In Philly and very very excited!

after a long week in montreal with rain and cold weather at the end of the tour- the team arrived in philly yesterday to hot hot humidity. will be an interesting change. it was a long trek to get here- we finished the last montreal race and went to the post-race banquet... getting back to the dorms well after 11PM, getting to sleep after midnight only to wake at 5AM... sit in the car for an 11 hour transfer (a few stops and a lot of traffic). so, we were a bit pooped when we limped in here last night- but after a great night sleep and a fantastic breakfast of banana pancakes prepared for us by our host-family’s daughter... we are ready for action!

wow! i am VERY excited for this race! it really seems to be my dream course... it has a big wall in it to make it fun and hard, but it usually always comes down to a sprint. the course winds through philly and is lined with spectators. since we race at the same time as the men, our crowds will be bigger than we usually get. it always helps you get up a hill to have people yelling you on! it will be a huge, aggressive field with a few choice turns right before the climb. position, position, position... that is what matters most on a course like this. then it will be a drag race with some of the top sprinters in the world.

so, for now- it is all about taking care of yourself. we rode, we are eating, napping, showering, getting massaged, visualizing... in short- getting race ready. for now, off to shower and nap. more later!