Hard day on the bike and coffee with a new friend

Today I woke up and saw that it had rained during the night, and the sky didn´t saw so much better for the day either. But it was not raining for the moment anyway... Didn´t had time for one of my long breakfasts. Had to be on the bike at 10 am the latest...

Today it was four hours on the schedule. Decided to take the lap around the lake. I had headwind to Zurich, normally it only takes 1 hour but today it took 1 hour and 10 minutes. Turned around the lake and on the other side I had a really nice tailwind all the way down to Schänais, where I turned around again and came back on hour side of the like. When I was there it started to rain a lot and the wind was even stronger. Normally it takes less then a hour from there, but today it took me 1 hour and 15 minutes. I went on my lightest gear and had a heartrate on 150 and could still only make 87rpm. And the rain was like spikes in my eyes!! Not fun at all, but I made it all the way home :)

Afterwards I had to hurry up a little bit. 3 pm I had to take the train to Zurich. Had decided a meeting with a friend for a coffee. It´s a girl I "met" on a website for swedish people in different countries. It´s a really good website if you move to an other country and want to meet other swedish people there. (http://www.sviv.se/)

Anyway, she was really nice and we were talking for 3½ hours! I don´t know if it´s me or if everyone likes to talk that much :) Had a great time anyway!

It´s feels like I´m getting a life here now. Before it felt like I only lived here for the moment, temporary, but now when I´m starting to meet new friends I start to like living here.

By the way, I met a girl working on my flight from Milano. She came to me and asked in swedish, "Sorry but can I ask if you are swedish?" I were so suprised that someone spoke swedish to me and asked if she was too. But she wasn´t(!) She told me that she was an exchange student for one year in Sweden and that she learned swedish then. She was talking really good swedish so we talked a little bit during the flight. She also lives by the like but closer to Zurich and we decided to take a coffee sometime.

Tomorrow it´s time for an other coffee with Sandra and some shopping in Rapperswil. We will watch Cornel´s team presentation. (It´s her boyfriend)

But now it´s time for bed!

Ciao

The first race of the year

(Fabiano Ghilardi-www.photodecola.it)

I flew to Milano saturday morning. The team picked us up at the airport, (me and the other girls). First time I met them, and they are really sweet all of them :) Had some problems to understand their spanish, and my spanish is not the best, yet, but I hope it will come...

On sunday it was time for the race, in rain and 8-9´c. Not the best weather, but I think it´s not such a big problem for me as for many other girls. I´m used to cold and wet weather since I´m training outside the whole winter in Sweden. I think it makes you strong :) But it´s not like a like it... The race was on a loop that was 13km´s, 9 loops and 117km´s. Quit early 7 girls went in a brakeaway. When it was around 15km´s left they had a gap over 1:30 minutes. Then Denis told me to make an attack, and so I did. Managed to brake away from the rest of the group and I got a pretty good gap and when I passed the finish line for the last loop I was so tired, 13km´s left(!)

I thought I never would make it, and I had no thoughts on catching the others infront.

Denis just tried to push me even harder by saying good things in the radio, and so did the girls. So it was just to give it all and hope for the best! Suddenly I saw the cars and the girls in the brakeaway. I was so suprised, and went even harder. 2km´s left I caught them but I got no time to rest, 1km left they started to attacking. I had no power left for the sprint and crossed the finishline as 8th, but first in the classification U23. The team was very happy and so was I!! :D

Next weekend I will do Omloop Het Volk in Belgium, and that will be even harder...

Ciao

Great weekend with friends

Last week was fun... First Thomas came back from California, and we had some nice days together just me and him!

This weekend we spend with friends. On saturday we ate dinner with Sandra and her boyfriend, and Nadine and her boyfriend. We ate a lot of good food and just had a great time together :)

Yesterday we took the car early in the morning to Gustav and Veronica, also swedish cyclists, who live near Lugano were it was a race yesterday. Went on our bikes to Lugano to watch the race. The weather was over 20´c and it was perfect for a coffee in the sun along the course and watch the other cyclist race. Really nice!
Had a dinner together in the evening, before it was time to go back to Pfäffikon again.

Today I´ve only made some bread. Very good! :)
Soon time for my training on my indoor bike. Today it´s 5 times 8 minutes with 2 minutes rest again :S

Ciao

(Thomas in the white "High Road" jersey)

Yesterday I got five hours, in perfect weather as promised:) But now I saw that it will be worse. Thomas is coming with the rain... But it doesn´t matter if he just come home now!! He is coming tomorrow afternoon. Counting the hours now, 18 hours left.

Today I have been a good girl. I have cleaned the apartment, washed my bike, done the laudery, study spanish, bought some food, and probably something more that I can´t remember ;)

See you,

Ciao

The spring is really here :)

(Took a nice picture by the lake)

Three days have passed since last time I wrote, and they have passed quit fast aswell.

Thursday I had a coffee for four hours with a friend. (The time goes by when you have fun :D) She lives in the village next to Pfäffikon and she´s a friend to one of my old teammates. That´s how a met her. Nice to talk with someone anyway, and I think I talked for the whole week ;)

Yesterday I did a really hard training on my indoor bike. This time I did 5 times 8 minutes, not four as last time, with only 2 minutes rest. Even if it´s only one more it´s soo much harder. And I went quit high on my pulse aswell... My max is around 190 and I finished between 177-182 on every interval :P

Today I did four hours with Daniel, (the guy that takes care of the apartment when we are gone). Felt a little bit tired in my legs today, maybe because of yesterday?!

We had luck with the weather anyway, 15´c and sunny, this week has been great!! They promise the same weather tomorrow, or even better, wich is perfect cause tomorrow I have five hours on my schedule.

I hope you all are fine, take care!

Ciao

Sattelegg on 1200m´s

Today I made a really nice route. Took the road over Sattelegg wich is on 1200m´s. At the top there was a lot of snow and the lift was going, people were skiing and the restaurant was open, and some were sitting in the sun and tried to get a tan. I didn´t had time for that today ;) But it looked really nice! Had time to take a foto anyway... Got three hours and intensity up the hill, wich is 10km´s.

Yesterday I actually got company at the training. A friend of Thomas came by, he use to look after the apartment when we are in Sweden, and when I told him that I were going out on a ride he wanted to join me. "Please do!" :) It´s always nice with company, especially now.

This two days have passed quit okey, "only" six days left alone...

Take care, ciao

It´s my birthday today

This nice flowers I got from Thomas on my 20th birthday by a "message-guy". 20 red roses :)
He said he tried to get me flowers for today aswell, but stuiped Swiss people couldn´t manage to do that... Don´t ask me why, the only explanation I have is that Swiss people is Swiss people!!

So, what have I done on my birthday then?! Hm, slept to 9 am, ate breakfast, put my bike together and went out for training. Did some EB intervals and it felt quit good. The weather was perfect today aswell, sunny and 11´c. It makes the training so much more fun!
The time after the training until now have just passed by... Don´t ask me how :S

Thomas family just called and sang "happy birthday" :) They are very sweet!
And then mum and dad called earlier, I wish I was at home instead... Eat a lot of cake :) Mum makes the best cake in the world!
And my sweetest friend, Linda! I just have to mention her cause she is just soo sweet :)
First she sent me an text messages, then she wrote happy birthday for me at her website and then she signed here at my blog. By the way, you have to visit her website. It´s a website to inspire and motivate people to train. http://www.inspireraflera.se/ Check it out!

Now I will try to watch "Tour of California"...

You will probably hear from me tomorrow again!
Ciao