Best and Worst of 2009

I enjoy doing this post although sometimes it’s hard to think of questions to fill in. It’s always a great time for reflection… to sit back and say, “Dang! I did a lot of really cool stuff last year!”

Rewind 1 year… here is the best and worst of 2008.

So… without any further ado. Drumroll please.

Go to :34. haha

Best New Race: Tie between the Park City Point to Point and the Pierre’s Hole 100. Both awesome… and both I hope to return to this year. Common theme is 75-100 miles, 14-17000′ of climbing, and sweet sweet singletrack. That’s love.

Biggest Disappointment: Vapor Trail. Both of my lights didn’t work, and my pack exploded. I didn’t even get to try after all the mental prep it took to just start the dang thing… at midnight…. in the rain and snow…at 10,000+ ft! I hope to do it this year and kick it’s ass.

Favorite Ergon product this year: GX3. I freaking love this grip and the bigger bar end. Best thing since sliced bread.

Best new sports nutrition product:: I have 2 that really helped me this year.
ONE – you guessed it! FRS!
TWO – Acid Zapper. Good good stuff.

Best new beer I tried: Pliny the Elder… imperial IPA. Amen.

Best Trip: I had a great time going up to Grand Targhee for Pierre’s Hole. Call me crazy, but I really do enjoy camping at races.

I had also never seen the Tetons (and I still haven’t seen them from the front side!)

Runners Up: Camp Lynda, Park City

Worst Trip: I don’t really have any trips that I regret. I do have a pretty awful taste in my mouth from the Laramie Enduro, but that’s just because my legs were MIA.

I don’t think I’m going to make it moment: There were 2.

One was at the end of Park City Point 2 Point.  I was bonking spectacularly – the kind where you have to get off your bike and walk because you are so disoriented that you have double vision.  Which trail do I ride?  I thought I was at the end, but it just kept going uphill.

The second was in Moab in November.  After a 8ish hours on the bike, Yuki, Jeff, and myself were lost.  The sun was going down.  We were sure that we’d have to spend the night on some rock in the desert with basic survival equipment.  It was pretty scary… but somehow we were able to find away back to the road (thank you my awesome navigator Jeff!)  Yes, we were panicking a bit.

“Oh shit! I almost had to spend the night in the desert with no water.”

Thing that’s hard to believe: Just a year ago I was recovering from anemia and one of my worst race seasons. A year can seem so long ago, yet so fresh in my mind.

Coolest jaw-dropping thing I saw this year: A freaking BRAIN surgery!!! I saw a tumor removed, and I got to see a live, human brain. Wow.

Decision this year I am most excited about: Going to Physician Assistant School in 2 years. I am so glad I am not going to be an engineer after all. Phew!

Funniest quote I heard in a race: Eszter Horanyi (24 Hr National Champ) came through on a lap and said to me, “This is soooo stupid!” hahaha

Favorite photos: … will be in the next post. It will be a road trip through 2009 in pictures. 🙂 That’ll be fun!

I love my travel buddies. We spent probably 100 hours in the car together this year. haha!

Hardest Lessons of 2009:

• Not that we don’t already know this in life, but it’s a humbling reminder: You can do everything you can to excel at something, try your hardest and still fail. (Re: Marathon Nationals… my legs didn’t turn on until about mile 35. Fail.)
• Despite how hard I try, I can’t do it all and I can’t always make the right decisions.  Sometimes you just have to be present and accept where you are and be okay with it.
• Thinking long term scares the crap out of me, but I’m working on it being less intimidating.
• Knowing I can’t be a pro biker racer forever, and that I am going to have significant life changes in the next few years

Best Accomplishments of 2009:

• Best race season ever!!!!!!!
• Being a published sports writer in Mountain Bike, Nectar, and Competitor.  Sweet!  Blogging is paying off.  See!  People with engineering degrees can write after all.  hehe
• I feel that I have learned a ton of things about sports nutrition and training this year… a lot more than other years
• Creating a 5 year plan for myself
• Being able to reach out to so many people.  Thank you readers and clinic attendees!
• Despite all the travel, staying close to people I love (friends and family)

2009 was one of the best years of my life!  Thank you to everyone (friends, family, and of COURSE my wonderful sponsors) who helped make it all happen.  These are experiences I will never forget and I feel like I am “sucking the marrow out of life” and living to the fullest.  Now that’s a great feeling to start 2010!  GAME ON!