Liege

Last weekend I went to Liege Belgium for an international para-cycling race.

We arrived Friday afternoon after a 2 hour drive, we had a good and clean hostel, for only 17,50 euro per night. Saturday was the time trial and I was pretty nervous, didn’t know what to expect, the time trial started 40 minutes late. My start was at 11.35 am, there was a 1 minute interval.

After 1,5 km I felt my leg, it was already full of lactate but I could also see the German girl that had started before me, it was a pretty long climb but I kept pedaling and I found a rhythm. After the long climb came a descent and some sharp turns, I couldn’t see the German girl anymore and before I knew it I was at 5 km.

The total distance was 7,8 km when I reached the finish my body felt empty I knew I had given all I had. Pretty soon I heard the unofficial result that I got a second place in  my class (C2) and a small gap with the winner. That was pretty exciting because I had never expect to do that well in this race. It was a beautiful sunny day with nice and warm weather and I liked it a lot. After the race we got back to our hostel tried to get some rest but ended up laughing ourselves to death making pictures like this.

The next day was Sunday, day of the road race. The coach came to me smiling saying Annika have you seen the results, you got a second place with a 15 second gap with the winner you can still win (results where combined). The first start was the C category meaning cycling on a regular bike. All the men and women of the 5 different classes started together.

Immediately I got the wheel of the German girl, she was fast but we stayed together most of the race, for about 36 minutes I was fine but after that it got harder and harder to keep up with her, during the climbs I lost her, but during the descent I got her wheel again, I was way better downhill and with the turns, no surprise with the skiing back ground.

One round before the last I had to let her go unfortunately, but I managed to keep my speed up. With a the last strength I had in me I made one last sprint for the finish. 

One of the trainers helped me off my bike and my leg was just too weak so I fell on the ground, I really gave it all. Everybody said I did great for a first race and I was happy to because I knew I was as fast as I could be at this point. The sun came out and the next group the tandems had their road race, those tandems are fast it looks so cool. A tandem has a pilot and a visually impaired racer on the back.

Last group where the handbikes and the tricycles it was warm and sunny again and I got a tan while watching everybody.

It was a great weekend good to get some races in after a ski season in which I had started just one race and got a DNF. I liked the races a lot and was happily surprised with my results. I had a talk with the coach and he said I did very good in the races and was pretty fast for a C2 with an average speed of 25,44 km/h in a hilly road race. I got a second place with a 90 second gap with the winner in the road race, the German girl who won is ranked 7th on the world ranking.

After the price giving ceremony, in which only the winners got a price,  we drove 2 hours home, tired but happy and an experience richer.

at our hostel

Back on snow

Last week I went to Snowworld Landgraaf for a 2 day training, the first on snow training of the 2011-2012 season. We went back to the basics with a lot of different drills mainly focused on technique. I think I’m skiing good for this stage in training and I notice the results of my physical training in my skiing as well. Snow conditions weren’t great, the  slope was icy and not in the good way, old snow and ice with lots of dirt in it, luckily I had already trained in this conditions with my ski club.

It was busy in Landgraaf with a lot other (national) ski teams, we even saw the Swiss WC team. Pretty cool to see them train, because of the snow conditions they switched ski’s every 20 minutes or so. It was a good 2 day training camp and I had fun with the rest of the team.

The coach made a video of some of the runs.

http://youtu.be/LkYSEXuP-E4

Today I had a good cycling training climbing really is getting easier. Which is good because the race in Liege is this weekend, I feel prepared as much as I can be since cycling isn’t my sport. And I walked the dog which sometimes feels more like this…

But he is old and so sweet, so I don’t mind. The cat on other hand is pure evil from time to time.

The good life

New video; Summer training 2011, has footage of me doing some jumping exercises, cycling and some older skiing footage.

I haven’t blogged in a while, sorry guys.

Everything is great, I finally have vacation so no more study stress for a while. Still training hard and getting lots of results, very happy with that. I’m moving boundaries and with every victory new goals appear. Two years ago I wished I could get my walking up to the level where I could walk the dog or go shopping without a wheelchair, now those goals are far behind me. It’s good to look back and cherish what I have accomplished already. Now I’m starting to do something you might call running, I know it looks totally weird, but I’m getting faster and way more agile.

Cycling is going good as well, I’m climbing some bigger hills now. I get lots of nice comments when I’m climbing our local big hill the Posbank. People think it’s hard core pedaling with one leg and say things like “you are awesome” and “that’s hard work”. I have to admit though it is as hard as it looks, I’m not at the level yet where climbing is anything near easy, but it’s getting easier and I’m getting faster.

 Today at the top of the Posbank

 last week

 top of the Posbank last week

Cycling at the Posbank last week

On snow training starts Tuesday at the indoor ski slope, snowworld Landgraaf, so stoked.

And I’m participating in an international para cycling race in Liège Belgium (August 20-21). I wasn’t planning on it but some people sort of persuade me. So we will see how that goes another fun adventure, a spontaneous plan, love it. 

My silly cat likes to join me when I walk the dog