This week I’ve been living as a roadracer! Together with the danish U23 road boys I’ve been exploring literally every inch of the roads here on Lanzarote. Based at Club La Santa training has been very easy, since I only have to worry about training, eating and resting. I’ve even managed to almost read an entire book, which I can’t remember, when I last did. The U23 training is very organized. We ride in groups of 6, side by side, shifting at the front every 10th minute. We even have a support car behind us all the time. Very different from the mountainbike training I normally do, so please bear with me. I think this is makes an exellent base for my further training. The boys are very strong, so if you are interested in roadracing, my hint would be to watch out for them during 2012!

Statistics for the week say 774 km, 26 hours, 10.600 meters of climbing with my heart beating with average of 129 times pr. minute. Then add 1 tube of chamois creme ( for my butt), 1 flat tire, 1 sunburn, 4 times of chain lubrication, 2 new cables, a dead seagull and now you understand why I look forward to some action at the mountainbike races

In less than a week, I’m off to La Santa, Lanzarote. My training so far this winter has been good. I’ve been combining trips on the road with mountainbiking and strenght training. A couple of days ago I rode one of the muddiest races so far. It was a x-duathlon race, where you combine trailrunning and mountainbike. It for sure made me appreciate those days, where the forest is dry and dusty.

Foto: Ganløse tri-center

Photo: www.marginmedia.dk

Yesterday a journalist asked me, what the best part about being a mountainbiker was. I didn’t hesitate to answer: “my everyday”. Right now I enjoy my time in Copenhagen training with the guys, combined with local races. This is pure reloading towards next year. It reminds me, what made me mountainbike in the first place.

The preparations this winter will pretty much be the same as last winter, going to La Santa, Lanzarote in january. For the moment the conditions for training outside in Denmark are just perfect, so there’s no place I’d rather be, than here

Photo: Guido Andolfato

A highlight from 2011, catching the rainbow in Montebelluna. I now draw a line, putting 2011 behind me and will be ready to embrace 2012.

Photo: Bo Skakke. www.marginmedia.dk

Summerbreak in Harz from Annika Langvad on Vimeo.

More suspension equals more fun

Wilkommen Sonnenschein..In a few days I’ll be taking off to La Santa Lanzarote. This winter I’ve been spending way more time on the hometrainer, than ever before. In fact, I’ve never really been practicing training on the hometrainer. I must admit, that as soon as I broke down the wall of prejudices about that kind of training, I got hooked on it. It’s a pretty easy way to do some effective training. Because of the extreme low temperatures and impassable roads ( not even mentioning the state in the forests ) I’ve been combining outdoor freezing with some indoor sweating!

But now the first mental milestone of the year is getting closer: real outdoor training! I just added a picture, so you can see, what the evenings are like down there…

Yesterday’s round of the local SlushCup was great since for the first time for a while it was actually possible to ride the bike instead of running with itOverexcited by yesterday I went to the woods again today and found a short round, where I turned the pedals for a while. Not much, but still a little taste of mountainbike – I miss it! Can’t wait to go to sunny La Santa in just 3 weeks

Yehaa, the first snow has fallen in Denmark and this weekend I’ve been training on my new FUJI cross bike…Thursday my boyfriend taught me a few basic tips on how to de- and ascend and run with the bike, which are important skills in cyclo cross. Saturday and sunday  races were being held near by Copenhagen, and I choose to paricipate for some race action! Unfortunately the women’s field was pretty small, but luckily we raced against the men (over 40 category).

Saturday the course was pretty tecnical. All the classic cyclo cross obstacles were included: sand pit, bars, staircase, steep and slippery hills to ascend running and and flat parts, where you just had to put down the hammer!.. I had fun and soon discovered, that as soon as I lost a little bit of concentration, I started to make mistakes, that costed a lot of time. 40 minutes of racing flew by and felt like nothing compared to a mountainbike race of 1h30.

Sunday the course was much faster. Once again we started with the men and I decided to stick with the front. The plan went well the first 500 meter. Suddenly the guy in front of me went down and our bikes got totally wrapped up. When I managed to pull my bike away from his, the whole field had passed and now I could start hunting the front once again. After a few round on the 2km long course I was back at the front and rode steadily with good speed.

Both days I managed to cross the finishline as the winner in the womens category and among the podium finishers in the men over 40 category. The cyclo cross is great fun and nice variation for training during the winter. Next weekend I’ll be back racing my mountainbike in lovely Tisvilde, where the tracks nomatter the weather are always top class!

Photo: Mikkel Pagh

Last time I rode my bike in a bike race was at the World Championships in Canada. Now, more than three months later it was time to put a number plate on the handlebar once again

Even though the SlushCup is just for fun and training I really like this race series – actually it is because of the aim of racing with no pressure or expectations, that I like it. Each round of the Cup attracts approx. 500 participants, which is quite a lot for a Danish race.

It is now time to start wintertraining with more focus on distance and strength. I really do hope that winter this year will bring less snow!.. Anyway, I’ll be prepared: My new cyclo cross-bike from FUJI just landed and as soon I can, I’ll go for a ride! This will be my first time ever on a cross bike, this will be a funny alternative for training during winter. FUJI has some nice stuff; check it out here and look forward to see me racing the trails next year on the nice frames!

FUJI cross bike

The last time has been spend on planning some training camps for the winter. I’ll go to La Santa, Lanzarote at the end of January. The temperature and environment is perfect there. Already I’m looking forward to the sun

A month later I’ll go to Cyprus for a few weeks to train and to participate in the Cyprus Sunshine Cup.

But till then, I’ll just keep on mudsurfing