Almost forgot to post a new one!

Hey everyone...I hope this post finds you all well and rested from the previous week. Me? I am doing awesome...I am sitting at my desk at school getting ready to shut it down for the night...because tomorrow I will be flying out to Switzerland with my Mom to visit my sister, Barbara Ann, and her husband, Ken, with the nieces, Sarah and Ashley, and the nephew, Stephen. I will be gone for 6 days...2 days of travel...so around 4 full days in the Land of Swiss. I am super stoked and excited...I have never been to Europe...

On to some bike and training news...it just goes to show when one things goes down...somethings go up. I dropped off the 'cross bike sunday...turned around on monday to have Germantown Cycles to call and let me know my fork was in from rehab and ready to be picked up! I was amped. So Fox Racing Shox re-vamped my fork because the fork was still under warentee...so all I had to pay for was shipping to and from Cali...how nice is that! I rolled the bike out of the store and hopped on the saddle..."why not ride a wheelie to the car?...it's not that far." I don't know how much more wrong I could have been...one peddle crank...WANK! Dropped the chain...had to laugh! Ebb and flow...ebb and flow...Tuesday I rolled out for a road ride...6 miles in...rolled the tire on the side wall...tore through the tire and tube...Christine had to come and pick me up! Chalk up a new road tire. Sheesh...what next?

Thursday the weather broke...chilly temps...zero humidity...and a ton of wind. Went for a road ride and had to break out the base layers and arm warmers...but still a good time...something I am going to have to get used to when 'cross season really gets cold!

The weekend was awesome...you could not beat the weather. I was able to go down into NOVA to ride Acotink/Wakefield...it was a real fun to be back on the mountain bike...totally different workout than the road bike...which is different than the 'cross bike...they all have their own appeal...and I guess I was missing the mountain appeal! So I thought I was super talented and I could snap self pictures of me on the bike...as you can see from my stellar examples. The one pic was taken moments before...literally seconds before I cased HARD! Shifting the stem and fork our of place...my hand driving my camera into the ground. But...never fear...a few shakes...a few twists...the camera was as good as new! Phew...that would be the last thing I needed before heading to Switzerland...a broken camera!

Sunday brought on a ride at Schaffer Farms in Marlyand...it is a network of trails about 3 miles from where I teach...and it is going to become my "home trails" while I live in Rockville. It is an awesome and well maintained trail system...super fast...super dry...mixture of fun singletrack...tons of log ramps...open field rolling hills...a little bit of everything...even some cows. Not bad at all!

I am really looking forward to heading over to Switzerland...my mom and I have been planning this for a few months now and I cannot believe that we fly out tomorrow...direct from Dulles to Zurich! I am stoked to see my sister and her family...and to give my nieces and nephew HUGE HUGS! I may even try to post a blog while I am over there...no promises...if I find the time...

When I get back it is going to be slammed into a full on school week with special "Red Ribbon Week" Celebrations...which my co-worker and I have planned...it is a week set out for students and staff to pledge to be Drug Free...it is a great message and we have some fun activities planned...like "Sock it to Drugs Day"...you get to wear fun socks...I am going to wear my cool new "Ride Clean" 6" crew socks! My other favorite is "Lei off Drugs Day"...everyone is going to get Hawaiian Leis...get it? Clever...I know...I cannot take credit for that one...read it in a book!

Also when I am back it will be a full on focus for 'cross racing the next couple weekends...some more MABRA 'Cross races...even thinking of racing the USGP up in Jersey...get to see the big guns: Trebon, Wicks, and Kabush. We'll see. Ok...really have to run...

I still need to pack!

Thanks for reading!

-johnny