One month with vacation

We had a great week in Switzerland with our friends before it was time for us to go home to Sweden. We have done soo much here the last month. I have been seeing a lot of friends!! Had a reunion with my clas from the gymnasium... Felt strange to be there again, but it was fun to see them all! I have started on my course on the university aswell. Also very fun, been climbing, and crawling in a big cave, and next time we go fishing :)

I have also got a job. I don´t know what it´s called in english but I´m selling fond advice for peoples pension. I´m working 5 hours every evening, so it´s perfect together with my training, and I´m now on my third week of training. Feels good to be back on track!

I hope I can post some pictures later on...

See you,

Catrine

Photos from Varese

Emma and Susanne going strong

Emma in the big hill the last time

Maria, Helena, Johan, Peter and Alexander on saturday
On sunday early in the morning, waiting for the cyclist to come the first time
Maria takes some photos
Peter, Johan and HelenaThomas :)
Thomas again, this time I just got his back
The weather was perfect!
Our friends in west :)

Finally vacation :)

Last weekend I were in Italy and watched the world championships in Varese. Went with Thomas friday after lunch. Followed him to his hotel and then continued to Maria, a friend of ours who lives in Stabio. It´s just 10km´s from Varese. She had visit from her brother with girlfriend and brothers to Fredrik, her boyfriend. I stayed there the whole weekend. *Thanks Maria* I had a very fun weekend with them!!

Both Saturday and Sunday we were cheering for the swedish cyclists on the big hill. There were a lot of people there, specially on sunday at the men´s race. The weather was perfect and we had a great time!! For the swedish girls it was close. Both Susanne and Emma were in the group of six on the last lap, but Susanne got problem with her wheel, and had to change, and then also missed her chance to the gold. Emma did a good try but ended 4th.

The men´s race was also very exciting in the end! Thomas was in the first group of 13 riders with only one lap to go. He tried to get away, but didn´t manage, it was only Ballan that manage to do that. For the others it was a sprint. Thomas had no legs to sprint and ended 12th! It´s a really good result, and I´m happy for him :) I were so nervous the last kilometer!!

I had a really great weekend :)

Now the season is over compleatly! Did my last training on the bike today. Now I will have one month with vacation and just some easy training, when I feel I want to! But not on the bike, maybe I run, swim or go on the inlines...

Thuseday we were at Alpamare, the biggest waterland in Switzerland, with our swedish friends Carolin, Tommy, Maria and Rikard. Felt like a little kid again, (if you ask Thomas I´m probably still a little kid). It was just sooo fun :)

Today we had Sandra and Cornel over for dinner. Very nice!

Tomorrow we will go to Zürich for shopping, and in the evening we will go out with Carolin, Tommy, Rikard and Maria. It feels great with rest!!

(I will try to post some pictures from the world championships later)

Take care, see you soon!

Autum is here

Now the autum is really here. It´s cold and rainy :( When I came back from Sweden it was 20-25´c and sunny here. Wounderful! But it only lasted for three days, and from then on we have had 10-14´c and rain. Not fun at all, but I have been able to train anyway, and I have also started to run a little bit. Easier to run in the rain then to go on the bike..
Now it´s only a little bit more then two weeks until my rest. Counting down... I´m sitting and planing all the things I wanna do then :)

I will actually go a course that starts in end of october also. An adventure course. I think it will be fun! It´s nice to have something else to think about except for training.

What´s home???

Now I´m back home (in Switzerland) after 10 days at home (in Sweden). If I should be honest I don´t know where I´m most.. Or what´s feeling most at home! Home could be here in Switzerland, in Kalmar where we live during the winter or at my parents in Tullinge, where I´ve been living for 15 years! But when I think about it, it gonna be nice to go home to Sweden as soon as Thomas just finish his season after the world championships. I have a feeling that it doesn´t matter where I´ll move, Sweden will always be home even if it´s not the place where I am the most.

I don´t have any more races this year, but I´m still training. My plan is to train all month out so I can take my rest together with Thomas in october. I will stay here until then.

When I were home my dad turned 50! Congratulations again dad :D

I had also time to meet my friend, Linda, when I were home. The greatest of the greatest :) She also makes the best applepaj!!

My biggest, and only fan!

What can I say?! Been a while since I update my blog, but I have been on my way the whole time.

The Giro went okey all the way to the last stage. Got a flat, and I didn´t got a new wheele until everyone were gone, including all the cars. And the average that day where 43km/h, so it was impossible to get back. Had to quit the Giro at the last stage because of a flat. Felt bad, but what can I do?!

(photo taken by Fabiano Ghilardi)

After the Giro I went home to Sweden, to my parents summerhouse on the westcoast. Had some nice days there with my parents, and also some good trainings with Marie. (she lives close by)

End of july I went to Paris to see the last stage of the Tour, and to meet Thomas before he went to Bejing. Very spectaculary I have to say!! It´s amazing how many people that are watching and following the Tour.

30th of july it was time for the world cup in Vårgårda. Unluckelly I krasched because some of the girls infront of me krasched, and I had no time to stop. Went in the air and landed on my back, and hit my left hand. Jumped up and just tried to catch the group again, but after a while the pain came back on me... Had hard to hold my bar and when I tried to pull really hard in the hill I felt a lot of pain in my back and it was impossible to continue. DNF :(

1th of august I got a new chans in the world cup, the team time trial. First time for me!
We had only trained one day together, the day before. But I think we managed quit well... Ended 8th. We were all happy if it wasn´t for the krasch just 300 meters from finish. A dog jumped out in the road, in the last corner before the finish and Camilla who just changed position had no time to see the dog and hit it hard!! Luckelly nothing were broken, but she had a lot of pain...

The week after I did two national races with my swedish club. Felt quit bad so I tried to help Marie as much as I could, and she won both days :)

Then Thomas finally came home. Were in Kalmar a few days just him and me, before we went to Gotland to see his family. Went to see Fårö, the island outside the island. Very beautiful!

Now we are in Switzerland, but just for a short while. I fly back to Sweden on thursday, cause then Thomas goes to Germany and I don´t want to be here alone. I will then do some races in Sweden... Oh, I have forgot to tell you, I don´t have any more races with my team. The season is over for us, from august, since the money is over. Feels really sad, but I have had a great time with them!! I actually miss them :(

In Italy

Finally I have internet!

The time after La Bira was a little bit hard for me. Felt really bad in my legs...

Did a national race five days after that went ok, were 4th, but my legs haven't been worse this year!
Stayed with a friend of my swedish team, at her parents after this and waited for the swedish championships... Thanks for letting me stay with you!!

A half week after it was finally time for the swedish national championships. First the time trial at wednesday. Haven't done a worse time trial... Ended 13th :(

At the road race my legs were a bit better, but far from good. It was one small group away were we had one from our team, but with only two laps left it went together. Only Emilia Fahlin were away alone, who escaped from the small group just before we caught them.

On the secound last lap Emma and Susanne went away in the big hill and caught Emilia. We tried to catch them but they were too fast...

In the end we were a group of six, and we sprinted about the 4th place. Crossed the finish line as 7th girl.

Emilia Fahlin was the smartes of the three infront and won solo! Congratulations :)
Emma took Susanne in the sprint and took the silver.



After the championships I went home to my parents in Stockholm just to re-pack my things, cause the day after I flew to Italy for the European championships in Italy.

Did the time trial the day before yesterday. Went quit okey, felt much better in my legs!! Got the 17th place.

Today it was the road race. Very hard and very hot!! In the last hill 11 girls got a gap that the kept to the finish. Marie and I were in the secound group and with 3km to go Marie tryed to get away, but the group went after her. With a little bit more then a km to go I tryed to go. Came away, and one girl from Italy came with me. With 250m left I saw the group coming closer so I started the sprint. Two girls caught me, and I ended 14th.

Directly after the European championships I went to the start of Giro d Italia. Did the prolouge today.. Went really bad, were so tired in my legs!! Tomorrow it is 131 kms. I hope they take it easy.

(photos taken by Fabiano Ghilardi)

So long,
Catrine