and the beat goes on....

The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.

Jack London

I've loveded this partcular quote for quite some time now (and was happy to see that it made its way into the movie and book (I stongly recomend seeing and reading) "Into the Wild") and firmly believed in it. However, I have recently brought it up for questioning. Why? I miss Katie. A lot. More than anything ever before.

I love France. I really do. I love the culture, the people, the challenge of learnign the language, everything. Asside from one small minute detail this place is perfect. Heaven on earth. The ideal place and circumstances for me to develop into one of the worlds top cyclists. Unfortunutly, I feel like someone just punched me in the stomach. And "there's a window in my heart and everyone can see how sad inside"

That one's from Neil Young.

chapter one

I'm starting to get over the initial shock of departing from my english speaking world and doing my best to adapt to a new French lifestyle. My old european habits are beginning to resurface and excitment for the comming season is growing exponentially.

Toughest challenge since arriving in France: sitting through a German movie w/ French subtitles.

Seeing as this is the hardest thing yet, life can't be too bad. Right?

I've never been home sick on the first day of the trip before. I guess there is a first time for everything.

Thanks!

I never realized how many spectacular friends I had until I tried to say good by to all of them. Right now I am not really shure how to feel about leaving. I am looking forward to France with great anticipation how ever I leave Boulder with a heavy heart. For the last five months my life has been so perfectly perfect and to leave that behind truly hurts. However, I have no intention of leaving home simply to get waxed by a bunch of euros. My hope is that this perfect off season will be the base to an amazing season abroad. My objective: return with some serious results worth bragging about.

As my final note I would like to say thanks. I don't know how else to say it. I feel as if I have been treated like royalty here so...

THANKS!

alex

ps. happy new year!

Here comes the new year!

wow. sorry about the lack of posts. i've been pretty busy and my computer has been out of commission for quite some time.

any ways.... life is good. cyclo cross season has come and gone (for me at least. some of the boys are still going strong over in europe right now to prepare for words. good luck to brady, toast, and the rest of the crew.) and i must say it was tons of fun. this was probably my most enjoyable cross season (probably due to my lack of racing). big thanks to ben turner and the rest of the staff for all their hard work.

training is great. thus far, this has probably been my best off season ever. i've lost weight, gained muscle, and best of all i am super motivated for the next season's racing with VC La Pomme. i can hardly wait to tear it up (or at least not get too torn up) in France. my french is coming along ok. not great but, ok. it's strange to think that the new season is just around the corner. it feels like i've hardly been home at all this off season. in fact, i just got "home" today from an 8 day trip to Hawaii with the family. pretty warm down in that part of the world right now, with some great roads that make riding a bike a blast. if you ever go be sure to check out "swimming with manta rays." it was easily the most incredible thing i have done in a long time.

i sure your sick of my run on sentences and lack of punctuation so i'll let you go.

happy holidays to you and your's,

alex

Just to let you know.....

Left hand canyon is impossible to ride right now. The road is under a full foot of snow. Me and Julian found that out the hard way. On the plus side Peak to Peak is clear and sunny!

off season

Well the off season has come and gone. Tour of Guatemala never hapened so i took a trip down to Texas to pick up KT from her euro adventure and we both made the voyage down to New Orleans for Voodoo fest. good times were had by all. Since our return training for next year has been in full swing. With tHe exception of a breef trip to NJ for some cyclocross action i have been on the "rabobank" program by puttin in the long hours out on the road & in the gym w/ their newest team member Tejay.

basicallY, life is good.

happy turkey day!