I'm back safe and sound from Moskva - no radiation poisoning, no fatal run-ins with the mafia, and no malnourishment from lack of food. They had plenty of food in the country, however most of it was not to we Yanks' liking. That's never been a problem for me though...The only obvious downside of the trip at this moment is the fact that I'm posting this entry at 4:00a due to sleeping woes.
Overall, I had a very good trip. I was happy with my race, I got a good dose of culture while there, and I definitely enjoyed watching the high-level of racing and sightseeing.
I was psyched about my 13+s p.r. in the race but I also realize that I had a lot going for me this time around. I had about 6 weeks of specific training in prep, I had a PERFECT bike setup (I wouldn't change a thing), and I was on one of the fastest tracks in the world. It might prove difficult to improve on this time in the near future but the desire to beat teammate Rich England's 4:28 best is a good motivator! :)
Next up for me is the LA World Cup on Jan. 19-21. I will be doing just the IP again and then again the week after in the US selection trials for the track World Championships. Then it's on to road season! That didn't take long did it? If I were to win the WC trials and we qualified a spot for the pursuit, the Track World Championships are at the end of March in Spain this year.
I'm sorry I've been intentionally mum about the upcoming road season. There are a lot of exciting news and additions with the team that I will share soon. For now, here are pics of the hotel we stayed in. I'll post more pics later when this server isn't being a pain in my b-side:
the Hotel Ukraine where we stayed for the week - beautiful architecture.
the Hotel Ukraine at night. You can't see it well but it has a big red soviet star at the top of the tower.
Jet lag is a perennial problem as Kori displays here by coming to breakfast with her shirt inside-out.
Colby gives some post-race instruction after the Women's points race.
Red square - the Kremlin outer wall w/ tower on the left and a museum(?) in the center right.
These Russian security forces were EVERYWHERE at Red Square. The first day we went to Red Square, it was closed due to protests. We saw this horse brigade a few minutes later. Those poor protesters....
Sima, Kori, Gina (a Canuck), and Colby pose in front of St. Basil's Cathedral (or CandyLand as Colby calls it)
Ya know that Colorado blizzard you've been hearing about? A photo of my poor Corolla on Thurs. Would Teddy and his TUSB training method ride in this??? What about the TUSB indoor trainer riding? I have to change my chamois every 60-90 min. because it's like sitting in a saturated diaper. Pleasant, eh?
