mmm... Christmas music

When I think of Christmas, I don't just think of Christmas day but the entire Christmas season when the whole family is together in blissful chaos. I have so many fond memories with my family and miss them dearly right now.

The other day I turned on some Christmas music by Amy Grant and a flood of emotions welled up inside of me as I reflected on the memories associated with the music. A felt tears came to my eyes as I blankly stared at my computer screen... at work. I tossed a glance from left to right and grabbed a box of tissues to have on hand before anyone noticed. They were going to be necessary to finish the song. I've always loved Amy Grant's music and felt obliged listen to at least a few songs and forget about the present.

I remember waking up on a Saturday morning to the sound of grinding coffee beans and Christmas music by Amy Grant. As I would tiptoe up the stairs, the early morning sun would be streaming in the windows with a slight warmth that seemed to contradict the frost that covered the ground outside. My dad would always greet me with a warm bear hug that reminded me of how happy he was that I am his daughter. I always felt a sense of peace, contentment, and joy during those mornings. Time seemed to rest and stand still for once: everyone else was sleeping, his Bible was open, and he was there to enjoy the moment and revel in the beautiful morning that God created. Everything trivial disappeared and we talked about the joyful and meaningful things that supersede the problems of everyday life. Those mornings always reminded me of how blessed I am to be given such a wonderful earthly father by my heavenly father.

I love my dad.

Is it already November?

Last Wednesday, tricker-treaters in my neighborhood knocked on our door constantly for a solid 5 hours. Heaps of kids. My host-mom told me that I should be the one to answer the door because I'm an American and it's my fault that Australians have adopted our fabulous tradition of begging for candy. Somehow the basket of candy that she gave me to hand out to the kids didn't last very long. Ehem. Adults need candy too, right?

I am now eight weeks into my internship. As I walked into the Sydney office for the first time, I reminded myself to keep an open mind and resist any urge to rely on assumptions. Why? Because I came here to do market research and relying on preconceived notions is not exactly the best formula for success. It was harder than I thought. The Western culture of Australia is just close enough to the United States to be quite confusing at times. One moment you think you've got the hang of it, and the next moment you hear about some sort of random law or custom that catches you totally off-guard.

During the first couple days of my internship, I sat in several long meetings while a team and I planned out how I would structure my research project. The initial plan approximately 30 potential clients across Australia. In theory, it was a great idea. In practice, we ran into a few bumps in the road. First, it took nearly two full days of calling these companies to secure a few appointments. It was nearly impossible to get in touch with the right person in order to ask for an interview (no thanks to the receptionists who were roughly equivalent to guard-dogs). The only companies that we managed to secure interviews with were the 3 clients that we already had and companies so small they couldn’t afford a receptionist. The interviews themselves went fairly well. Most of the people we interviewed were willing to answer my questions and quite often would go off on tangents that did not necessarily “fit” into my data, but were nonetheless useful. It all goes into the big picture.

After several interviews, I started to evaluate the direction of my research. What was the core objective and how was I going to reach it? As I looked at the answers that I had gotten, I started to realize that there is much more going on below the surface that perhaps, even the companies themselves didn’t understand. After all, a majority of the companies that we interviewed had a maximum of five employees. If collectively their actions determined the direction and characteristics of the market, would they only have five employees? Sure, it is great to know what products they like and such, but I question how much influence they have on the overall market. Going back to some of the original objectives of my research, I determined that it was absolutely vital to get an accurate representation of both companies and market share.

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to go to a horse race in Melbourne that was also networking event. It was at this event that I met other manufacturers and distributors who eventually became the ticket into another side of the industry. After an evening filled with discussion, I not only gained a whole new understanding, but several new “connection” requests on LinkedIn. To be honest, I never thought that LinkedIn was very useful. In fact, I thought LinkedIn was for people who were job-shopping. I was wrong. LinkedIn provided me the contact information and the job titles of people that I needed to get in touch with.

After a few interviews with well-known and experienced people in the industry (such as distribution managers, association directors, consultants, sales reps, etc), I gained a far more in-depth understanding of the market. It has been exciting, thrilling, and overwhelming. Yet, I still feel as if I’ve only witnessed the tip of the iceberg. In my mind and on paper, I have categorized the market into three categories: structural- who the key players are and why, behavioral- how the key players interact with one another to deliver value, and dynamical- how the value created by key players has and will continue to develop over time. As a side note, it is my belief that big and small companies are important. I am still continuing with the original research plan while pursuing other sources.

So where am I with my research now? I’ve had interviews in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney so far and over the span of this month I will cover Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. I am recording my findings in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. I will use PowerPoint for my final presentation but will also hand in a Word document with findings and suggestions on what things should be examined further.

God has been so good to be and guided me every step along the way. Trust me, I am not just saying that- He really has. The church that I am going to here has had an enormous impact on my walk with Christ. The preaching and worship is amazing but the love and openness of His people is what has truly impacted me in a way that I can't explain. I've been challenged to re-examine my life and confess to being a lukewarm christian.

Revelation 3:14-22 says,

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see"

I cannot even tell you how many times I have been that apathetic christian who only goes to church to feel good about herself and see friends. Yes. It's true. The beautiful thing about God is that He has me in the palm of His hand and will never stop pursuing me. Slowly but surely, he is beckoning me back to the cross. He has melted some of the hardness in my heart and shown me that once again, He is all I need. If hurricane Sandy were to destroy my entire home and family, I would still have Christ to lean on for comfort and support. I would know His presence and His peace because it is not conditional. In fact, He has often shown me His peace in the most unlikely and undeserving times of my life.

He is good.

And I am thankful.

"These are a few of my favorite things"

If you haven't seen the Sound of Music, please stop reading this blog and go watch it. It is well worth your time. You might want to warn your friends and family. The music is so good, you will be singing the songs for weeks.

One of my favorite songs in the Sound of Music is "My Favorite Things". I love it because it talks about the little things that make life beautiful. This post is about some of my favorite things that have made my stay here in Australia so good.

people.

Australians are some of the kindest, friendliest people you will ever meet. I have not met one person who hasn't been welcoming and friendly. Whether it is at church, work, the mall, or just random people on the beaches and such... anyone will stop and talk to you (or help you out if you are lost..ehem). Several of the girls my age at church have gone out of their way to invite me to Bible studies and drive me to and from church. Free rides definitely beat biking to church in cycling gear and then changing into a dress.

As a whole, Australians tend to be well-traveled and have a pretty good idea of what is going on in the world around them. This makes it easy to talk and relate to people of all ages and walks of life. There are also a lot of people who have immigrated here from all over the world- most are from South Africa. Some of the stories that I've heard are amazing. So far I've met people from nearly every continent in the world here.

land.

So far, the variety of landscape in Sydney alone, amazes me. There are tons of Palm trees throughout the city, Eucalyptus trees in "the bush", and Cyprus trees that line the beaches. One moment you can feel like you are in a jungle and the next, you can feel like you are in a semi-desert area with red rocks, sand, and bushes.

The unpredictable weather and variety of landscape makes the land here impossible to tame. Man will never be able to subdue the land without first subduing the weather. I love that.

Today I went out for a run in bushland of a national park that is adjacent to my neighborhood. As I ran and climbed up and down the rough terrain, I was struck by just how awesome the land was. I probably should've been paying better attention to where I was going instead of where I was because I got completely lost. No joke, I literally thought I was gonna be camping out with the kangaroos. After about an hour and half of wandering on mountain biking trails, I eventually found civilization and made my way back home.

FYI The mountain biking out here is siiiiiick. Probably better than road biking actually.


animals.

My favorite animals in Sydney are Penguins, Pelicans, Parrots, Kangaroos, and Wallabies. Two days ago I spotted a Wallaby in my neighborhood for the first time. I was nearly beside myself with excitement. Its cute little tail and innocent eyes made my heart melt. Right then and there, I decided that I have to have one. So naturally, the next day I wasted a solid hour on the internet trying to figure out how and where I can get one. As it turns out, it is legal to have a Wallaby in South Carolina and there is a guy who sells them in Illinois. Who would've thought? The smallest type of Wallaby is called a Dama Wallaby. They are grow to about a max of 20 lbs, can be house trained, like to swim, and love to chill out. How perfect is that? The males cost $1200.. which is really not so bad! Check out the website . Right now I am waiting for the owner to return my email.

I just got back from a week-long excursion to Australia’s country music capital, Tamworth to work on Dow AgroSciences research farm. Don’t be fooled by the “country music capital” nickname, this place is sparsely populated. The cozy town is nestled between tree-covered hills and is surrounded by a combination of hills and flat farmland with rich soil. The journey out to the farm took about an hour of driving on dirt roads into what seemed like the middle of nowhere. Eucalyptus trees hung over the river, wheat fields swayed in the wind, and the sun beat down overhead and the hills provided a stunning backdrop. The land was unique in that it has characteristics of dry and wetland. About this time of the year (October), there are such deep cracks in the land that if you stepped in them, the dirt would come up to your knees. Next month, however, it will flood shortly after harvest and everything will look different. Dead things will come to life and animals will appear out of nowhere. Deadly snakes, parrots, feral pigs, foxes, bandicoots, giant lizards, kangaroos, and koalas to name a few.

I saw my first kangaroo on my first day out there and was awed by how awkward and cute they are. The next morning, I got a call on my phone, “Molly, I found you a koala”. I’ll be honest; I didn’t know that koalas even lived out there. I took off running as fast as I could through wheat fields, scurried under an electric fence, and arrived at the foot of a giant Eucalyptus tree with a koala nestled snuggly in a nook of the tree. I ripped off my boots, rolled up my pants, and shimmied my way up that tree as fast as I could. The higher I climbed, the higher the koala climbed until I started to worry that he would fall out of the tree. Fortunately I had time to whip out my Iphone and take a few snapshots.

The sighting of the deadly snake came a few moments after seeing the koala. I exercised a little more restraint with this one. I couldn't afford to take any chances because if it bit me, I wouldn’t have had time to get to the hospital.

Don’t worry though, I still got a picture.

Down Under

It's been two and a half weeks since I stepped off the airplane onto Australian soil. Where did the time go?

Have you heard of Cirque de Soleil? It is a Canadian acrobatic group that performs all over the world. Last week, our whole office went as VIP guests to see them perform in downtown Sydney. It was a jaw-dropping, nerve-wracking, thrilling experience.

As I watched them do flips and practically fly all over the stage, I felt a twinge of jealousy and reminisced on my childhood dreams of becoming an acrobat in the circus. If only I had practiced more on those monkey bars...

My big mouth has already gotten me in trouble. Sort of. When asked *ehem* about some of the beautiful places around Sydney, I happened to mention a few places that I had been on my bike. Now, to all of you non-cyclists, perceived distance and exhaustion on the bike is significantly decreased when you own the right equipment and have had some training in your legs. It didn't take long for a rumor to start going around that I am some super long-distance athlete. Monday morning at work, as I filled up my mug with coffee, my co-worker walked in and announced, "Molly, you are going on a 25km trail run with myself and three other people. You will need snacks, running shoes, a camelback, and possibly a light jacket. Oh, and you will be collected at 5:30am on Saturday morning". I wasn't sure how to respond. "Awesome"?,"You're crazy?","do you wanna repeat that?". Turns out all I could muster was a half-enthused "great!".

After late night at Cirque du Soleil, my alarm clock made the most revolting sound as it woke me up at 4:45am. I promptly made some coffee, scarfed down some oatmeal, and ran out the door for what I knew would be an interesting morning. It wasn't long into our trail run before I felt the urge to take pictures. It was too gorgeous not to at least attempt to catch some of the beauty.

God is amazing isn't he? He also has a sense of humor. Just look at a kangaroos and pelicans (two of my favorite animals).

Work... last week, I went down to Adelaide to visit two of our companies
largest accounts. The purpose of the trip was to gather information for the design of the market research project that I'm doing. One of the most important things I've been learning is not to rely on assumptions. Just because business is a certain way in the US, does not mean that it is the same down here. It is considered very "American" to think that the world revolves around us and everyone operates, or would like too, off of our system. I learned that pretty quickly by accidentally riding my bike on the wrong side of the road...
The preparation for my research project has been an ongoing process since I arrived and seems to be taking a long time. Other than my trip to Adelaide (see photo), I've spent a good bit of time sitting at my desk and in various meetings. At this point, I feel as if I am in the calm before the storm. Over the 4-5 weeks, I will be traveling to a different state in Australia every week to put my project into action. Ah!

To be honest, I am very excited about my work here. My project has the potential to be a total flop or be a catalyst for launch of a new product.

Overall, I am really enjoying it here. The ocean, the hills, the city, the culture... I love it! There is a 5k circuit that several people at the office run every day during lunchtime. Some of the guys try to act like they are not
trying to beat the rest of the group when it's obvious they really are. There's
even a course record (announced, of course, by the course record holder).

work hard, play harder

Thursday was my first day of WORK! Shortly after arriving, I was led through a maze of desks and offices to meet my new co-workers. The office had a lively, cheerful, international flavor about it. One guy was from South Africa, another from Canada, another from China, and so on. Finally, my tour guide ushered me into the break room and proudly introduced me to a grand coffee machine that makes 12 different kinds of coffee. It appears to be a workplace bonding tool.
Besides touring the office and filling out tax forms(etc.), I learned a lot more about my project and what I will be doing during my time here. In preparation for the launch of a new product, my job is to plan and execute a market research project to determine the pricing and position of the new product. I will be working closely with the product manager and the some of the marketing experts in the office. The freedom and flexibility to tailor and design it the project is a little daunting. I've never done marketing research and the last thing I want to do is let down a company that flew me to the other side of the world to work here. However, with great challenges comes great opportunity. Also, my host family have been very welcoming and kind to me.

Saturday, I went to a church called "c3". Ironically, the preacher was a visiting American. He was a funny old man. The church was warm and welcoming- several people introduced themselves to me and one person even gave me her contact info in case I need anything.

After church, I went to a get-together that my host family's extended family was hosting a few blocks away. We had a delicious dinner and I got my first taste of Australian wine.The company wasn't too bad either..

We laughed and joked around the kitchen table about everything from Morgan Freemen to Tasmania. Before I left, the mom of the family gave me a few classic Aussie books to read. I can't wait to dive into them.

Sunday, I was planning on doing a race that my new friend Elliot told me about. Kind of last minute, I bailed and decided to do a long, easy ride instead. I dont know, I just had a gut feeling that it wasn't going to be a good race and I'm glad I didn't cause I was a little stiff that day. I ended up doing a 4.5 hour ride through a national forest nearby. The views were so beautiful that I felt as if I was obliged to stop every 2 minutes to snap another picture.

You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!
~Psalm 38:35

Job 38:2-7
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

First day in Sydney, Australia

Today was my first full day in Sydney, Australia. I woke up around 7:30, skyped with my roommates, and promptly made a delicious cup of coffee to sip while putting my bike together. I also turned on the news while putting my bike together and was surprised by how much the newscasters talked about America(and people wonder why we are so obsessed with ourselves...).

For the next 5 hours, I explored on my bike. About halfway through my ride, I ran into another cyclist who caught me taking pictures and offered to show me some cool places.

P.S. The pictures will expand if you click on them

Tomorrow I start work!

Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center

A lot of people have asked how camp out at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs went so I decided to write about it. Before I go on let me just say how grateful and thankful I am to have had this opportunity. Getting the chance to go to the Olympic Training Center made me feel like a little kid on Christmas morning. There was SO much to see, so much to learn, and so many incredible people to meet. Two of my outstanding Pain Pathways teammates, Nina Laughlin and Lauren Komanski, went as well. Both are super strong athletes and represented Pain Pathways like Usain Bolt reppin' Jamaica. I digress.

You are probably wondering what this camp is all about. Here is the purpose, according to USA Cycling:

“to identify athletes that would potentially benefit from USA Cycling Women’s Endurance Program. This camp is focused on athletes that are not currently involved in our program and have shown growth and interest in their cycling performances. The primary objective of USA Cycling’s Women’s Endurance program is the growth of American female cyclists in becoming world class cyclist. The goal of the camp is to identify athletes that have future goals of competing with the USA Cycling Women’s Program. The camp will also focus on educating the athlete’s on certain aspects of cycling as well as provide information about USA Cycling Women’s Endurance Program”.

Day 1: Myself, along with 12 other cyclists, arrived at the Olympic Training Center on Wednesday afternoon. We were given a map of the training center and each assigned a dorm-style room with two other cyclists from the camp. Besides being plain and boring, our rooms each featured a small refrigerator, sink, and TV. The next activity was dinner. The dining hall was pretty similar to a university cafeteria- a salad bar, cereal, cooked food, and deserts. The only difference was that almost everything- especially desert- had the nutrition information next to it(ice cream isn’t as much fun to eat when you know exactly how many calories you are consuming). There was also a “recovery station” with high-protein foods, soy milk, smoothies, and chocolate milk. The other significant feature of the dining hall was the TV’s. Everywhere I turned, there was a TV with some sort of Olympic competition playing. I have never felt so surrounded by the Olympics. No wonder America wins so many medals- the athletes literally eat, sleep, and breathe the Olympics. Just in case you were wondering, there were several other resident athletes who were either preparing for the upcoming Paralympics or training for the 2016 games.
That evening, we met our coaches for the week- Renee Eastman(www.trainright.com/tag/renee-eastman), Ainslie MacEachran(www.geminitrainingsystems.com), Katie Compton(www.fuckyeahkatiecompton.com), and guest-rider/coach Alison Dunlap(www.alisondunlap.com). ALL amazing people and athletes. We were given a run-down for the week of our schedule, rules, goals, and, of course, the time-trial that we would be doing in 36 hours.

Day 2: Our first full day of camp began with a short breakfast and a bike ride starting at 8am. The air was crisp and a little bit chilly as we made our way out to Cheyenne Canyon where we would be doing our time trial the next day. We chatted on our way out there and got a chance to “preview” our time trial course which happened to be a 3.1 mile climb up the mountain. When we reached the end of our climb, we were left with two options: go down an unpaved road that took us over to the other side of the mountain, or descend the same way we came. We had pro mountain bikers Katie Compton and Alison Dunlap with us. Need I say more? I’m sure that we were quite a site as we went flying down the side of the mountain on our skinny little wheels. Most of us made it without crashing. As we rounded the corners, we were rewarded with a breathtaking view of Colorado Springs. It was gorgeous. We then rode to one-way streets through “Garden of the Gods” to work on our descending skills. It was an ideal location and we divided into groups so that we could get more individual instruction.
After a long and satisfying lunch, we attended a session by USADA about doping and the different drugs that athletes are not allowed to take. I was surprised by all the clever ways that athletes have tried to hide the fact that they take drugs. Needless to say, we were all sufficiently motivated to avoid drugs before, and after, attending the session. By 2pm, we were all back on our bikes and rode to a park to work on bottle feeding, crashing skills, bumping each other, and bunny hopping objects in the road. Katie Donovan, Nina, and I all hopped in the training center’s ice pool for 15 minutes of excruciating-and-then-numbing cold. Coincidentally, it started raining as we biked back to our dorms. I’m pretty sure that my lips turned a solid blue. Was it worth it? Totally. Ice baths work magic on my legs.
That evening had a roundtable discussion with Alison Dunlap and Katie Compton about training and racing on a professional level.

Day 3: Similar to day 2, we were on our bikes by 8am and heading toward Cheyenne Canyon for our time trial. Once we got there, we were given about 20 minutes to warm up. As I rode my bike around, I spotted a huge(by South Carolina standards) deer. I rode up to it, expecting it to run away, but was surprised to find that it just stayed there and looked me right in the eye as if to say, “this is just as much my place as it is yours”. After warming up, we went off in 30 second intervals and rode 1 mile up the mountain for our first time trial. Our second time trial was the full 3.1 miles up the mountain. The first 5 minutes were absolutely excruciating. My lungs felt like they were the size of a pea as I gasped for air and struggled to maintain a satisfactory speed. It wasn't long until I reached a point where I literally thought they were going to have to scrape me up off the side of the road. It was then that Psalm 23 popped into my head. It played itself over and over in my head struggled with each rotation of the pedal and reminded me that my self-worth is in Christ-alone. I don't need to prove anything because He has redeemed me and bought me with His blood. The pressure that I so often put on myself to perform was lifted and it made it so much easier to pour every ounce of effort into reaching the top of the mountain. The USA Cycling van parked at the top of the mountain with icy water, Gatorade, and chewy bars was a sight for sore eyes! Water never tasted so good.
That afternoon, we rode east towards the countryside to practice pace lines, echelons, and the Australian pursuit. We were divided into teams of four and sent off at different times to chase each other down. The combination of the wind on our backs, rolling hills, and teamwork made for a fast and thrilling ride.
This time it was Caroline, Nina, and I in the ice pool. I was slightly more prepared for the cold and was glad for the company. I’m pretty sure everyone else thought we were crazy, but once again, it was worth it! My legs felt so much better afterwards.
After dinner, we convened for a session on nutrition, hydration, and race tactics. Renee Eastman told us that we should be drinking at least 1-2 water bottles every hour and consuming at least 250 calories per hour. Wow! She also said that some people can sweat up to 5,000 mg of sodium per hour. If you sweat a lot, it’s a good idea to get as much sodium in during your rides as possible. Ainslie MacEachran talked about race tactics and identified two types of racers- offensive and defensive. Offensive racers “make” the race and defensive racers “follow” the race. He encouraged us to be aggressive and learn how to take chances in our races. He also coached us on what types of breakaways are more likely to succeed than others based on the teams that are represented in the breakaway and the strength of the riders.

Day 4: Saturday morning, we were back on our bikes by 8am, this time for a long ride to practice receiving feeds from the car. We rode east out towards the countryside with rolling hills, huge fields, and maybe a house every couple of miles. The difference between the mountains and countryside east was night and day. At one point, a mist shrouded the mountains and it felt like we were in Nebraska or Kansas. Practicing getting feeds from the car was a lot of fun. We would drop back, hand our empty water bottles to Ainslie, and as we gripped the new water bottles, he would press the accelerator and propel us back into the group. The coaches decided to extend our ride by about 15 or 20 miles so the ride ended up being about 85 miles total, which gave us plenty of time to go fast, relatively slow, and talk to each other as we took turns on the front. The ride kicked my butt. Seriously. My legs felt like they were filled with lead by the time we got back. Thank God for endorphins!
That afternoon, we had individual meetings with the coaches about our goals, strengths, weaknesses, and the camp. It was a good chance to reflect and look towards our future as cyclists. It was encouraging, challenging, and exciting to talk about some of the opportunities that are out there. Later in the day, Renee demonstrated the proper way to wash a bike and showed us a few ways to keep our bike in top condition. That night, we had a short “camp wrap-up” session and just hung out with each other. It was fun and sad at the same time. A few of the girls left that night while rest of us packed up to leave the next morning.

Day 5: A majority of the cyclists left early Sunday morning. Nina Laughlin and I had later flights so we went on a recovery ride with Renee, Katie, her husband Mark, and another cyclist named Caroline. The took us on a cool ride through Colorado Springs and out to Manitou Springs. Riding bikes is one of the best ways to explore new places!
Leaving the Olympic Training Center was hard. The time went by so fast and there was still so much to do, see, and learn.
Getting through security at the Colorado Springs Airport was a nightmare. It all started when I took my bike bag up to check it and the lady asked, “is this a bike?”. I answered, “it’s exercise equipment”. She then proceeded to pull out her measuring tape and stretch the bag out as much as possible so that she could charge me for “oversized luggage”- a solid $200! Oh helllll no. I was upset. After all, I only paid $25 to get there thanks to the staff at the GSP airport. So I told her it was a bike(which is a flat $150 fee). She was obviously peeved that she couldn’t charge me the full 200 and asked me point blank why I told her it was exercise equipment. I just looked at her incredulously and answered, “because it IS!”. I was tired, frustrated, and about to blow a fuse. Afterwards, I kinda felt bad for being such a smart ass. She probably deals with people like that all the time. Nina had an even more frustrating experience with a lady who thought she ruled the airport.

Well, there you have it! The experience was unforgettable and I will miss everyone that I met there. I am so thankful for the opportunity and hope that I have the chance to pass on what I’ve learned to others new to cycling. Thanks for reading!

A huge thanks goes out to Renee Eastman, Ainslie MacEachran, Katie Compton, Alison Dunlap, and, of course, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

The summer before Australia

Let the countdown begin!

36 days until I board a plane for Sydney, Australia. Am I excited? Yes. Am I ready? No, not really. This summer has been full of ups and downs. In addition to working for the SC Dept of Agriculture, I've been racing nearly every weekend with a team called Pain Pathways(http://www.cmwomensracing.com/.

My first weekend of racing was in Charleston with my Clemson teammates Rob and Edward. Somehow all three of us managed to crash during Saturday's race. Besides a few road rashes and bruises, we were fine. I am sure that we made quite the impression when we showed up for Sunday's race with what appeared to be matching bandages and wounds.

The second weekend of racing was Brick City Criterium in North Carolina. The race was an epic FAIL. My bike and body failed me. Fortunately the weekend was not lost because Charity and I had the chance to squeeze in a visit with Elise in nearby Raleigh, NC. I love hanging out with my sisters.

The third weekend was near Johnson City, Tennessee. The name of this race is called "Roan Groan". Any guess as to why? The road race started out in Elizabethtown and finished with a 10 mile "hors categorie" climb up Roan Mountain. "Hors categorie"is a French cycling term to describe a climb that it is so tough that it is beyond categorization. Thus we, quite literally, groaned our way all the way up Roan Mountain. After the race, I spent the evening/weekend with some friends in a mountain house near Mars Hill, NC. The scenery and fun times that we had are beyond explanation so I am not going to try.

The fourth weekend was the SC state championship road race in Fork Shoals, SC. This race was particularly fun because Pain Pathways absolutely demolished the field. How? Lynn, Hannah, Marianne, Thea, Deb, myself, and Arden worked together to take four of the top six places in the race. Personally, I don't have much experience working with a team so it was cool to see everything come together so well. As for my part, I just did what my teammates told me to do and pedaled hard.

The fifth weekend of racing was back down in Charleston, SC for the SC state championship time trial. The course was a gorgeous out and back 22 mile ride through the swamplands of Charleston. This race was the first time trial that I actually enjoyed. The clock can be a nasty competitor and it hasn't always been my best friend... especially during my many years of running track and xc. When I switched to cycling, I was excited about the chance to forget the clock and just race. Hence the reason why I avoided time trials at all costs. This particular time trial was a bit of revival for me because it gave me a new appreciation for the mental resolve that it takes to dig deep within yourself for a solid 22 miles without any let up. The race was rewarding and just the confidence boost that I needed. I spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with my good friends Julia and Travis.

The seventh weekend of racing was not really a weekend. I raced the U23/Elite Nationals time trial in Augusta, GA, on a Thursday. This was probably my most "interesting" race. Forty five minutes prior to my start time, I pedaled down to the USA Cycling booth to get my time trial bike check to make sure that it met certain guidelines that apply to national championship time trials. The initial inspection by the officials led me to believe that my bike would meet the necessary criteria with few minor altercations that could be done by the site mechanic. Forty-five minutes later, they concluded that the bike was not going to meet qualifications without sawing off a portion of the handlebars. As frustrated as I was, I could not blame the situation on anyone but myself. It is the riders job to make sure the bike is good to go... prior to race day. Ehem. Anyways. The USA Cycling mechanics gave me one of their USA Cycling road bikes to ride as a replacement along with a new start time next to none other than the top cyclists in the country. Boy oh boy. I looked about as clumsy and non-aerodynamic as a tractor next to a bunch of race cars(yes, I did just use an agricultural analogy). Of course, the announcer got a kick out of the whole thing and decided to call everyone's attention to my situation as I rolled down the starting ramp. Needless to say, my race time was not great and I did not even place in the top 5.

The eighth weekend was the St. Francis Summer Series race at the BMW Performance Center. It was easy and fun. I also rode to Caesars Head with my teammate Arden and a few other people on Saturday. It was BEAUTIFUL.



The ninth weekend was in Kennasaw, GA for the Georgia State Games Championship. I travelled and stayed with my teammate Arden(and her family) at her best friend from high-school’s house. We were both a bundle of nerves before the race because the temperature was in the high 90’s and the humidity was almost suffocating. Beads of sweat were forming on my legs only seconds after hopping on the bike.

This race was particularly interesting because we were racing against different teams than we were used too. One minute we would be coasting along, and the next, someone would be “attacking” (aka sprinting) during a flat section of the race.The racing strategies didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me because it’s easy for the main group to catch you if you attack on a flat stretch. Who knows. In the end, it was my own stupidity that won out because I started my sprint for the finish line and lost all steam just a short 10 meters out from the finish. My legs felt like they were filling up with lead and I experienced a sinking feeling within me as I watched my competition fly past me at the last minute. I came in a disappointing 7th. Shortly after the race, I heard one of my competitors brag about beating me in the final sprint. Whoa boy, that lit a fire inside of me. Needless to say, I did better in the criterium the next day by coming in 2nd after my teammate, Arden, who took 1st.

The tenth weekend was in Asheville, NC. This was the legendary French Broad Classic. The race is legendary for two reasons. One, cyclists have been flocking to this race from around the south east for decades.

Two, the road race has over 5,000 ft of climbing and cyclists just love to experience pain. This year's race attracted more pros than ever before. As a result, it was fast, fun, and furious. In addition to racing, I spent time with my aunt, granddad, and my cousin and her friend Maria. I really enjoyed talking and hanging out with them- especially since I will not get to see them again before I leave for Australia. I will miss them.

"Though the fig tree may not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines;
though the labor of the olive may fall,
and the fields yield no food;
though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
and he will make me walk on my high hills"

Habakkuk 3:17-19