nice to be faster! I found the course tricky for passing and a bit confusing, but on the whole it was a great event. Nice dry trails, beautiful sunshine, great cheerers on the tough climbs and good times with old friends.

Well, I've done it. I updated my blog and it feeeeeeels good.
Going for a jump in the lake with the brown fish <- legendary childhood beast living under the dock.

e.brownfish.

Meat my Veggie

Anton loves meat. I’m a vegetarian. Meet our tag team for the 8-hour relay at Mansfield this weekend! Anton wants me to race lion’s share of the laps because he wants to save his legs for the Toronto Criterium at the St. Lawrence Market the next day. Understandable, but improbable. If there’s one thing I know about Anton, it’s his fiery, competitive spirit. And if there’s one thing I know about myself, it’s my fiery, competitive spirit. We will likely do whatever we can to do well. Including cheat. NAWT. Meat my Veggie would never!  That aside, Saturday is predicted to be a cloudy day sandwiched between two stormy days. I’m banking on sun.

So I’m a bit behind. Here are a few notes about my last two races, OCup 1 & 2.

Mansfield – ouch. The only good thing about this race was the free chocolate milk at the end. I think that is all I need to say?

Fignewton – Within 30 seconds of the start, I got caught up some sort of brouhaha and was knocked out to the side and off my bike. I was thinking, “Commonnnn I came LAST at Mansfield, gimmee a chance here!” haha but I actually had fun playing catch-up for the 1^st lap. Not great results in the end, but I felt so much better so I’m a happy camper.

Anyways, this weekend should be a gas.

I had a great, hard workout today so I’m sleepy, through and through.

All for now,

e.bedtime.

new news

Yay. I picked up my new bike. I may or may not be in the RED after this purchase, but I have my priorities.  I've been riding a 2007 Specialized Epic for the past 3 years so buying a newy was well overdue.

At the Trek store, pickin'er up. Hand over mouth, speechless.

Our two dogs staring at one ball, even there are thousands in our house (unrelated).

Bike + Hybrid = Love

Mansfield this weekend! Let the fun begin :) :)

New Kits!!

Melinda and I training in our sweet new kits while watching "Black Swan". Check out the new white band and logo on the shorts...so key.

Melinda is working really really hard and I'm just happy

oooo YOU'LL BE IN MY HEART

Ok now. I’ve been “randomly” patted down and searched for explosives at every airport so far. I wonder if this has anything to do with the way I dress. My sister says I dress like I’m between jobs and I’ve always argued against that. Now I’m not sure…

Anyways, I’m writing this entry on the plane as I fly over the Tasman sea towards Sydney Australia. There is turbulence. I am scared.

My trip is over! Donzo! Finito! And I’m so excited to be home again. Since my last post, (oopsies kind of a while ago) I have, in no particular order: hiked MOUNT DOOM, found amazing mountain bike trails on the North Island, painted pottery, gone sea kayaking,  taken the Interislander back across to the South Island, completed a 10-day road trip with Caitlin down South, read “Lullabies for Little Criminals” again (one of my favorite books), gone caving, sung my heart out to the Tarzan theme song, “You’ll be in my Heart” by Phil Collins followed by “Trashin’ the Camp” about a hundred times over, played the wave game on the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever been to, won a game of memory, and soy much more!

Mount Doom! 

A friend of Caitlin’s lent us his SUV for the trip (thank you Matt!), so we had a great time cruising down the West Coast of the South Island together. Being driven on the other side of the road took a bit of getting used to because you always felt like you were on the very edge of the road. Since I’d been biking on the roads everyday, by the time I was behind the wheel, it wasn’t a problem. And I have officially mastered the roundabout!

I still kept up my training during our road trip. We would choose a spot on the map about 50-60km away from our final destination (depending on the workout of course) and I would jump out of the car on the side of the highway. I’d assemble my bike and complete my intervals, then meet up with Caitlin at the agreed campsite. The views while biking along the coast were incredible, with huge swells crashing up against rocky cliffs and long golden beaches with waves breaking and rolling in from afar.

the day we only had seeds for dinner

got to this site late and woke up one morning to a beautiful view 

"you'll be in my heart...alwayyyyyyyyyys, i'll be there for you always! always and always. JUST LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER" ...if you don't know this song you need to

Caitlin and I caving! haha actually there's a nice path just below us so scaling the walls wasn't really necessary

We both agreed that our favorite stop on the trip was Wanaka. Every single person that we saw here was doing something active (with the best sportswear and equipment too!).  Honestly, everybody looked like they could be preparing for or had already taken part in the Olympics. The town sits on the each of Lake Wanaka, a stunning lake surrounded by mountains, and has a lovely community feel to it. To top things off, the place has amazing mountain biking. It’s looove baby!

Anyways, I really have to go to the washroom but am having an internal debate as to whether or not I should wake up the two sleepers beside me. Sometime the window seat can be a bit awkward. I think I will hold off …. J

CAUTION! STRUCTURES! haha so proper

Got caught in the dark during this ride but it was worth it!

in my life.

The Karapoti Classic Mountain Bike Race - 50km 

Excruciating. I’m still in pain.  I wish I hadn’t already used the “of my life” line in a previous post. I would like to say that was the hardest race I’ve ever done in my life, but I don’t want to anyone to think I’m just an exaggerator. But it was…

For me, the excitement started on March 4^th, the day before the race. I woke up at 5:40am to make my breakfast, finish packing, and to make my way to Picton. At 11:00am I caught the Interislander ferry to Wellington, and felt seasick for the entire 3 hr trip. Once I arrived, I picked up my sweet swag bag at a bike shop then hopped on a train to Upper Hutt, a small township within the region of Wellington. I was hoping to find a cheap hostel near the race site, but the man (Paul) at the information center informed me that since Upper Hut isn’t a popular backpackers destination, there isn’t really any cheap accommodation.

Paul was the best person I could have met that day. He told me that he was hosting 5 guys that were taking part in the race the next day, and that although his house was full, he would call his neighbors to see if they’d be willing to take me in for the night. So I ended up staying at Paul’s neighbors beautiful home, which was about 500m from the race site. I really couldn’t believe my luck. They were the nicest couple of all time, and they gave me my own room and bathroom for the night. Paul invited me over for dinner where I met the other racers staying at his house, 4 Tasmanians who organize a 4-day, 7-stage race in Tasmania called “Wildside” (www.wildsidemtb.com), and 1 Canadian, Tomas Skinner who has been traveling and riding around New Zealand for the past few weeks.

Anyways, great people, amazing luck, and beautiful location.

Would I do this again? Hmmm I think not…

At the start of the race, we all lined up ankle deep in a fast(ish), flowing river. The bridge overhead was lined with enthusiastic spectators. As my category waited and watched the elite/expert men start their race across the river, it became obvious that the shortest distance across was the deepest and the most risky. The guys who chose the longer, more indirect route didn’t have to battle as much against the waist deep current. Considering my height, I chose to take the longer, shallower route. The water level was still past my knees, so I think I made the right choice. Although the combination of algae-covered rocks and my lack of ability to easily shift my balance made for a slippery and dangerous river crossing, it was hard not to enjoy it.

1st river crossing - starts muy shallow gets muy deep

I was having a great race for the first 25-30kms, sticking with some speedy chicas that were setting a good pace. Then we hit the “unride-able” section of the race called “Devil’s Staircase”. It made me want to cry. You had to carry your bike on your shoulders up the biggest and steepest hillclimb I’ve ever seen IN MY LIFE (in a race situation). The climb went on and on and on and on and..on and on for ~2.5km.  I had lost one of my water bottles on a rocky descent prior to this section, and had forgotten my cliff blocks in my warm-up jacket. Ooooo it was bad. Partway up the climb, I assumed a cheerleading role and pulled off to the side to encourage others on. I really needed the break. I did finish this race, but barely. The race ended with the same river crossing that started the race in reverse, but this time I had to resist the desire to drop to my knees and float away. I raced for 3hrs and 58mins. Longest race of my life.

In the end I won!...a participation medal. And that’s the end of the Karapoti chapter of my life.

I have a few pictures and the GPS data marking out the course that I will upload in due time.

I hope your first 2 races this season go better than mine!

Over and out n’ about in Wellington.

e.bruised

grape work is grape

Another day, another dollar.

I'm employed again! Thus, I have been very busy and haven't had time to update this thing. I've been working at a vineyard for the past 2 weeks in a town called Blenheim. My daily responsibilities on the job include pruning, picking, snipping, de-clumping and stuffing my face with fruit and pesticides. I seem to be the only one on the crew who can't resist devouring half of what I pick. Maybe it's because of the pesticides. The bunches we pick are the ones we throw away and breaks my heart to see a perfectly ripe bunch of grapes hit the ground. So I eat em'!

It's pouring outside which means no work today! If we prune the grapes when it's raining, we can damage the fruit, and we really can't have that. It was so nice to sleep in this morning. On work days we get up at 5:20am which I'm getting used to, but it really takes a toll on you by the end of the week.

I'm staying at a hostel called SWAMPYS that supplies work for travelers like me. There are about 50 of us and we all wake up, eat, work, and sleep and the exact same time. We became a big family pretty quickly, even though some people don't even speak english. Everyone seems to have some form of culinary skill so I'm going to step-up to the plate and make braided Fin bun today. A nice comforting activity on a rainy day...

Training - ugh. Hasn't been going swimmingly in the past two weeks. My heart rate monitor died so I've been training "by feeling" instead. I depend pretty heavily on my HR during workouts, so I'm having a hard time knowing what zone I'm actually in while training. And it seems like I'm in a bit of a trail-free zone so I've been doing everything on the road. I haven't missed workouts, but they just don't seem to be going as well as before. Maybe it has something to do with those cool kiwi teens that I rode past the other day who pointed and yelled out to me, "LOSER!"...or maybe it's the amount of peanut butter I eat.  Nah, I think I just need to snap out of it, get an attitude adjustment, get a grip. When I need to pull myself together, I just think about my new bike which I'll be picking up immediately when I come home. OR I go into this bead store. Both make me giddy and excited again.

Well I'm off to the g.store to get ingreeds for my bread.

may as well publicize it...

Nothing like a good ass-kicking to get the season started. haha wow. So I entered the NZ series cup race in Nelson last Sunday. The course was great: 5 laps with just over 5k per lap, almost all singletrack, no real techy sections and about a million switchbacks.

It started off with a long climb up a dirt road to spread the racers out and let me tell ya, the start was FAST. The whistle blew, and I was immediately at the back of the pack desperately trying to hang on to anybody in front me. Once we got into the singletrack at the top, a few girls went down and I was able to slip past them without getting dangled up in the crash. The next 2 laps were uneventful, I didn't really pass or get passed. I was really just trying to make my way up to a racer who I would catch glimpses of every now and again.

80, good number

And then on the 3rd lap: BIGGEST CRASH OF MY LIFE.

It happened so fast, but I remember it in slow motion. I hit a bump in the trail and instead of absorbing it I got some air, landed on the edge of the track which was super soft and flew off the front of my bike into a thorny bush. I sat there, winded but intact, with my bike tangled somewhere below me. It happened to be a high density spectator area, so several people came down to help me.

They were all asking, "Are you ok?!"
All I remember saying is, "I think I'm in a rosebush."
Them, "They're blackberries."
"I see."

A woman asked me to hang on to her dog while her and another man helped untangle my bike from the thicket. Illegal yes, but they were so eager to help, I was so full of little thorns, and I love dogs... I didn't decline their help. At this point I had been passed by everyone and knew that I would be pulled before the end of the race anyway..hmm does that make it ok to accept help from others? Now I'm not so sure...

Everybody kept asking me if I was going to keep racing. My prickly hands told me absolutely not, but the fact the announcers called out, "ERICA BOTA FROM CANADA!" every time I started a new lap, and the fact that it was just a crash and it happens all the time, meant that I had no choice but to continue.

In the end after continuing on to complete a 4th lap, I was pulled off the course. Embarrassing. They directed me to a little path of shame off to the right of the course. I felt bad for myself for a few minutes, found Caitlin who had been my faithful feeder each lap and who was still watching the course eagerly, waiting for my arrival, and her and I had a good laugh at what had just happened.

I'm not too disappointed. I have a lot of training and racing ahead of me and will look back at this event and laugh, as I already do. Oh good times...

sad, crash site

"we're just tired"

One of my besties from back home is in NZ right now as well. Caitlin is working as a sea kayak guide in a town called Motueka, a 2 hr bike ride from Nelson. We're living close enough that we can go on mountain bike and apple stealing adventures on her days off, and far enough to be independently figuring things out in a new land. 

Recently, we went explorin' through the Kaiteriteri hills, a region just outside of Motueka. We faced some seriously extensive climbs, as well as some "high-risk" descents (but we showed em who's boss, mostly).

For most of the ride, we had a ton of energy. Towards the end of the ride however, we were both feeling tuckered, and agreed that hitchhiking the remaining 10km (downhill) back home was the most sensible option. (why....why?!)

About 5 minutes later, a truck with ample storage space stops to pick us up! I run towards it and start hoisting my bike into the back, then notice he's trying to get my attention through the rear window.

I walk up to the passenger window and he says, seeming worried, "What's happened?! Is everything ok here??"
"Oh yeah, we're just tired." I respond. Wrong answer.
"Oh, you'll be alright." He drives away.
I turn to Caitlin, "We need a better excuse."
"I've got a sprained ankle!" She peels off her sock and starts towards the road with a limp.

Owe, that looks sore. Who cares if she's facing the wrong direction,  PICK HER UP

A few cars pass and we start to feel lazy and embarrassed. Caitlin puts her shoe back on and we bike the remaining distance. We spent the rest of the ride uncontrollably laughing.  How we would have composed ourselves if somebody had actually picked us up and confirmed that Caitlin's ankle was indeed sprained and looked pretty swollen? We hadn't prepared enough to answer any questions about the injury and would have burst into laugher if anyone had been concerned for her.

Remember the eels? They exist.

Shrubbery

This morning on my ride I saw a baby hedgehog chilling by the side of the highway, munch, munch,  munchin’ away at some roadside shrubbery. As I rode passed him, he indicated to me that he wanted to cross the busy road. At first I disregarded him, and continued on down the road. But I could not ignore my conscience and I quickly biked back to the shrubbery where he still sat, munch, munch, munchin’ away. I swear though, he did want to make the cross. If you have never seen or touched a hedgehog before, they look a lot like a porcupine, and feel as prickly as they look. I scooped him up (and a bit of his shrubbery), yelled, “OWE BABY HEDGEHOG!” (he really was prickly),  and ran him across the road and farther into a big farmers field. SAFE. I continued on, guilt free J.

Later on down the road, I stopped to observe some llamas with twitchy ears.  Llamas are weird, so I pressed on.

The trails behind where I live

A tree for sale! I want it...

I had taped my camera to my handlebars in the hopes of capturing some sweet trail riding, but my camera ran out of battery. I'll try that again some other time.

the mutual wave

I have concluded that here in NZ, when two cyclists traveling in opposite directions on the same road pass one another, it is not custom to acknowledge the other with a wave. Back home, the wave represents a sense of like-mindedness,  a bond that cyclists seem to have with each other for the simple reason of being cyclists.  Here, when I initiate the wave to a fellow passerby, the response is almost always, "see the wave, ignore the wave, look back at the road." I will not be discouraged. I WILL participate in a mutual wave exchange.

I quit my job! This is a VERY good thing. The chefs in the kitchen were a particularly hideous breed of mean. I would walk into the kitchen feeling happy and light-hearted and would exit feeling like life just wasn't worth living.  After being sworn at countless times,  I decided I just couldn't handle it anymore and I walked out. I was working 40+ hrs a week and it was starting to conflict with my training. So I quit, and that's that. I'm so much happier already.

This also means I'm not tied down to Nelson anymore. I have loved exploring the area, but have a huge urge to move on and travel down the east coast of the island. I'm thinking about following the mtb series from Nelson on Feb.13, to Christchurch on Feb 20th, to Nationals in Dunedin on Feb 24-27th.

We'll see where the wind blows!

just as i'm about to start my ride yesterday, I notice a wee situation:

me noticing

the wee situation

close call

I came very close to hitting a parked car yesterday while fiddling with my ipod. Those things come out of nowhere sometimes. I almost went over the handlbars as a I made my emergency brake...not an exaggeration. Looked about, nobody saw. Phew, still cool.

Hmmm, what's new. OH YES! Thanks to a mtb amiga Steph who discovered this exciting mtb event, I registered for the Karapoti Classic! Never heard of it? I hadn't either until today as I surfed the website and immediately sent in my money for registration and an event Tee! Normally I don't go in for these types of T-shirts because they're usually extra-large and cotton, but I figured I should splurge on this once in a lifetime opportunity and go for the women's physique, dry-fit option.

The race starts like this...

Has a lil bit of this...
(Maybe he just got bit by an eel)

And ends something like this...

I think those are only two river crossings. Did I mention that the rivers here are festering with eels and that eels have teeth? Just saying. I'm going to be bookin' it out of that water so fast. Leeches are my biggest fear in life, and in my mind, eels are bigger, scarier versions of leeches...WITH TEETH. (otherwise I'm an animal lover)

I'll have to take the ferry from the South Island where I am now to the southern tip of the North Island for this race. I had wanted a reason to take that ferry anyways so this is perfect. 

Well that's for now, time to hit the roads!

eb

Yesterday was a lovely, sunny day so I decided bike to Cable Bay,
about 25 km away from where I live. The picturesque inlet is made up of a long pebble beach with a mountain on either side, making it somewhat of a hidden gem. It has been so useful having my bike with me here in Nelson. I’ve been able to explore so many places that would otherwise be impossible to see by foot.

Cable Bay

In Nelson (and I think in all of New Zealand) it is mandatory to wear a bike helmet. And this is not a joking matter! If you embark on a two-wheeled adventure without a helmet you are sure to be pulled over and fined $55.  Furthermore, you cannot get back on your bike after you have been stopped. You need to find some alternate form of transportation to get back to where you started and return to your bicycle once you have the appropriate safety attire. I think this is brilliant! The roads are so busy and the roundabouts so confusing (at least for me) that cyclists are bound to get hit once and a while. We should totally do the same in Canada, agree?

WB in NZ

Last week I went on one of those Wednesday night group rides with a local bike shop. Five of us showed up and as usual, the ride started out with a long steep ascent full of switchbacks. At the top of the first hill, we reached a seemingly vacant farm field with a sign reading, “If your dog is caught disturbing or worrying sheep, the dog will be DESTROYED”. For the first time since I’ve been in New Zealand, I was glad to have Oli safe and sound in Sudbury Ontario. Had he been with us, I guarantee he’d be “worrying” the sheep. And imagine seeing your pet be DESTROYED?! Gees louise, intense. 

About an hour into the ride we came upon a woman laying in the middle of the trail, holding a potentially broken ankle. We called an ambulance but because we were in the middle of nowhere, we were not accessible by vehicle. Luckily one of the riders was equipped with a Garmin 705 complete with a GPS that "knows no limits" so he was able to give the HELICOPTER!!! paramedics precise coordinates of where the traumatic incident had occurred. We waited for about an hour, comforting the wounded lady, testing out each other’s bikes, and kicking the ground aimlessly until we spotted a far away chopper heading our way. After we full-body flagged the helicopter down, which probably wasn’t necessary as they had our exact coordinates, a paramedic jumped out and came to the lady’s aid. The pilot let down a wire and the woman was taken up up and away! And that was the end of our ride. It was getting dark by then so we all just biked back down the mountain and went our separate ways once at the bottom.  

The beach in Nelson

Today it is pouring outside. So hard. It's going to be a wet 2 hr ride today!

Free sunscreen on the beach sponsored by the skin cancer society!

Wild Betty

I've been here in Nelson for 6 days now and it is beautiful. So far it's been hot and sunny almost everyday. I've been staying at different hostels throughout the week while I try to find a nice room to rent. I've check out a few places but none of them are exactly what I'm looking for. Also, today I got a job! I'll be waitressing at The Honest Lawyer Pub starting today at 3:30! http://www.honestlawyer.co.nz/

More about mountain biking: The trails here are stunning! mountain after mountain after mountain etc. There's a nice bike shop downtown that runs a group ride every Wednesday night. I joined in last week and two friendly locals brought me to some really sweet trails with tons of climbing. Looks like I'm going be get in great hill climbing training this winter!

Two days ago a met a girl about my age who is in Nelson for the exact same reason as me! She races elite in Switzerland and flew over to NZ with her BMC mtb. She said she races for some Swiss BMC MTB team over there. She plans on racing the big NZ Cup race in Nelson on Feb 13th too and doing some of the mini local races here in town. I think we'll try and do some long rides together. Pretty cool, small world.

I lost my running shoes :(.  I can't remember the last place I saw them but think I left them on the plane. I didn't notice until yesterday when all I wanted to do was go for a run in the hills. In the end I went for a run anyways, without any shoes. Being barefoot was actually kind of nice, but my tootsies are sore today. I don't know what I'm going to do without my runners...

Sittin' in the airport chewing my bubble gum

So here I am,  in the Los Angeles airport. I'm very happy to be here. I wasn't sure if I would make it.  I was supposed to fly out of Sudbury on Dec 31st, but as my travel luck would have it, all flights out of the city were cancelled for the day due to fog.  That's coo. not. Because I was flying with 3 different airlines, only my first two flights were insured. I had to rebook the other 4 flights on my own expense, and a hefty expense it was. Ian ended up just driving me to Toronto to avoid being affected by the heavy fogs of Sudbury again.  I'm here now on a 5 hour layover. Just chilling out by the food court, sitting by a plug with   some people on their iphones. Maybe I'll try to make a friend. "you need a plug to eh? yeah, hehe, me too".

In case you have been sitting on the edge of your chair wondering what on earth I decided to do with my bike, I chose to pack it in a huge plasma TV box. I can't really see over the box as I push it down the airport walkways. This has encouraged several "small girl, big TV" jokes from other travelers.  funny funny funny. But actually, sometimes they're funny.

Alrighty, that's all for now.
Merci pour avoir lu ceci,
erica