From winter and freezing cold in Boulder to hot sun and summer clothing on Mallorca - the contrasts are striking in our every day lives, and that's exactly the appeal of being a professional mountain-biker. It's fantastic feeling the sun warm my white winter skin, even if it's only for a few minutes.
We've moved from friendly Boulder in Colorado, via Stavanger, Oslo, Venice / Montebelluna, to sunny Mallorca in Spain. We're gradually growing accustomed to the European time zone again, but we usually use about a fortnight to get completely in tune again when travelling from west to east. It's easier to travel to USA or home from Asia. Still, we've managed quite well. We've stayed awake for as long as possible at night, refused to sleep in the afternoons, and gotten up at the normal time in the mornings.
The past two weeks in Boulder were busy with exercise, and we had a day of snow and a good 15 degrees below freezing. It's awfully cold cycling in those kinds of temperatures, but it was a low-paced day anyway, so we didn't miss out on too much. The following day the sun was out and the snow disappeared from the roads as quickly as it had appeared.
The last two evenings we went out to eat with our friendly couple, Cari and Greg, and we just love these kinds of reunions. The final evening was spent with our landlord, Mark (a very important ally through the past five seasons) and his family. We probably won't be back to Boulder again before next summer, but we know how time flies, so we're already starting to look forward again...
The days at home in Stavanger were busy as usual, with everything from spinning classes and meetings with sponsors, to hair cuts and treatments. It was "pedal to the metal" for three days before leaving for Oslo for various errands, and then on to Italy the following day. We did have a few moments to wash clothes and exchange the clothes we had been wearing for four weeks in Boulder for new ones. One ends up wearing much the same thing every day when one only has one suitcase to fill. Most of what is able to fit in is exercise clothing anyway.
