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

On my way up to Falun and Sollerön

Now I´m sitting on the train up to Falun. Jennie (from my swedish team) is coming and pick me up. Then we continue to Sollerön together with her parents in their camper.
Tomorrow we do 127km´s on a hilly course. Good training before the championships that is going to be very hilly! The time trial is even worse I heard :S
The day after it´s a criterium. Looking forward to the weekend!

And then it´s time for the swedish championships!!

I will go directly to Italy and the European championships from Falun, and from the European championships to Giro d´Italia. (As it looks now it´s possible. I start the European championships at 9 am 5th of july, and Giro d´Italia starts 8pm 5th of july with a short prologue).

I hope I´ll have internet during the time so I can update in between.

Take care everyone!

Short report from Sweden

I´m now in Sweden, at my parents. First time since christmas...
Came from Spain sunday night. Did "La Bira" with the team last week. It´s my teams homerace, goes in Bizkaia. A really good race I have to say! Four days with five stages. One time trial.
First two days went good. Were 34th in the general after these days, but then I lost some spots the third day with two stages. The time trial went quit bad, had no good legs after a really hard day before. The race in the afternoon I did a mistake before the first hill. Our radios didn´t work so I didn´t knew that it was coming, and one of my team mates was talking to me from the back of the group so I went down to her. We turned left and then the hill started, and then I were at last position. Had to put a lot of energi trying to get to the front, but I missed the first group as last girl. Were in no-mans-land between the two groups for some km´s before the secound group catched me. Fell down to 45th place in the general.
Last day was no good day either. Had good legs, but after the first mountain I krasched in the downhill. We were turning sharp right but I had a girl on my right side that didn´t turned, she continued straight a head, and so were I. Since I couldn´t turn when she was going straight...
Luckelly I made it quit well. (Hit my knee and got some skratches). But I lost the first group I were in :( Ended 44th in the general.

Now I have three days here in Tullinge before I go to Sollerön for two races. One road race and one criterium. Will just try to relax and recover from the races (and my krasch)...
I follow Tour de Suisse on the internet, and cross my fingers for Thomas! :)

Back from Poland and some nice days in Switzerland

Poland went great for us! Everyone worked very good together and we tried to help Sara as much as we could. For me there were no results, but Sara won the whole race :)

Finally, I have to say after four days in Poland, I came back to Switzerland. I have been training a lot and quit hard, (since I don´t have any race until the 12th of june). Lucky me I have good support from Dalblads Nutrition AB that gives me good products, so I´m well prepaired for every training. They have everything I need, bars, sport drinks to take before and during my training, recovery for after the training, proteins, omega3 and a lot more. Everything tested ofcourse! Check out the website here http://www.dalblads-nutrition.se/
By the way I actually made a new record on my testhill last week! I´m under 40 minutes now :)

Thomas was also home last week so made some small adventures together. Were in Zug one day for shopping (pictures abow), and in Säntis another. See pictures below.. We had lunch up there aswell, really nice in the beautiful nature!!