Redlands stage 3

Team looks happy but cold before the start of stage 2
Then the third stage of Redlands is done, and as usual it was a really hot day!
A 1 hour critt was on the program, so after a looong nights sleep (crashed to bed at 8:30 yesterday) i woke up not too annoyed by the alarm for a 1h spinn in the morning. Weather was already great by then and hotter it became.

The race went even better then planned, after 30min it was time for the first intermediate bonus sec sprint, so we did a good lead out for Ina that got the seconds, and then the pace stayed very high since attacks kept going, ending up with having Ina in a break of 8girls, with girls from all the main teams, and having Amber in yellow still in the bunch. Was a perfect situation, and it worked all way, making the gap up to more then 1minute, we now have Ina in yellow for tomorrow's last, and very hard, stage!

Myself got a nice end to the race having a puncture with 1,5laps to go. Had to make a bike change in the neutral service pit and got this huge, yellow mavic bike, with normal pedals and cages, and best of all, SRAM. So frenetically trying to stay on the bike with the too high sadel and great match with my pedals I tried to shift, but it just got heavier and heavier. And struggeling up the finish straight drag with one lap to go, almost same time as the lead group came in for the sprint, I just deeply hope that the big yellow thing didnt ruin the nice pictures from the sprint..
Made it to the finish after another bike change and finally got the same time as the bunch since it happended within last 3km.
Another hard day in the legs, and tomorrow it will be worse, doing 9laps on the sunset circuit, basically going up and down this big hill. But we have a nice jersey to defend, so now it's time to catch some sleep.

Redlands stage 2

Today it was a road race on the agenda, first a loop of 20km then 3 loops of 30km.
And i have to say it was a really hard day! Some up and down and a KOM hill at every lap made me and my legs tired.
Our plan worked out pretty well, with working to get Ina seconds in the bonus sprints. Also nicely finished off with her taking the stage win and another 10 bonus seconds.
Was some hard work during the day, fighting for wheels, covering attacks to make it to the sprints and make it up that hill. But worked out well in the end and thats worth the pain.
Now, after standing in the cold pool for the legs and a good massage, im hoping for greater leggs in tomorrow's criterium! It's a really fun, fast course, which i managed to win 2 years ago.

Me in the prolog yesterday, wearing the very blue swedish champ TT suite.
Photo: © Jon Devich

Back to racing

So, its about time to leave a note here again, i know...
Been busy traveling california, and there also been some nice sunshine...

Back on the race track, and that feels great! Maybe not all the painful moments i've been through, to get my legs woken up, but to going again is just what i need!
Last weekend we did San Dimas stage race, with 3 days of racing. It included a hill timetrial as start, which was the first taste of racing again for me since a long while, and my legs and body quickly reminded...
Next on was a road race on a shorter circuit, bit up and down all day, and also first time racing without radio. Last day finished off with a criterium, which was very fast, so over all a good weekend of racing. For myself no result to make a nice topic here, but having Ina winning the GC after an incredible ride in the critt, we could move on pleased with the weekend to next destination, Redlands.

(San Dimas road race, foto credit velonews)
After a couple of realxing days in this amazing house here, where we are lucky to get to stay every year, recovered and with new energy we today took on to the Redlands bicycle classic.
So today we did the prolog, a really hard course over 5km, finishing on top of this really steep climb. Ive done it 2 years before, so i kind of knew how painful it would be..
Did an OK ride today, and finished at spot 15, they say the times were slower this year, but i rode same as last year so thats a good thing. With Amber Neben winning the race, you can see there is some quality in the field, and we had Evelyn in on third!
With todays painful part over, im now gonna go enjoy a massage and prepare for tomorrow, and tonite we are gonna have a barbeque here in the nice weather. California is pretty neat!

Guess i've been pretty busy last days, since no writing here.. And we've had some real good days!
Could start up riding again fully to schedule on saturday, after being done with my antibiotics, and I already felt a lot better just without that in my body any longer. So have had a good 3 day block of riding, geting some hours in again, and finally i've been able to do my favourite roads here! The views still as amazing and the climbs hurted just as much..
And today was the first day i could wear short-short in the ride! The weather has really picked up and today i past the beach during my ride, where it was loads of people. Guess that's all i will see from the beach though, since we are leaving in a couple of days heading south for the races this weekend!
But except from training there's also been time for doing some other nice stuff, yesterday we had a real american eve, with mexican food, frozen yoghurt, finished off going to the movies (which we actually been doing twice... yes all three things..)
So we are enjoying the time and this afternoon left some space for a little shopping trip in town and thai for dinner.

So pretty tired after finally spending a lot of time at the bike again, im tomorrow gonna enjoy a restday, which i havent yet decided how to be spended! Only to start with, no alarm...

Interview

And incase you, mum and dad, forgot my face.. Here is a little video interview
Fahlin out- Emilia on the sidelines in California

Enjoying geting tired

It's a nice feeling being back riding the bike and get tired from some kind of actual movement and not just from being sick stuck in bed-tired.
I have only been starting up easy and steady since im stil under medication, but believe me, after a week more or less off the bike, 3h can really kill you. So it will be some work, and time to get back there, but it could be worse hey! There is still time and the weather is with me here...
After lunch, coffe and new energy the afternoon will be spended with TT bike fitting, so now back in the bikeclothes..

Finally back to the bike

Am back in San luis obispo again after the weekend in Merced. Became a pretty long weekend for me, not being able to ride my bike, but the team scored 3 wins so that was a great part!
With my cold persistently stuck, not getting any better I’ve since two days been on antibiotics, and now it seems to finally be going in the right direction.
So now I’m just about to jump up on my bike and get my legs slowly moving again!
And it's sunshine...

A happy group in Merced mall

No TTT

We drove up to Merced yesterday afternoon, after a ride in San luis obispo in the morning.
Yesterday we also took the decision i wont do the team time trial, im not healthy yet. Better focus on get fully healthy so i can get as most as possible out of the coming weeks here. So today will mostly be spended in this nice bed, hoping for my body to recover.
Except from my health im really enjoying my time here and looking forward to this next few weeks!

In San Luis Obispo

So i made my long travel, and arrived late yesterday evening to the teamhouse here in San luis obispo. Very happy to finally see a bed I didnt have a problem to sleep through the whole night!
Been out for a little spinn today and got rained on. Don't feel good yet, guess all traveling didn't make my body feel much better. But it will come, aswell as the californian sun i hope! But it's really nice to be here again and i'm already enjoying the familiar surroundings.
Now a coffe so i'll make it to dinnertime..

California here i come!

Then january and february been running by, and here i am, just packed my bags and are ready to leave for California!
First I have to face the fact that I actually am a bit sick, but better now then in a couple of weeks when the bigger races are. And the whole winter i been saved from all bad luck and illness, so i can't hang my head too far down.. I'm soon back on track!
So with a couple of days rest for my body, im off early tomorow for my long travel to San luis obispo, California.
Last two years i spended almost 2months each there, but since I now moved to Spain i've had good training conditions here, so this year it will be just a little less then a month, but it will be a busy one!
It will be a basegroup of five girls from our team over there, with Me, Ina, Chloe, Kim and Evelyn, and already on thursday we leave for Merced, where we will do the first races in the states. It will start off nice and smooth with a TTT, followed by a Road race and a criterium. I've been there also the last two years, where i two years ago took a double and last year Ina won both races. So we have something to defend going there, and thats exciting! And the TTT is new for this year..

So thats what is coming up this week for me, if i get better will say.
Then following, I go back to San luis obispo, where i will be based with a couple of the girls in the teamhouse for little trainingcamp, before we will hit the road again doing San Dimas and Redlands.
Also those races i've done last two years, and they are great to get the legs in to race mood again and i'm sure it will be a lot of fun!
Hopefully some good californian sun and maybe a trip to the beach will fit in the agenda aswell.. And not to forget some real mexican food!
Last year was a lot of fun experiences!
Nice moments by the beach..

...and a few degrees colder up at Lake Tahoe, where i got to try snow shoeing and also first time ever put snow chains on the car.
Some motorpacing behind a nice, blue vespa..

And a lot of bikeriding, adventure rides and races!