The Awareness test.

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How aware are you?

Boulder- Bicycling Heaven

It looks like I have survived my first week at altitude...

However I had a rude slap in the face on Sunday after trying to ride my bike a bit too hard on Saturday. The reverse button was well used all the way home. 

A lot of teams and bike riders base themselves up here for the same reason we are here, for the positive effects of living and training at altitude and benefit it has on a riders performance. With all these bike riders in the same town and having all day to ride a bike its all been pretty relaxed. Most bunch rides don't start until 10 or until its warm enough which has been more than ideal. 

Motivation to race is soaring and after watching the boys kick some serious ass at San Dimas I cant wait to turn around and give it a good nudge myself to perform for the team. Tour of Gila count down!

Episode 1 of 4 of Pureblack Racings - In Black and White Doco has been released this weekend also.

A good watch.

Over and Out

Noddy

Young Kiwi Explorers.

20hours up in the air. 6hours in transit.

What a long day just to get half way around the world. 

Safe travels helped make the trip alot easier than I was expecting. With little to no drama along the way the transition from plane to plane to bus was simple and straight forward. 

Boulder is a classic red brick building town, almost as cliche as they come, and what you would expect from what is seen in the movies. It is a University town where a quarter of its population is students (25,000). So lots of uni students + a kiwi accent has quickly singled us out as aliens and has created a great starting point of conversation with everyone about who we are and where New Zealand actually is. 

Everyone has been extremely helpful. University Bike Shops is one of the sweetest bike shops I have ever been in. Typical American style of bigger is better and power in numbers, I have never seen so many bikes on a shop floor. 

After a failed attempt to go for a bike ride on our first ride where we were blown off our bikes the guys at the shop are taking us out for a ride in the next coming days making our job of scoping the town out and finding loops for the remainder of the team that much easier.

We have moved in with a ex-pat kiwi while we try find a place to stay. Showing my youth I didn't realize how hard and expensive this could be, however from what I have been told Boulder isn't exactly the cheapest place to live either. A bit of a transition into my version of the real world as I do admit I am living my dream.

A few Kiwis for company has been good fun and helps to pass time when walking the streets yet the idea of living here for 5months hasn't really sunk in yet, for me it seems the same as my brief trip away last year where I was in and out within 10weeks. Its a bit more than that this year, make it 20weeks. With plenty of racing on the schedule there will be plenty going on to keep me busy I'm sure. 

Its only day 2 here and adjusting to the time zones hasn't been too hard yet however the challenge of adjusting to altitude is going to be and all new experience.

I must admit I do already miss NZ but look forward to racing and riding my bike here in the US.

Over and Out

Fly time.

So I am a bit anti Auckland. Not a true patriot. 

However I do love the North Shore where I live. This can be found over the other side of the Harbour Bridge. 

We are pretty much our own little city. But to most its all the same.

When the opportunity and excuse came to go spend some time in Wanaka to race and explore new roads with team mate Jimmy Williamson I was there 2days later. A 10day trip.

One race I did was the Alpine Classic - Queenstown to Wanaka and return. A tidy 140km race up and over the Crown Range climb twice. For me it was a chance to test myself and my form on one of the longest climbs we race up in New Zealand. To say the least I was more than happy with how i felt. 

The story goes a bit sideways here, when up the road with Scotty Lyttle my knee and IT Band werent to happy and caused me a fair bit of grief. The anchors were hit - race over.

A few days of relaxing and enjoying the beauty of Wanaka and fixing my cleat position Jimmy and I headed to his home town of Alexandra with a few big rides planned. 310km in 2 days was pretty pleasing, all up over 4000m of climbing.

That weekend after the hardest 100km i have ever done A trip to Dunedin was set. Goodbyes to a few friends of mine and a bit of party time was fun and a nice way to welcome my 20th year on this large rock. A big thank you to all who made the weekend so much fun.

Surprizingly enough I have come away feeling refreshed and ready to go. It is only 5days now until I fly out. Packing has started which is not my favourite part. Still havent really unpacked from my wee trip down south.

20hours of flying lays in front of me on the 21st. first stop. Sydney. Then Los Angeles. Ending with Denver. Then I will be "home".

PUREBLACK Racing Doco

Check out the link..

http://vimeo.com/20970784

Preview of the teams doco at the Tour of Wellington.

Update to follow tomorrow.

But first a visit to CHEBOS in Ponsonby for a birthday tea.