Good for the Soul

During Spring Break, I figured it was really time to try and hunt down a new mountain bike. I started looking at the Juliana Joplin, thinking if I needed only one bike that would be the bike to have. Plus, I have long admired Juliana as a bike company for  pushing the boundaries for women's bikes. I filled out an application for a grass-roots sponsorship, knowing well that it was a little late in the season trying to lock down anything but as Sully says, "if you don't ask the answer is always no." I was accepted as Juliana Ambassador and selected the Joplin as my weapon (bike) of choice. It's the most amazing bike, it has the heart of a trail bike but the body of an climber (which works well because it's the exact opposite of me). There is nothing it cannot do and I'm so excited to see where it will take me this next year.

Sully and I planned a trip to California for after law school to see his family and get a solid block of riding in. It's no secret that finals definitely put a damper on my training (as it should) and my candy consumption definitely went up. I only did about 6-8 hours of riding for two weeks (just for comparison the first week after law school I spent 16 hours riding). After one final I was scheduled to do 5 intervals, after the 4th one I started hysterically crying thinking I had failed (I didn't) and did not get to the 5th set. Law school really isn't for the faint of heart, or the emotionally unstable.

Never a dull moment with these two!t

We left Boulder after law school and headed towards Ogden to stay there for the night. Wayne moved there in February and we were the first official visitors. Luckily for us, he's still looking for a job and rode with us in the morning. It was my first ride on the bike and I couldn't believe how responsive it felt climbing, but didn't feel like I sacrificed anything on the decent either, although Wayne and Sully stayed significantly ahead of me. Wayne and I have matching helmets to go with our matching brain injuries! 

The first ride we did in California was around Lake Folsom. Sully has ridden around there and thought it was be a good location for intervals, it wasn't. But still a lot of fun, smooth trails to spend time on and continue to get acclimated to my bike.

Our next stop was Santa Cruz, which was amazing. Not just for the riding but the forests are awe-inspiring. The redwoods that grow there remind you just how insignificant you are, and yet awake and inner desire to always spend your days wisely (deep, I know-thanks law school). The trails around there are unlike anywhere else I have ridden. It makes sense why so many bike companies are located there, the perfect place to test equipment. I can't even describe how amazing the trails are so here are some photos (worth at least 1,000 words). If you mountain bike at all, this is certainly a destination worth going to.

House hunting 

I may have had excess amounts of candy before riding the teeter-totter 7 to 8 times...

Re-rooting with nature after law school (get it because it's tree pose for yoga)

We are now back in Park City, heading to Moab for a night of camping and then to Durango, CO for the first race of the season, Ironhorse. I was going to sign up for the expert category but they don't have one and only 2 women are in my age group so upgraded to the pro category to race with 10 women instead. Might be a bit demoralizing but as my coach said, "Don't be afraid to go with the pace, there's no consequence of exploding in a race like that, and having fast people to chase is good for the soul." Plan is to try and at least hang on for the first lap (6 miles) and then go from there. 

Sorry ladies, Wayne is off the market

I feel as if the tension I have been walking around with during law school is finally leaving my body. I'm returning to a normal sleep schedule and a normal consumption of coffee (at least for me). Somebody told me before law school started that the first year will really turn you inside out, I thought it was an exaggeration before I began and now I realize it's the perfect way to describe the year. 

California recovery day done right!