Home!

A week ago, I rolled off the Dartmouth Coach in the midst of a trans-Pacific, jet-lag stupor and the post-DNF funk. WIthin 24 hours, however, I was already feeling revived and looking forward to getting back to training in Hanover. The Upper Valley is, without a doubt, one of the best places in the world to train this time of year. Cool, but not cold, temperatures, and the springtime reawakening of the landscape make this hilly, rural area an invigorating training base. Add the favorable conditions to the incredible network of seemingly endless trails and backroads and you can see why I was so excited to return home for a training block!

I freely admit that I am a bit biased in thinking that New Hampshire surpasses Colorado and Australia, two places I’ve been fortunate enough to live and train, for a training environment. As a small-town girl from the day I was born (in Hanover!), rural, close-knit Northeastern communities will always resonate with me in a more profound way. Quite simply, I feel more settled and complete here than I do anywhere else in the world. As someone who spends most of the year on the road, this sense of belonging is incredibly important. When you live out of a suitcase in a high-pressure environment, you need to stay grounded in some way. For me, having a strong sense of where I am from and knowing that I have a solid, supportive network keeps me on track.

Over the next month, I have a lot of work to do. In a sense, I have to play catch-up, trying to gain back some of the fitness that I lost with my injury. As long as I can resist the siren song of Vermont cheese and ice cream, I can’t imagine a better place to regroup and move forward into part 2 of my season.