feeling sad...

....

what Im thinking about..

Dad, friends ,family...riding, mountains, goals, life experiences , love...

Dad

Lately I have been thinking a lot about my dad... 

is name is Alfred..always loved that name...always loved him.

My Dad was a very hard worker from an early age and was working with is dad in the heating system industry before he started his own. He married my mom when he was 23 and she was 18. They have been married for 36 years. They raised two children..me and my brother, Eric , who work's for the family business. I was always the different one but my parents always supported my descisions.

I look a lot like my dad, long legs, no butt and a very shy personality. When I was a kid I used to snowplow the roads with my dad. He was working for the town and I would hear the phone at 4 in the morning and run to him and say "dad, can I come with you?" he would put me in the town truck and have me drive the side shovel of the snowplow...I can't tell you how many mail boxes I smashed...it was so much fun!

Lately my dad hasn't been feeling very good. I worry abut him everyday and I was wondering what was going on...a couple days ago my mom emailed me to tell me he has a sort of arthritis. Things like this come into your life when you expect it the least...

I think about him everyday and I love him so much. My mom has been trying to understand and support him the best she can, as a good wife.

I send all my energy to my dad and my mom. And god know's that I have a lot. My love and energy will hopefully help him get through this so he can ride his motorcycle again...with me alongside, but instead of snowy roads in Quebec, maybe it could be our first big trip together...in Utah. 

Je taime papa

wish...

Today I feel kind of BLAAAAAAA, grey weather, tired, and bored.

I wish I was under the sun riding in europe or somewhere ...

Thanksgiving

To my family and friends

thanks for being in my life.

Week end in the Hamptons

Lets start with Life...

My life has been very good these last couple of months and this weekend was no different!

The whole crew drove down to Southampton, NY to race the Whitmore's cyclocross SuperCross. 

The drive down there is very nice a we have to take 3 different ferry to get there...as they say "you can't get there from here! " So thanks to Dramamine which has been part of my life for a while cause I have that thing called 'motion sickness'...and its no fun...Once I went on a fishing boat with Tim so he could catch some big ones as he loved to fish and I didn't have any so I tried something else called Gravol...I can tell you that they didn't work at all ...4 hrs of that and your pretty empty! I got on the ground and laid in the grass for an hour before feeling sort of normal again...

anyway back to the hamptons...

The organizer of that race, Myles Romanow is great, he takes care of the women as much as the men...I mean money wise!! We have the same prize list as the men and thats why at the end of september I accepted to race his race and only that one! he also added a couple extra's in there.... Myles and his wife own a very nice restaurant in Southampton called Wild Thyme (129 Noyac road..) I love to cook and I always wanted to be in the kitchen with a chef to see how it is. So part of the come back to racing for Myles race was to be able to put my hands ...on the chicken!! and I did! I met Frederick, the chef  from sweden on monday morning and he showed me a couple of things. He was great and I thank him for his time. I had also put a nice wine bottle on the list because Myles' wine knowledge is impressive...He gave Tim and I a nice bottle to hold on to for a while...

Racing again: I raced and I had the best time. It was cold and windy but when you haven't raced for a while you feel like you can do anything and not much bothers you. And it didn't. I won't lie, I haven't been riding my cross bike at all but...I've been doing so many other activities that I guess I was fit enough to be competitive! I was the last one to be called to the line. I just had to turn around 180degrees and be the first row...going the wrong way! The girls were very nice and gave me some space to pass during the race. I made my way through the field slowly and stayed relaxed. I couldn't catch Georgia which I don't think was possible anyway (she is an Olympian who's on form!). But I held on to 2nd both days. Nathasha Elliott made me work hard on Saturday as she really improved since last year, and my roadie friend Laura van Gilder who is new to cross made me step on the pedals on sunday to keep my spot. Thanks to you both !! and good job.

Sometimes at races you stay at hotels, sometimes at host housing...sometimes that can be painful. Tim and I stayed with Lois, a lovely woman who made us feel at home right away and had some great life stories to share. When we got there friday night she wasn't home and there were 2 doggies at the door. Myles showed us around and told us that we need to take the dogs out with a leash if we wanted to...I was busy and not really listening and didn't take that very seriously...I took the big dog out for some important stuff he needed to do. He did it and then stopped, looked at me....and bolted! It was dark and I got nervous that we would lose the husky, I didn't even know his name. Jeremy was very nice and started to run after the dog with his Iphone talking to Tim and trying to grab the dog at the same time. Running like a deer through the bushes and the yards like a mad man, he finally got him to come back home without even touching him. A real dog hunter! I ended up in the neighbors yard...running in the street ..with no luck but the dog was already back by then...I smiled. The next morning when I met Lois I told her my little adventure...She smiled too.

Sweets of life.

I love candy and the last couple of years every time we drove down to the Hamptons we would pass a candy store called the Candy Man. Well this time, I was not going to pass and just stare at it ...We stopped and bought $45 of treats and headed for the boat. Perfect.

 

 

Long time no see!

Hi everyone,

I know it's been a while since I've shared some of my adventures with you...

This morning,  coffee in front of me and some great times behind me I decided to write.

So the last time I was just back from China , had a great experience at the Olympics working for the TV. Im very glad I did it and I learn more about myself: Now I know that TV is not for me!

When they told me I got the job I couldn't say no. Its that kind of thing where you take the challenge no matter what..and I did. I saw how hard the people behind the scene work and how TV is not always what it looks like. I also realized how the public is hard. I kind of knew that but I was kind of avoiding it...It just came back at me like a tone of bricks. People critic without knowing what's going on. They are sitting in their living room and typing what ever come to their head without thinking..and sometimes it hurts. I know , your going to say that I shouldn't focus on that and I know that but I just cant let it go and I think thats why I didn't like doing TV.

Beside that I got the chance to walk on the Great Wall of China, visited the forbidden city,did a tour of the city on a bike that was just about to fall apart (I had to stop because the brake pads were in the spokes they were so loose!),tasted some great Chinese lizard on a stick, bought a chinese hat and travel around town with my Tv crew ...these guys were awesome and took really good care of me. I don't think we had more than 3 minutes without laughing ! Oh and I also notice how the traffic works: Trucks over  cars over  moped over  bikes with trailers carrying fridge and stuff over bikes without a trailer over walkers with trailer over pedestrian. its all about how big you are!

Flight home went very well...thanks to my sleeping pills and my glass of chinese wine!

and then August was over...and September came and I said where the hell did the summer go!

more to come...

Did I say China?

Yes I said China..Im in Beijing for the Olympic games . This time Im not competing, Im working with the national french TV : Radio Canada. I know its called ' RADIO canada' but its TV !!

After 3 days here I realized that my eyes are open and that I notice so much more things than when I was an athlete...

our first show is on the 9th of August so this week is use to travel around, check out the venues and do some tourist stuff...like the Great Wall of China... I was there today. 

life on the bike...

Fly to europe

meet the crew and the guess

get up at 630,

put bikes on roof of vans

drive a little to start of stage...

fill up back pockets with gummy bears( love those!) and other sweet things (love those too!)

ride more

look up around me 

chat with everybody( jokes and other stories...can't tell because what happen here in europe stay here!!)

keep riding...

stop for lunch and try to understand Patrick's sandwich : baguette, 3 squares of butter ...or maybe 4... 4 big chunks of cheese, top with half the jar of peanut butter, drizzle with honey oh and a couple of pringle chip... in the sandwich. I still don't get it!!! the guy is 150 pounds and no fat on there go figure...

refilled bottles and pockets

ride another 3 or 4 hres and get to the hotel

showers, massage clean vans and dinner.

then lights out

Repeat everyday for a month...

my brain is out and my body too!

today was the last day and after 1 month of riding everyday I still love riding. I met great people and I made friends.

thanks Joe.

More from europe...

                                             Me, the Pisa tour and my italian cheese sunglasses!!!
                                             New friends....
                                              cappuccino stop
                                             Sun flowers field
                                             life is good...

Destination cycling in Italy

                                             Sicile: Our fist stop In Palermo
                                             One of the oldest ruins in Italy
                                              Mount Edna: still smoking...
                                             Allen and Moira: you guys are great!
                                             Life is good...

homemade

Last night Tim and I had Jess, Beth and the other guy for dinner! I was having a good day and I wanted to share it.

On the menu:

A spicy eggplant and roasted tomato salad: homemade

A Morocco classic dish : Lamb 'tagine' with almonds, prunes and apricots : homemade

Some great chocolate cookies from Beth : homemade

Mango ice cream ...full cream and sugar: homemade

Wine from Taler and Meredith that Tim brought home: I could say homemade!

laughs, good time and friends: homemade...

I want to make croissants...

Knowlton

The house is almost empty...I lived there for 8 years...Well not that much because of all the travel days I have in bank but that was my house, my first one. I never thought I would live somewhere else...I was born in that small town , Knowlton, my parents live's in town and my bro not very far either. My grands parents a couple k's down the road and my grand-ma in the next town over. My friends from school,  all the roads, trails, mountains that I trained on all those years...The first 33 years of my life that become a great memory.

Changes are not a bad thing.

they make you grow.

I will always be from Knowlton , QC but now I live happily in Beverly, MA with my husband Tim , my dog Vitesse and I am building memories...

riding my bike around

                         Jess and Me (Tim I stole your helmet again!)
                           That was the speed of our ride...awesome!
                                                    Coffee stop 

Jesse called yesterday and asked if I would ride today.  The last couple invitation I refused but today I was ready to hit the road. I haven't been riding for the last 3 weeks and thats ok.

We had a very nice ride around all the roads that I never remember  even if I've been there a million times... "Remember we drove here on the moto?" Euh no do NOT remember because when Im on the back seat ( usually !) I looked everywhere and I do NOT focuse on the road ...

Anyway, riding with Jess is like riding with my little brother. We shoot the S*&^! . After 1 hour of the 3 hres we were suppose to do  Jess said " its a coffee ride day today" He looked at me thinking that I was going to say no to a stop in the middle of a training ride...because thats how I used to think. But instead I said sure Jess I would love to. We did and I loved it. For the first time in a while I felt like I was riding my bike around....Thanks Jesse.

Tim

This morning I wish I could've turn over and hug you...But the reach was farther than the other side of our king bed...  my arm was too short to reach Portland, OR!

Don't worry I know why you're there and I understand. 

miss you 

Muddy Moose

                                                                          Tara and me 
                                                                         Matty O 
                                                                The two beauty

I just got back from running a trail race in NH. It was fun. Hard. 14 miles of ups and downs, mud, rocks and nice people.

Last week I asked Tara to do it with me. She's the wife of Tim's good friend Matt. I have only met her twice before but I liked her. Today I was proud of her. She had never ran that long before, she was scared and very nervous.. but she did it. On the drive back there was only the two of us in the truck(Matt as a good cyclist decided to ride back after helping us with the mental preparation!!) and we talked about everything. She made me feel very comfortable and most of all she understand. We are very similar. 

I told her that this was a challenge even for me. Its must suck for the other one to look at me and see that Im not suffering... trust me I do suffer but I hide it pretty well I think . 

There is some times where you can hide it and thats ok but other times you shouldn't, when the suffering come from the inside. Today I didn't suffer. For me thats a +. Yes my legs hurt but not my mind.

Thanks Tara for accepting this challenge for yourself, Matt and the 2 little one's for the cheering along the course and for the beautiful sunshine.

Just say it

Tell your mom that you love her... Not because its mother's day but because you mean it.

Maman je t aime.

March 2008

http://lynesgazelles.blogspot.com/

check it out.

Sunny day...everyday

Today its raining. The perfect day to play outside in the yard.
I made a nice circle with some big flat blue stone. I'm ready for some BBQing time and a glass of wine with some friends...and the smell of the 'barby '( thats for Rory)! I never got the chance to start and finish that kind of project before. I was always in and out, traveling , racing and in my luggage...always ready to go. Racing my bike took all my time and energy. People would ask me my hobby's and I couldn't really answer...I realized that again I was thinking to much about my bike and not enough about life. I am starting slowly to discover new things that I like doing. And everyday my days get filled with satisfaction. I'm discovering my own self. That right. ME.

dog 's life

Hi my name is Vitesse. I love to lick, actually I can't hold my licker!!

I am very lucky because Lyne and Tim take very good care of me. Every morning when I start farting beside the bed (on Lyne's side because I know Tim will not get up...) she get's up and takes me outside in our cool yard. I love that they don't cut the grass much because its more comfy when I squat to do my things...then if I'm annoying enough I will be able to get my bowl of food early...usually with Lyne. When I get fed by Tim, he makes me wait till 9am sometimes...starving...

Today I walked for a while on the pavement ...I really wanted to go to the beach and sniff all kinds of dead fish and crabs, but Lyne needed to walk I guess...then at the end of the walk we stopped at Lynch park and got on the beach . YEEEEEEAAHHHHH I went crazy!! running around without a leash, great! love it! love it.! I think I drank too much salt water ...For some reason I know its not good for me but I still do it. Once I got home I made myself comfy and slept for a good 5 hrs. Short nap. Jealous Tim? before dinner I went to the beach again but on our way there I couldn't hold it and squatted in front of a very nice house with some long soft grass... Perfect. Lyne was not so happy. My salt water from the morning didn't help my situation I guess and Lyne had to borrow some scott towel(chesterfield??) from a guy walking down the street that saw the mess and wanted to help her...clean the grass!!! or even my ass!

Got to the beach again and saw some friends. ran around alot and then I got hungry. Ate food really fast and then crashed out on the couch waiting for Lyne to go to bed, thats life...love it!

I forgot..

What you see in the plate in front of Stacey is not ours....NOT!

You can try that great and local seafood at 'Woodman's of Essex' , 121 main st Essex MA.

An Angel from Minnesota

I met Stacey in march 2007 while I was in Santa Barbara with Tim. The first min that I met her I knew I liked her. She was like a sister right away. Someone that you don't feel pressure from. Someone who makes you feel like you've deserved everything and not feel bad about it . Someone that cares about you. Someone who is ...nice ...very very nice.

I'd emailed her a couple of times but not enough. Like I said ,I'm working on friendship...She would email back...everytime. She would say words that made me feel better. Yup I haven't felt great a lots of times and she was there. Not knowing really who she was responding too but did.

She came to see us here in Beverly, she flew from Colorado and spent 3 days with us. We did nothing special . Together, talking and taking time to breathe. We didn't do much but when she left I felt like a new wind just blew by leaving my mind fresh.

She is life. An example of strength and love for all her friends. She takes care of each one of them . She is life and I am so thankful that I know her.

keeping my mind busy

I did that today...
I did everything...on my list and some. I went nuts. A little too much. Sometimes thats what I do. Oh! no thats what I've been doing ...for a lots of years. Always too much. TOO MUCH THINKING and NOT ENOUGH LIVING...

5 30 am

Coffee shop :

Because its the first thing I think about in the morning; atomicafe.com

John and Andrew are the best owners and long time friend of Tim.

Vitesse and Me

Here I come!!

I always thought blogs were not my piece of cake...

But hey, its never too late to tell everyone about the cool things you did, the countries you visited, the sunset in Australia that you saw, the nice people you've met, all the life experiences that you want to share...
Its also never too late to tell them about some feelings that you had, some tears that you sniffled and some flowers that you gave.
Or to tell them how lucky you are to live...no really.
I am starting this blog today because I have a lot to say and I want YOU to take whatever piece of that cake and do whatever you want with it. At least try it!
lyne

La vie

Today life was very good to me.

I think that in the last couple of years, I have met great people that could've been my friends... but I didn't let them.
I need friends . We all do. I want another chance...for friendship.