The Navigators 2007 team calendar is where it’s at - all the information you need to know about the guys is right there at your fingertips.  Fun facts, action shots, mug shots - go out and buy the calendar yourself and you’ll find all the interesting facts you’ll ever need.  However, don’t believe everything you see because it appears that someone has stolen Hilton’s identity, the mug shot of Hilton can’t possibly be him. This might be what Hilton looks like with his helmet on but what about underneath the cool blue helmet?  Who is the “real” Hilton?  Could it be this guy, or , or maybe this guy ?  Ahh, this must be him… .  Hilton, which picture do you prefer?

Uh, can I borrow a DVD now? 

MM

IT IS SNOWING IN ALBUQUERQUE!  I can’t believe it.  I thought I was coming to New Mexico to ride outside, to do some good road training, to log in the miles….but NOOOO, it has to snow here, too.  Jeez, why does it have to folllow me everywhere?  Well, at least I’ll have a few (like 30 or so) people to do trainer workouts with so at least it shouldn’t be so boring.

Good ride today, although it was rather cold but we knew we had to endure it since we knew the bad weather was on it’s way.  Hopefully we can get back out on the roads soon, especially since Casey Gibson shows up tomorrow to start taking team pictures.  At least he is here for about 5 days to give the snow some time to melt.

The riders are all starting to open up now and we are all starting learn names, knicknames, etc.  I think the girls are enjoying having the guys to train with, but I’m not so sure the guys are too happy with us when we only spend about 30 sec on the front before we peel off to the back.  At least we aren’t gearing up for the Tour of California so we can feel a little bit more relaxed about this weather but I think some of those guys are starting to freak out a bit.

I am going to do a snow dance now….NO MORE SNOW!!!  Say it with me….NO MORE SNOW!

Adios

-Meredith

Righty-o, we rode ON THE INTERSTATE today.  And I am not just talking about on the shoulder of the interstate but we took up an entire LANE!  Semis, cars, the whole lot just went whizzing by us today at mock speed.  Although, we weren’t going too slow ourselves but still…it was crazy.  Fortunately, the cars didn’t seem to mind us too much so we were pretty content and felt relatively safe.  The ride overall was steady - 90 miles in 4 hours.  First, I have only done a hand full of 4 hour rides since the beginning of December, and second, I certainly haven’t done that many miles in 4 hours so my legs are feeling it now.  The guys really put the hammer done in the last hour so it was tough going for a while but good to get out there and give it a little nudge for a change. 

I think the guys are starting to warm up to us a little bit now so we are actually talking to each other on and off the bike, but like at dinner tonight, it’s still girls at one table and the guys at all the others.  Still, it’s a good atmosphere - the jokes are even starting to fly around now, too.

Time to go put my legs up so I am ready for another long day in the saddle tomorrow.  Oh, and speaking of saddles, it really sucks trying to break in a new one.

Ciao ciao

Meredith

Hello from Albuquerque! I wasn’t so sure yesterday if I was actually going to be taking off from Denver yesterday since there was yet more snow falling, but the stars were aligned and we took off only 45 minutes late…they had to de-ice the plane and all. The flight was smooth and I kept myself occupied by reading train books to the little 3 year boy sitting next to me. His father had his hands full with his 9 month old daughter so I figured he could use a helping hand so I kept the little boy interested in something besides bugging his little sister.

Not long after landing we pulled in at the rather posh Embassy Suites hotel to get settled in to our “home away from home” for the next 2 weeks, and where it was immediately apparent that we should all be prepared for chaos the next couple of weeks. Not only have plans been made for the girls from TEAm Lipton but also the Navigators, who have enough riders to field an entire football team, so needless to say there are A LOT of people to keep in line. And that isn’t even counting the gazillion staff who are here to make sure we can be as lazy as possible, not having to do anything but ride our bikes.

Yesterday afternoon was filled with lots of gossip from the winter months, measuring up our sweeeet, flash Fuji bikes, gathering up some of the new gear that has arrived like our stash of Smith sunnies and clothes, dinner and meetings. Basically, we are going to bond like one big happy family this week. Ed might have actually facilitated that process if he had introduced us all last night, but Ed being Ed has decided that we are mature enough adults (ha ha) with the capaiblities to introduce ourselves as the weeks go on (right).

This morning we had to be at the hospital bright and early, and without breakfast of all things, for blood tests, stress tests, and echocardiograms. Boys on one side of the room, girls on the other - this whole mature adult thing hasn’t caught on yet. We were poked and prodded for blood and yelled at to push harder during the stress test but the one thing that everyone thought was pretty damn cool was the echocardiogram. It’s not to often that you get to see your beating heart - valves, chambers, and all. I wish I had thought enough to bring my camera but I wasn’t thinking that clearly on an empty stomach. After all was said and done at the hospital, we tried to get out for a 3 hour ride but evidently getting 30 plus people organized and on time is impossible so we were only allowed just over 2 hours of riding before we had to get ready for dinner. The ride went fairly well but again, it is obvious that even when riding side by side, the guys and girls have this aversion to the opposite sex. Whatever, we had another nice dinner and are now enjoying free time for the rest of the evening.

I should explain that the reason we are in Albuquerque is because the city is really pushing hard to make this a mecca for cycling. They have just built a state of the art BMX facility and they are working on a velodrome, a cycling center, and other sorts of facilities. The city is really excited to have us here to promote our sport and therefore the reason why we are staying in such a nice hotel, enjoying such extravagent dinners, and being treated like royalty. Maybe the guys are used to such fuss but I doubt that many female cyclists could say the same.

Well, I am sure that as the days go on the guys will realize we don’t have girl cooties and we will realize that they don’t stink half as bad as we think they do and we will all become one big happy family like Ed has proposed.

Happy days
-Meredith

For those of you who read my post from yesterday, you’ll remember that I said I made a self-diagnosis. Well, I need to retract that statement because it was really Kristin who made the diagnosis for me. See, I was on the phone with her when my fingers spontaneously turned white and I mentioned it to her. She laughed and said that it happens to her as well, except it’s her nose that turns white (pretty goofy looking really), but she couldn’t remember the name of the “syndrome”. I did the search on the internet for it and found Raynauds, but it was definitely Kristin who got me all freaked out that I have some “syndrome” now. But, as far as I can figure, it’s not contagious so don’t go thinking that if you come near me, or her, you’ll be afflicted with some horrible “syndrome” too.

By the way, I don’t really know if Kristin’s nose turns white, it just sounded funny.

I am off to ride in 50 degree weather again. Boo yah!

Ciao
Meredith