I am here and I still can’t believe it. It feels like a dream. Tomorrow morning at 9 AM Europe time (or 1 AM in Boulder, CO), the gun will go off. I’ll be lined up next to the best marathon distance racers in the world, about to depart on a 107kM adventure of the body ,mind, and spirit, and most likely it will be in the rain. I hope my legs show up because my heart will be there, 1000%!
Yesterday, I rode the parts of the course I missed. It’s all very similar and at race pace will be very painful!
Plenty of gravel in the pain cave
Proof there is some fun singletrack on the course
Thanks to Lars, our mechanic, for taking great care of us. That is my lovely teammate – Sally Bigham.
Today, I met up with Krista and we did an hour spin on the last section of the course. It relaxed me to ride with someone I know, who is having similar experiences here in Germany.
Harvesting wheat… for beer, and for all the yummy bread.
My USA teammate, Krista. The irony of it? We both were born in New Mexico and we both graduated from UNM Electrical Engineering program for undergrad. Is there something in the water… or perhaps in the green chile? Her husband Todd has been a great support too!
I saw this outside someone’s house by the garbage. Whoaaa crazy! Jager bombs? 
The grocery store here is surprisingly HUGE. Like 3 stories and a moving sidewalk for your cart. A German man was watching me take this. I tried so hard to be discreet so I didn’t look like a stupid american, but I failed…and he laughed. 
THREE aisles of sweets. I will be returning next week to buy some fun stuff to bring home.
I was overly amused riding in Dave and Sally’s van. They are from the UK, so the steering wheel is on the right. Weird!!
I have spent most of my time in the hotel, doing it all right. I wake up, enjoy a german breakfast, get out on my bike (ride to the venue, ride parts of the course), come back and sit in bed or nap, eat dinner, then go to bed. This is something I’m not used to. I’m used to being constantly busy, constantly on the go and NO time to relax.
A few pre-race thoughts.
I am not nervous. The night before marathon nationals, I was a nervous wreck. For this race, I have no expectations. My only goal is to ride my hardest and hope with all my heart that my legs feel good. I have learned a tough lesson with jetlag, and it really effects your body for racing. The nervous system is still asleep. I hope mine is awake and ferocious. If I had a chance to redo it all, I’d come out even earlier. I know I am capable of doing really well, I want to do really well. I want more than anything to feel at my strongest pedaling up that first hill and charge through the race like Wonder Woman(haha) in my kit.
A tremendous THANK YOU to my sponsors, especially Ergon. I could not have done this amazing adventure without you. Thank you to my Topeak Ergon teammates here, and especially to Dirk(our team manager), Lars (team mechanic), and to Theresa and Werner (team physiotherapists) for all your hard work.
I feel incredibly lucky to have this opportunity in my life and am not taking one second of it for granted. I feel fortunate for all the wonderful support I have from my friends – it has been overwhelming to see that, especially on facebook. Wow! This experience something I will always have and always remember, regardless of the outcome tomorrow. Hard work does pay off. I will always know that I was selected and rode the World Championship representing my country in 2010.
Bring it on!!!!!!!!!!!! Let’s kick some ASS!
