Welcome to November! Fall is on its way out and winter is coming, its nice to be out of San Diego and feel the change in seasons. I got so excited when the temperature dropped that I went and had my snowboard waxed and edged so I could be ready for opening day at Crystal Mountain. For me the 2009 BMX race year is over, and this week I begin building my engine for 2010. I opted out of finishing the ABA national series after talking with my coaches and husband who convinced me to sit out the end of the national circuit so that my body could recoup from the injuries I sustained this year and be fresh to hit next year hard. Looking back at my 19th BMX season logged in the books, I am especially proud I made it through considering the set backs I had. This year dealt me two broken heels from a rock climbing accident in March, followed by a broken hand from a crash in August. Thanks to a lot of support from the sports med staff in Chula Vista and my coaches, plus a whole lot of milk and hard work, I scraped out a Bronze at the World Championships and 3rd overall in the World Cup Supercross series. Apparently getting hurt for me means getting motivated, but I think I prefer the route that involves training and staying healthy. All injuries aside, I feel like I grew a lot this year as a rider, and I hope that no matter what I accomplish I can continue to say that!

The Supercross series finished in France the first weekend of October. My reward was three weeks of vacation doing whatever I wanted to stay active--with only one rule: no BMX until December--a rule that I have already broken twice. Its just hard to stay off the little bike, I love it so much. Despite the self-imposed BMX bike restriction, I took full advantage of no structured training to enjoy the beauty of Western Washington. We moved there this past June after my husband received orders to join the 4-160th at Ft Lewis, but I haven't been able to spend a lot of time exploring since, so it still feels really new to me. I went for everything I usually limit during my training season; hiking, road rides along the waterfront, cross country rides in the mountains and through the woods, packing in as much outdoor adventure as weather would allow. My former OTC roommate and 08 BMX bronze medalist, Jill Kintner, lives in Seattle and was all for showing me the best spots. It felt like the good old days again attacking the next adventure until she managed to demoralize me on a trail climb last week on our mountain bikes, but to my defense i'm still learning the art of the big bike--i'll get you soon buddy.

After a few weeks at home I packed up the bags for a little vacation to see my husband who is training with his Black Hawk unit in Tennessee, and from there to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. BMX is based out of the Chula Vista OTC, but I thought I would mix it up a bit and get a breath of fresh mountain air as I start conditioning for next season. The air is proving to be fresh indeed, and also lacking in oxygen. I just had my first velodrome workout which proved to be a lot harder than it looks, I was sucking wind and legs were on fire, but I always enjoy a new challenge-- especially one that involves wheels and pedaling. Vancouver Olympics are in the air here and there is a general excitement emanating through the complex, which makes the oh-so-painful conditioning just a little easier.

Conditioning is always synonymous with pain, but there is something weird about getting run into the ground that I actually enjoy. Maybe its just that I like being back on a schedule working towards new goals, or maybe there is just something chemically wrong in the brain of athletes like myself who endure torture like its an addiction and keep coming back for more. I have a love/hate relationship with these workouts, but the next few weeks will test my stamina for sure. However, with it marks the beginning of exciting new goals and prospects for 2010 and 2012 feels right around the corner when you are eating, training and sleeping under the rings of the USOC. Its time to work...