Ahhh... Honey!!!

Bruce got a new barbecue,

and decided to cook us some dinner...

Our local black bears came over to see

what was smelling soo good...

Meanwhile, Buddy and I took a walk out to the mailbox...

Hey, mom... What's dad doing?

Don't worry, he is just cooking us some dinner.

But mom... That does not look very good...

Oh, great! I knew we should not have left him alone!

Come on, mom! Lets go save daddy!!!

Got Wood?

With winter fast approaching,

Bruce, Buddy, and I decided to drive up into

the mountains to cut some trees down

for our stock of firewood...

On the way up we got to experience
mother nature's master piece...

The photo's just do not show how truly

beautiful everything is...

This is the view from where we decided to

stop and cut, not bad... hey?

Bruce and my 'mini boss' chainsaw,

on top the stack of trees we cut down...

After several hours of hard work,

we made our way down the mountain...

Looking down, to where we will soon be...

Driving through the Aspens...

We made it home, and Bruce was pretty

proud of all the hard work we did,

and the growing pile of wood...

A few of our neighbors came over to help stack

the wood that we recently split...

After several trips to the mountains,

we finally have our stock of wood for the winter..

It was a long day, and everyone was exhausted...

Buddy included.

Our First Snow Fall:

I woke up this morning to find a blanket of snow

covering everything...

Here are a few shots of the trees in our yard...

It is simply beautiful...

This big oak tree had tons of leaves on it
just a few days ago...

The deer were having a great time grazing
on our back field...

What a wonderful thing to wake up to.

I Am Back!

Where do you think you are goin?

What are you looking at?

You work out...?

why

great

Buddy Time: Buddy ran all over the yard,

looking for his daddy...

He got really worried because he has not
seen him in a very long time...

I could see that Buddy was getting real sad...

So I packed him and his things up for a

road trip to see his dad...

When we got to the hospital, Buddy wasn't

sure what to make of it all...

He was just happy to see his dad!
And I think Bruce was even more happy!!

They took a nap together...

And Buddy even gave his dad a bath...

Bruce was so proud of the training he has done,

he wanted to show us what he was able to do...

As the day went by so fast,

we had to say our 'good byes'...

We drove home and when we reached our town

of Collbran, there was a cattle drive we got stuck in...

All the cows wanted to say HI! to Buddy...

We got home just as the sun was setting,

and I tucked Buddy into bed...

As he dreamed of the great day he had with

his daddy.

Baby Steps:

Yesterday was an extremely draining day,

with what seemed like endless doctor

visits, and multiple P.T. sessions.

A little bit of quiet time, and a refreshing

bath.

Bruce is making progress, but we are finding
out the damage to his brain is more severe
than we thought.
He is still in a great deal of pain, gets
nauseous and dizzy a lot, and cannot keep
his eyes open.
Having and dealing with a brain injury is not
only frustrating and exhausting, it takes a
long time to recover from.
They say it can take up to two years...


Hang in there, Sweetheart!

Keep moving forward, taking baby steps...

We are all here for you,

hoping and praying for a speedy return home.

Update:

It has been since Saturday, 23rd around 10:30 A.M. ..

Just about 5 days now, and Bruce is still at

St. Mary's Hospital, in Grand Junction.

To bring you up to speed~ He had crash landed
on top of his head, crushing his helmet...receiving a concussion,
resulting in a brain injury, a broken nose, shattered teeth,
compressing his spine; fracturing the T4 &T3,
contusions and bruising to his spinal core. And probably more,
but I cannot think of themright now.
At first he could not move... he was in a neck brace for three days.
He has since been moved to a new room,
in the Rehabilitation wing of the hospital.
Two days ago he tried to walk. I saw him take 3 steps, but his
right leg was not working properly. That was quite alarming.
Yesterday morning he tried once again to walk. He made it
a bit farther, but then collapsed...
All bells and whistles went off, sending in a slew of new doctors,
preforming new tests.
By the afternoon things calmed down, and Bruce was a bit
more rested. I was able to help him take a shower,
the first one since Saturday. He had to sit on a plastic chair
while I got to sponge him off. I could tell that made him happy...
His spirits were good.
He started his first day of physical training.
Rehab psychology~ to help deal with depression,
Speech pathology, Occupational therapy~ to help teach him how to eat,
get dressed, use the bathroom, etc.
Physical therapy~ to work on physical deficits and
Cognitive therapy.
And then there is the Therapeutic Recreation~ re-creation:
activities, laughter, enjoyment, fun, and freedom of choice.
(Which is pretty hard, when you are in his situation.)
His memory is quite bad right now and has difficulty concentrating.
He seems to get dizzy a lot with his eyes open, so he has them
shut at times, which make him look like he is sleeping.
I do not know how many drugs they have him on,
but they want to keep his pain level below '5'.
('10' being the worst.)
I got to watch him walk again. He did much better,
(walking with the therapist holding onto a belt
strapped around his waist and Bruce using a walker
that has wheels).
He was able to walk (real slow) about 50 yards...
then needed to rest. He did some more exercises
like balancing, leg lifts while standing (5 each leg).
He also had tasks making shapes out of clay using his hands.
Then he continued to work with the speech and brain specialist,
on memory and cognitive thinking. I think he did real good.
At times I could tell he was frustrated, but he is making progress.
The doctors say if he continues to improve as he is doing,
he might be able to come home in about two weeks.
After three intense hours (in a time span of 6 hours~
30 min. on/ 30 min. rest) of therapy, Bruce was
wiped out!
I ate dinner with him and then said my good byes.
(I hate doing that!!)
I talked to the nurses before I left and made sure
he is all taken care of, and made my way back
to the house and Buddy.
I call him every 3 hours when I am not at the hospital,
and sometimes he calls me.
The days are long and tiring...
It is very hard to see the man you love go through
something like this.

Always remember to tell your significant other

that you love them, at least once a day...

and never take anyone for granted...

Flight For Life:

Bruce and I went to Crested Butte, CO

for another round of the Mountain States Cup

mountain bike race.

While pre-riding the race course, we had to stop

and take in the beauty that encompasses this place.

After a few hours of riding, we went into town
to grab some lunch.
~'Are you talking to me?..'~

Now it was time for the main event...
As the riders assembled to the start line.

The Crested Butte race course is a favorite

among the race community...

As you can see by this shot, the fields were stacked!

Here I am trying to feed and take a photo,

at the same time.

Bruce is sitting pretty, and looking good.

Off he went and I waited for his return

on the next lap.

And I waited, and waited.... and waited!

I knew something was not right...
Turns out Bruce had crashed...

Bad!

He was taken off the mountain...

Driven by ambulance to the Crested Butte

air strip, where we waited for

'Flight for Life'..

He was then prepared for the medi-vac flight

to Grand Junction...

The team of medics loaded him into the helicopter...

And I said my 'I Love Yous' and

'Good Byes'...

I watched him take off...

And then I gathered the bikes, packed up the

camper, got Buddy all ready, and drove like

a mad woman to Grand Junction.

I finally got to the St. Mary's Hospital,

in Grand Junction about 8 hours latter,

and was able to see my sweetheart.

Out to Angel Fire, NM:

We headed up over the Rockies to New Mexico.

But with all this snow... how are they going to race?

~This is late May, isn't it?~

After a beautiful drive, we made it to our camp site

where we were greeted by a wonderful

camp host, Maria.

She rides a Trek as well, and was happy to show

me all the cool details on it.

We set our site up...

And Buddy settled in...

I headed over to the kids race,

where these two girls managed to crack me up!

Humm... I wonder what gear they are starting in.?..

Oh! And we're off!!

The course was a tough one,

with bumpy technical sections..

Steep hike-a-bikes...

And fast descents.

It really took its toll on the racers.

This little guy was having a hard time seeing...

So we quickly stopped,

and I adjusted his helmet straps for him...

We got through the hike-a-bike...

And finished the race.

In the end, everyone was exhausted.

After catching their breath,

smiles were all around!

With each and every kid receiving a finishing medal.

What a ride:

After waking up and looking into our back yard,

Bruce and I decided to go ride up that mountain.

(There was no snow on it that morning, though).

We suited up, and started our new journey...

After 2 hours of riding up hill, I thought it would

be nice to walk...
(Yes, that is snow! We climbed pretty high).

Long story short, we got caught in a big mountain

afternoon rain/ snow/ lightning storm...

And we were completely unprepared!!

For a girl who does not care for getting dirty,
I had a blast!
(Besides being soaking wet, not knowing where
we were, and freezing...)


Bruce was so dirty, he had to use the hose

to try and get clean.
(Buddy's thinking...'And they say I need a bath!?')

This is what we were caught in.

Beautiful, but dangerous if not prepared...
Needless to say, we are learning fast.

Next time we will bring a backpack full of necessities.

Bruce's 50th:

For Bruce's 50th Birthday, we were treated to a

Jeep ride with our new friends; Colby, Cindy,

and their three children; Autumn, Dustin, and Austin.

Bruce was really having a fun time.

(We all were)

And into the woods we went..

Colby got his axe out to clear the trail from

fallen trees..

They eventually put a chain around the tree

and pulled it out of the way...

(Colby's axe needed sharpening)

And then drove over it, for fun.

We kept going, then stopped to look at some

of the tree carvings..

Bruce and I found one with our initials on it!

(What are the chances of that happening.?..)

We got hungry, so they set up a 'mini' BBQ fire pit

and made something for lunch.

Everyone enjoyed the surroundings and

good food...

While Autumn told us a story...

The boys gathered wood...

So they could show Bruce how to build a bridge..

And then they tried to catch some fish.

After spending 5 hours in the woods,

we made our way back home...

Where Bruce got to do what he loves to do...

Cut the lawn on the 'ride-a-long'!

As the sun set on a memorable 50th,

we went inside to get cleaned up...

After a long day of activity,

Bruce and Buddy were sacked out!

"Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!"

We've got Company!

The other day, a HUGE bull wondered his

way down our driveway...

Everyone was watching to see what
was going to happen...

the local fox,

even the deer that hang out in our back yard
were curious.

The bull wasn't going to leave on it's own,
So the boys, Bruce and Buddy, had to chase him out.

With a lot of work, they were successful.
The bull made it's way back down the driveway
and in the right direction to his pasture.

Buddy wanted to make sure he did not come back.

After all... This is his territory now!

Meet our new neighbors:

This is Betty...

She is wondering what the heck I am doing.

Here is Fred, he has never seen

people on bikes. He is probably wondering why

I am taking his photo...

Bruce and I took a stroll around the block

to check out our new surroundings...

Across from our house, and down a ways,
are a flock of sheep.
Almost all the animals we pass... stop, look up, stare,
and are not sure what to make of us.
I am sure they will get used to us soon enough.

This barn sits on a breathtaking field,
about 3 miles up the road from us.
It is amazing that it is still standing.

I got my hands on a 'ride-a-long'
I only had to trade one of my bikes for it,
but it was worth it!


Bruce got busy and Buddy made sure he

was keeping the lines straight.
To say the least, they were both whipped out
come supper time.

On our way:

It took nearly 12, yes I said 12, hours

to get out of L.A...

We made it to Mesquite, NV around 2:30AM

Parked in a parking lot so we could get some
much needed rest.

Our trip was full of surprises,
most of which one would not hope for...

Bruce found out his brakes on the new trailer
were engaged for most of the trip...
Which caused the tires to become on fire!
He was NOT a happy camper...

Help!

I needed to call in for some extra help...

For some reason Bruce was dragging his feet,

and I really wanted to leave for Colorado.

As usual, Bruce tried to tell a story and get

off easy...

But Officer Fray, stood his ground.
"I am ordering you to pack up and move out to Colorado."

I was over joyed!!!
Thanks Officer Fray!
(This is why I have not updated my blog in
quite some time... I have been extremely busy...)

Where's my Bike!

Looks like Bruce decided it was 'bike wash day'

(That's one way to spend your day...)

Once Bruce finally finished washing our bikes...
We went to check out the local road race,
Conquer the Canyons, where I saw Joel,
friend and owner of Agoura Cycles.

After everyone had gone home, Bruce and I
couldn't resist making up our own race...

with me winning of course!

(no, I did not fall over... it was very windy out.)

The Final Product:

Remember back in February,

Bicycling sent out a team of photographers...

Well, it is now in print!
Check out the May issue of Bicycling,
and go to page 68.
That is me!

Sea Otter Classic '07:

We arrived at the Sea Otter Classic,

in Monterey, Ca.

Got our Lance camper all set up,

and went out to do the usual 'meet & greet'...

Before we took off to do that, I noticed that
Dave Cullinan, former World Downhill Champion, had his tricked out trailer parked next to ours.

While making our rounds, we ran into Heidi and Michael,
they too will be racing the cross country.

And then I saw Rachel Throop, this is her first year
racing with the pro woman.
Looks like she is picking up a bit of swag!

I saw that Thomas Frischknecht was giving
out autographs, and couldn't resist...

I hopped over to give Zap Espinoza a big hug
and a "Thank You!"

While Bruce could not believe his ears!
~"Dude, check out this JBL system!!!"~

Said hello to Christopher Dragon, with JBL,
and want to wish his mother-in-law,
Gale Spaulding, who also has Lupus, the Best!

Stopped by to chat with Josh Coaplen, Cane Creek
Cycling Components, who can hopefully fix Bruce's
broken wheel...

They have so much going on at this event...
Here is an insane bike jump...
that guy might want to get out of the way...quickly!

We watched the kids road race.

They got to race on the same circuit as the pros.

On our way back to the camper to get ready
for our own ride, we ran into the future
Downhill Champions...

Guess who we ran into while out pre-riding
the race course...Thomas Frischknecht!

Bruce wanted to sneak into the photo as well..
It was a long day, but the weather was good and
I had a lot of fun!

Back to Reality:

After experiencing a swollen and painful

lymph node in my underarm...

Bells and whistles went off!

It was time for another Dr.'s visit.
(Do you like my invisible socks?..
Now I know why people stare when I walk by...)


This is my nurse for the day.
She took great care of me; taking my temperature,
my weight (oh boy!), my blood pressure,
asked me a lot of questions, and so on...

Here are a bunch of numbers that appeared
when I was hooked up...
(not sure what they all mean...)

My exam room.
Yea! I like the number 11.


Here I am listening intently to my Dr.
"Have you been staying out of the sun?" ~'yep'
"Have you been resting adequately?" ~'yes'
"Have you been keeping your stress levels to a minimum?"
~'aah, ya..'
"Have you been exercising?" ~'ya, a little bit'
(Denial... you gotta love it!)

Now we are in his office, so he can check my blood

tests, and go over a few things with me.

I am waiting, patiently, to see if maybe I will
be able to cut down on the amount of drugs
I have to take on a daily biases...


Dang! No luck...
Well, I guess I cannot complain.
It could be a lot worse... right?..


This is my doctor, Dr. David Hurwitz, MD.
He has been able to help me (form the very beginning)
with my Lupus, and has successfully been
able to get, and keep, my Lupus into remission.
Thank You, Dr. Hurwitz!!!

NOVA Classic:

Bruce was off to a great start in the

cross country race, pushing beyond the comfort zone.

The high heat took its tole on everyone.
And many were victims to the jagged rocks and cacti...

Bruce was no exception...

Here in the tech zone, Dusty LeBar (Head Mechanic)

tries to help Bruce get back into the race.

He experienced five flat tires!

Extremely upset, Bruce was forced to abandon the race.

Dean Gore, (Team Director) and Zack Vestal, (National Team
Manager) were perplexed with the number of casualties.

As the sun set on a long day,

Bruce made a nice fire in the fire pit...

And I cooked up a mean meal on the BBQ.

Buddy made sure to let his Dad know

that he was still his hero,

no matter how his race turned out!

After putting everything into perspective,

Bruce realized how much fun we really had on

our trip to Arizona.

"No worries, there is always next year... right?!"

Super D..?

Super D: A hybrid event combining aspects of the disciplines of Cross Country and Downhill racing. A mass start or sometimes a staggered start competition which riders’ race on a course that has significantly more downhill than uphill sections. These courses are typically devoid of jumps and not as technical in nature as Downhill races; testing both a rider’s endurance and bike handling skills.

With perfect weather conditions, and an event

that I have never done before; the Super D.

I thought.. why not!

Here I am at the very start of the race.

And here is Bruce, tearing it up around a
corner at high speed.
(as you can see by the way his mouth is open,
gasping for air... this was no walk in the park)

In the end, I was happy to hear that I was
the only girl to break the 18 minute mark.

Chrissy Bono, 2nd place finisher,

and I, waiting for the awards.

(We just found out that I get to open a bottle of

Champagne on the podium!!)

Here we are receiving our medals,

and I got a pretty bouquet of yellow daisy's.

I am now shaking up the bottle of champagne...

Now I am trying to figure out how to open it...

Voila!

It's raining champagne!!

Victory!

With the girls all soaked and the champagne gone,

one last salute..

I will for a long time remember my

top spot on the podium.

A 1st place, in the pro women's field,

at a NORBA Nationals, is pretty special.

The Big Race:

We all gathered at the start line for the

main event~ the kids race!

(is it me, or are there more pro racers than kids?..)

Everyone listening intently to the 'race instructions'

before the start.

And we are off!!!
The pace was fast, and the large crowd of
spectators were cheering for their favorites.

Sue Haywood, (Trek/VW)
up with the leaders, setting a good pace.

Here we are riding down the back stretch

for our second and final lap.

This little boy here (A.K.A Johny T.)

has a racing career in his future.

With a little help, Sunshine (#912),

was able to hold off Chloe Forsman (#11),

the current collegiate National Champion.

In the end, everyone was all smiles!

With each child being a winner;

receiving a race number plate,

a cold beverage, a finishing medal,

and memories to last a lifetime.

Where to now...

"Looks pretty dry out there guys..."

As we head over to Fountain Hills, Arizona, for

the season opener of the NORBA Nationals...

Buddy enjoys the dry air, new smells,

and warm sun.

Upon arriving at our camp site

we notice we have a visitor...

Looks like Buddy will have fun out here!

We got our 'home on wheels' all set up.

Our Lance camper is the best!


Then decided to take a spin, do the 'meet and greet',
and check out the Trek Team race tent.
These guys are so organized and professional,
they really make you feel like you are #1.


Here is Bruce, along with Dean Gore (Team Director),
Zack Vestal (National Team Manager),
and Jeremiah Bishop, sporting the new team
clothing and a Cytomax energy gel in hand.


We got back to our camp site in time to shower,
set up the BBQ. and start hydrating for the
next days highly anticipated kids race.



What a better way to end a long day...
With a beautiful sunset!

Look familiar:

No, this is not a visit with USADA,

(United States Anti-Doping Agency)

~maybe I will get to see them at Sea Otter...~

It is just the usual routine blood tests and urinalysis
I must do to monitor my battle with Lupus.

Oakley Rocks!

A special "Thanks!" goes out to Steve, at Oakley

for 'hooking me up' with all the styling shades.

Look Who is in Print:

Go out and pick up the new, May issue

of Mountain Bike Action....

Then turn to page 56 &57....

~I hope to reach out and motivate~
Enjoy!

Sweeeet!

My new bike has arrived!

Top Fuel 9.9 (full suspension)

with Rockshox SID front fork

and Rockshox MC 3.3 rear shock.

We immediately hit the trails

to test out our new machine.

On our way back home,

we ran into a little German boy...

Looks like he could use a new pair of shoes...

My new duel' is so sweet!

It rides like my hard tail- fast, light weight, responsive.

And acts like a full suspension- comfortable, and enables me to take any line I choose.

Once I got back home, I washed my 'last years bike', and placed it up on the wall...

Off to a Good Start:

We headed out to Lake Isabella, CA

for the 19th annual Keyesville Classic.

This is such a fun weekend race,

I thought it would be perfect

to make it my first race of the year.

After getting our camp site all set up,

Bruce and I headed out to check out the race course.

We left, 'Super Bud' in charge.

~"Man... thoes two have been gone for quite a long time!"~

To say the least, I had a great time!

Getting that first race under my belt felt good.

I was even more happy for Bruce.

He won his first big PRO race!!

(for the year '07, that is..)

~Way to GO, Bruce!~

Just had to document this...

(Bruce's first big pay check)

Dirty Job:

Bruce is getting ready to 'dump' after our first

camping/mountain bike race weekend.

Whoa!... That smell is kinda rank!

All clean and ready for our next trip!
Thanks , Bruce!!
It's a dirty job, but someone needs to do it.
(and it's not gonna be me!)

Best Wishes:

This is my brother-in-law, Bart, and his wife

Sandra, on their trip to N.Y.

They are expecting twins in a couple of weeks.

So when she fell ill, they immediately placed her in the hospital (in N.Y.)

and is now confined to 'bed rest' until further notice.

Sandra, we wait and pray that you can come home

safely and soon. We all miss you!

No Worries:

Don't worry, I will soon up date my blog...

I have just been a bit busy lately.

Nice!

Went to Bruce's mountain bike race,

the Southridge series, this past Sunday.

I had fun spectating, handing out water bottles

and taking photos.

Check this out...
That's right! Women only port-a-potties.
And yes, they were stocked with toilette paper,
clean dry seats, had anti-bacterial hand soap,
a small little mirror on the door,

and they didn't smell too bad either.
NICE!

This is Donny Jackson,

he really knows how to put on a great race.

He even periodically announced over the loud speaker

that the women's port-a-potties were for

women only!

Bruce had a great race!

Had good competition, warm weather,

and enjoyed pushing himself to the limit.

Green Grass and Flowers:

Started the day doing an easy road ride with Bruce.

We like to ride through a place called

Hidden Valley...

As you can see, it is amazingly beautiful!

I cannot get over how green this grass is!
"Hidden Valley"... no wonder.

Guess who also was checking out the views...

A dear friend, and legend mountain bike racer,

Dermot Carroll.

After catching up on old times,

we rolled our way back to the city.

I had to stop and take a photo of this one tree.

As I adore flowers, this tree was so pretty...

It had no leaves on it yet,

just these cute little pink flowers on every branch.

Keeping Things in Check:

I have not been feeling all that great lately...

Seeing signs of a "flair" on the rise...

So, I decided to take the advice from 'Super Bud',

and just relaxed...All day!!

Guess Who's not Superman:

"How many papers do I need to fill out?"

Went with Bruce to his therapy last Friday.

Wow, that looks like a lot of voltage!..
I wonder if they will use that on Bruce?

Guess so!

Poor Bruce, that seems like it is pretty painful...

Don't worry Bruce, you are still my Superman!

Good Times:

Buddy is not the only one who is sad

that Aaron and Kim are leaving

to start their race season...

I too, will miss you dearly!

Thank you so much
for being such a wonderful friend.

Rain is Gone!

With the rain storm finally gone, the sun shinning,

and the roads all dry, I got ready to go

for a ride with Bruce.

As we road through Hidden Valley,

I could not believe how beautiful it was!

It is as if the rain has washed everything clean.

All the colors looked so vibrant!

Bruce had to stop and display his trusty steed.

'Strike a pose...'

Now he is pretending to be a model.

Taking another stop to enjoy the beauty of what

most people are too busy to appreciate.

Then to top if off... there were deer along side

the road at the base of our last climb.

To say the least, this was an awesome ride!

Surfing the Web:

What ever we are doing...

Buddy is right there doing the same thing.

He thinks he is human...

He surfs the web, he watches t.v,

he also helps me clean the house!

Where is Waldo:

Last Sunday, February 25th, Long Beach Ca.

Doesn't look like Waldo is here...

What about here, the Long Beach Harbor... nope..

Still don't see Waldo.

There's Waldo!

Racing the Long Beach Grand Prix.

What an exciting race that was.

Nice weather, amazing athletes, and beautiful scenery.

Stepsister:

Went to my dad's office this weekend,

as I do every other week to clean it,

and found my dad, Bert, and his new little girl.

Her name is Sasha, and thinks she is a princess.

So, I guess that makes her my new stepsister!

Kicking Butt:

This is my honey, Bruce,

on his way to another successful race,

at the Fontana mountain bike series.

Ho Hum:

I woke up this morning with the sun shinning,

and the best intentions to wrench on my mountain bike

a little bit

and then go for a nice road ride.

But as the morning wore on,

I noticed I wasn’t “feeling it”…

and getting the ‘poor me’ attitude.

So when that happens~ I lace up my boots,

grab my trekking poles, and head out for a hike.

That is where I can clear my head

and figure out why I am feeling this way.

Turns out I am just depressed.

It seems that up until two weeks ago my honey and I were doing everything together.Whether it be road riding, mountain bike training, hiking, and even running errands; we did it together.

Now it seems like he is just on a different schedule.

I miss my training partner, my best friend…

And that makes me sad on the inside.

Some sobering facts:

Lupus is one of America's least recognized major diseases.

Nearly 1.5 million Americans have lupus. In fact,

more Americans have lupus than cerebral palsy,

multiple sclerosis, sickle-cell anemia,

and cystic fibrosis combined,

making it one of this country's most prevalent medical problems.

However, while lupus is widespread,

awareness and accurate knowledge about this disease is still unknown to many!

Live:

Live the life you love…
Love the life you live!

Criterium time:

Kim A. throwing the hammer down on the women's field.

The future National Champion...
This little kid was so happy,
just look at the grin on his face!


Bruce M. kicking butt in the I-II field.

I am still learning how to use the camera...

They go by fast,

I was lucky to get so many great shots.

Bruce~ just as he finished his race.

It was great to see his smiling face!

Good Support:

Nothing can be better

than good friends in a time of need.

(Stacey Peters, me, and Kim A.)

Be My Valentine:

Valentine’s Day was extra special for me this year.

Besides getting cards and candy,

I got to be in the ‘spot light’.

Bicycling Magazine sent out a team of photographers,

Drew Reynolds and Carli Jo Bidlingmaier,

to do a photo shoot with me.

Look for an article on ‘Pro Diet Secrets’,

in the May issue of Bicycling Magazine.

My new Friend:

This is me (with my eyes closed, as usual) and Eliza.

Eliza is a professional stunt women, a mom, a wife, an awesome athlete,

and on her way to becoming the next terror on two wheels! Watch out!

Laugh Often:

Most people are about as happy
as they make up their minds to be.

Think Big:

Whatever you wish, whatever you dream,
whatever you hope to achieve….
Whatever you try for, whatever you plan…
It is yours if you only believe.

Enjoy:

Plenty of people miss their share of happiness,
not because they never found it…
But because they did not stop to enjoy it.

Be creative:

Success does not come to you… you go to it.

Daydreaming:

The key to happiness is having dreams…

The key to success is making them come true.

Seize the moment:

Accept the challenges,

so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.

Surprise!

Happiness lies in the joy of achievement

and the thrill of creative effort.

Uh Oh!

"Buddy, what did you do..!"

'What?'
'Wasn't me..'

'I didn't do it...'

Hey!

Where are you guys going?...

Whoa!

It’s not weather you get knocked down;
it’s weather you get up again.

Impossible?...

Act as though it were impossible to fail.
(It’s kind of fun to do the impossible!)

Apply when needed:

(canis lupus)

When you are having one of those days,

just remember;

"If it doesn't kill you...

it will make you stronger..."

Way to GO Jen!

Congratulations to my teammate Jenny Smith,

of Trek/VW, on her 2nd place

at the New Zealand National Championships.

I am so proud of you, Jen!

You are an inspiration.

Miss You Tons!

Teige and her dad, Bruce...

You are the BEST, Teige!

We miss you sooo much.

For the love of the Sport:

I have to give a huge "Thank You!" to Terry Martin,

who has taken nearly all of the race photo's you see of me.

He is a very gifted and generous man who likes to share his talents

with others who love the sport of mountain biking.
Thank you, Terry!

Making new Friends:

Rie Katayama, Trek/ VW - Japan, and me at the Sea Otter Classic '06

Rie is the best female professional mountain bike racer in Japan.

Looking forward to seeing Rie in the States this spring!!

This is where it's at:

Meet the future Team Trek Riders!

Groovy:

A big congratulations goes out to "Rad" Ross, for always making people laugh, and oh ya...

on being promoted to the Factory Trek Team!

Ride On Man!

(Keep the hair growing.... Love the mullet!)

All Smiles:

Just last Thursday, I had a setback.
I was out riding with Bruce, when he noticed that something was wrong... I didn't want to tell him, but could not take the pain any longer (the nerve endings in my toes were bursting), and I broke down crying.
He managed to convince me that I was 'over doing it', and needed to listen to my body.

So, reluctantly listening to Bruce, I took the next few days off to rest and take care of myself.
By doing so, I now feel better, and hopefully avoided a bigger "flare".

With 82 degree weather, and Bruce being pretty wiped out from yesterdays road race, we headed out for a nice long road ride.

It is days like today, that bring a huge smile to my face...

Off to the Races:

Are we there yet?!

Friday, 1 p.m.

Where are all these people going!!!

"What!!! No race photos?"
Sorry... I was busy in the feed zone the whole time.

Next race.

Perfect Complement:

In my opinion, SERFAS Stabilizer-AL bar ends, are the way to go. They are super light, strong, enable me to power up climbs, and descend with grace. It is the perfect complement to my Trek Top Fuel 9.9, and my Trek Elite 9.9.

Check these bar ends out at http://www.serfas.com/index.shtml

Good Times:

Warm weather, long rides, and wine... (note the sign in the background)

No wonder Kim A. is so happy!

1.5 Million:

No matter where I am or where I go… I seem to meet incredible people who either have lupus, or know someone who has lupus. It is estimated that 1.5 million Americans are afflicted with this serious autoimmune disorder.

Me and Greg Stern, at this last weekend’s crit. His wife, Ellen Stern, has Lupus and scleroderma. Positive thoughts to you, Ellen, as you continue to demonstrate how strong you truly are.

The sky's the limit:

You are only as good as you want to be...

Good times & Shoes!

Yesterday, Bruce and I headed out with our house guests, Kim Anderson, and Aaron Olson, (both ride for T-Mobile) for a nice road ride.

Aaron and I were so excited to wear our bright, new, SIDI road shoes; we had to document just how great they looked.

On the way to our climb, we spotted the Toyota-United Cycling Team, doing some secret training along the coast.

It was all fun and games…

Half way up the climb we had to stop so Aaron could take another look at his new shoes.

The guys striking a pose for the camera…

We road through wine country and had to stop for some wine tasting. What is it with pro athletes and wine anyways?..

After a long day in the saddle, lots of laughs, great weather, (and new shoes!) we finally made our way home.

Back on the Bike!

Today I headed out with Bruce to do a mountain bike ride. This was the first climb we did. Looks like a fun warm up, eh?

Check out my nifty camera case. It has Velcro, so I can keep it on my bars for on the fly picture taking. (Not recommended though)

I know when I am having a good training ride when my knees start sweating!

Keeping up with Bruce isn’t hard enough, so I added taking pictures with one hand while descending at mock speed.

What a great ride! These are the days I cherish. Great trails, warm sunny weather, friendly people, and precious time spent with my honey.

I’m not Superwomen?... Yesterday I could not even finish one hour of my scheduled four hour bike ride. And today I could barley crawl out of bed. With signs of cognitive dysfunction, the nerve endings starting to burst on my toes again, my joints screaming with pain, feeling like I am drunk with sleep, and becoming more depressed due to the thought that I just cannot keep up with daily life… I sadly force myself to close the curtains on a perfectly beautiful, sunny 68 degree day, and go back to bed. I know I need to listen to my body and rest, to prevent a huge flare and risk losing all the progress I have achieved.
But really, all I wanted to do today was go for a hike, do the laundry, clean the house, get the grocery shopping done, wash my car, paint my nails, maybe squeeze in a bike ride, make a fabulous dinner, and go to the movies with my honey…
I do not like to complain. I don’t even let the people closest to me know exactly how I am feeling. I just thought it would be nice for you to know that I am not superwomen. Merely a person who has Lupus, and is trying to demonstrate to others that you can still live life to its fullest, it you pay close attention to the signs that your body tells you.

My Everything:

Not only is Bruce my husband and my true love…

He is my teammate, my training partner, and sometimes my trainer…

He is my best friend, my confidant, my biggest fan, and always manages to make me smile…

He is my moderator, my motivator, my inspiration…

He is my HERO!!

Tot de volgende keer:

Some very special friends from Druten, Holland...Justin, Marvin, Cor, and Monique Derks. And of course, Buddy, too!

Till next time...

Simi Ride:

In the "off season" there is a group ride called, 'The Simi Ride', where there can be up to two hundred riders out to punish each other... I just like to socialize and have fun. Here is Lara K. (in yellow) who races for TEAm Lipton, and has become a friend of mine.

This girl here, Kirsten D., makes the ride so much fun... She is so strong and always manages to motivate me.

Kirsten D., Ivan Dominguez (Toyoya-United), and me Tomarra (Trek-VW)

Ivan D., and my honey...Bruce (Trek-VW), these two guys are super strong!!!

Mastering Denial:

Smart dogs learn fast… With the help of his medication, he was back to his old self. This morning he ran down a pack of coyotes that like to taunt him.

He came back 15 minutes later with a huge grin on his face and a strut in his step.

The “Super Bud” is back!

Just like mommy:

Our dog Buddy, the "Super Dog" is the meanest, fastest, toughest dog on the block.

The highlight of his day (besides getting fed) is when his dad takes him out hiking every morning.

So when we noticed he was slowing down, and limping after every hike… we got concerned. After exams, blood tests, x-rays, and a visit with the specialist… They diagnosed him with having severe arthritis.

So just like his mom…he too, will be on medication everyday for the rest of his life.

What?...

Is this what I think it is....

How fun is this... snow in Malibu Ca.

Don't think I will go out riding today!

Oh Yeah:

(Chris Eatough)

It is almost that time of year again when

I learn how to be:

"comfortable...

in the constant state of pain"....

But... until then...

I am going to enjoy the off season

to the fullest!

My two Best Friends:

Long day at the office... or should I

say on the bike....

Out on a hike:

Me and my baby boy...

Buddy

Yummy...

Thanks to Iron, and the rest at Cyto Sport....

I Love my Muscle Milk!!!

My favorate recipe:

• 8 to 10oz. very vanilla soy milk
• 3 or 4 scoops of cookies-n-cream Muscle Milk
• one packet of cookies-n-cream poptart
• blend it all up in the blender... pour into a frozen glass mug.... and enjoy!!

My Mantra:

"Pain is temporary... Pride is Forever..."

My Story:

A DREAM RE-FUELED

In 2000, California native Tomarra Notch was on top of her game.

Winning her 5th consecutive pro cross country State Championship Title and with multiple cyclo-cross State Titles in her pocket, Tomarra was poised to take her game to the next level.

As an up and coming professional cyclist, Tomarra’s life couldn’t get any better.

“I had the most knowledgeable coaches, the best sponsors and a supporting family at home to make all my dreams come true” Tomarra said.

But within a matter of months, everything changed!

Tomarra started having severe physical problems that could not be explained. Exhaustion, extreme headaches, endless fatigue, skin rashes all over her body, swelling in her joints, open ulcers in her mouth, bursting never endings on all her toes, extreme loss of hair, chronic pain and nausea, abnormal lactating, and problems with her internal organs.

“For the longest time I noticed something was wrong but I thought the symptoms I was having were all part of the intense training that was required to be one of the top cyclists in the country” Tomarra said.

None of the tests Tomarra had taken (MRIs, Cat Scans, mammograms, nerve ending tests, skin biopsies, bone density tests and countless blood tests) were revealing the true nature of the problems she was having. The only thing doctors would recommend was to get more rest – and slow down a little.

“Finally, I could not take the pain anymore” Tomarra said. “I felt I could no longer function as a person, needless to say, a professional athlete, and I completely broke down.”




TRUE TEST OF WILL

The chain reaction of medical problems finally alerted one of the specialists at Kaiser Permanente Hospital, who introduced Tomarra to one of the country’s leading rheumatology doctors.

After almost 18 months of medical misfortunes, Tomarra was finally diagnosed with Lupus – an autoimmune disease whereby the body cannot distinguish between good and bad cells. With Lupus, the immune system starts attacking its own organs and tissues.

Early on, doctors put Tomarra on Prednisone and Plaquenil. The drugs devastated her body. In less than two months, Tomarra gained over 40 pounds. In addition, the drugs accelerated her hair loss. Tomarra started suffering violent mood swings and psychotic thoughts.

“My emotions spiraled downwards, and it seemed as if my life as I knew it was over. I spent the next eight months indoors, doing nothing, in fear of making things worse,” Tomarra said.

Depression set in, and the next year of Tomarra’s life was as painful emotionally as it was physically.

A WORLD OF HOPE

Sitting patiently in the background was Tomarra’s fiancé, Bruce K. Muhlfeld. While the news of Tomarra’s illness was devastating for both of them, it also gave them hope that they could finally deal with something they could identify and understand. But, the answers never came. They simply did not know where to turn or what to do.

“When Tomarra’s world fell apart, my world started falling apart and our lives together tumbled out of control,” Bruce said. “I stopped working so I could spend all my time with Tomarra, but I felt helpless not knowing what I could do. Each day brought on a rash of new symptoms and a new set of problems. Nothing we did seemed to make a difference. We had no place to turn and felt helpless!”

During the summer of 2002, Bruce began losing all hope. He decided to attend the Master’s World Championships in Bromont, Canada. He hoped that if he placed well in his race it would give Tomarra the additional inspiration she needed to continue fighting her battle head on.

On the eve of the World Championships, Bruce met Mary Monroe – the former manager of the Trek/Volkswagen National Team, who is now married to Travis Brown. Mary and Bruce discussed Tomarra’s condition over dinner.

“When I told Mary of our situation with Tomarra’s health, she said she would hook Tomarra up with Julie Furtado, a multiple national, world and world cup mountain biking champion who also lost her career to Lupus,” Bruce said.

The next week would change Tomarra’s life forever.

THANKS JULIE

A few days later, Julie emailed and then called Tomarra. That phone call immediately made all the difference. Suddenly, Tomarra realized she wasn’t the only Lupus victim in the world.

Tomarra asked Julie how she was coping with the disease and how she was able to live her life day to day. Julie laughed, saying, “I have learned to master the art of denial.” Instantly, everything made sense to Tomarra. A huge light bulb went off, and Tomarra grasped the concept of what she needed to do. The very next day Tomarra went outside and put her fears behind her.

“From the moment I talked to Julie, I started to live my life all over again,” Tomarra said. “Julie taught me to live life one day at a time and not let the disease overpower my emotions. She taught me to act and behave like I was a normal healthy person who just had to monitor and keep all activities, time in the sun and stress to a minimum,” Tomarra said.

It seemed simple enough, but in the beginning Tomarra kept crossing the line in all of her activities. She relapsed several times.


“I couldn’t help myself because I was starting to enjoy the things in life that made me the happiest,” Tomarra said. “I could not seem to grasp that it was those same things I loved the most that were my biggest enemies.”

Finally, with Bruce’s help, Tomarra started to keep all activities and stress in consistent moderation.

“Bruce could see all the signs I did not want to see,” Tomarra said. “Bruce knew when I was pushing too hard, when I wasn’t taking time to properly rest and most importantly he could see when I was getting too excited and stressed. He would force me to listen, learn and understand what my body was telling me. After a while I got really good at it. Overnight we became partners in health for life – literally!” Tomarra said.

Gradually, with the help of powerful medications, monitored activities, plenty of sleep and weekly blood tests and doctor visits, Tomarra began to push her Lupus farther and farther into remission. She had several setbacks throughout the next two years, but they were coming farther and farther apart with shorter and shorter durations.

Tomarra and Bruce started to network with other Lupus patients and began to see a trend. They noticed the people who stayed in “remission” the longest were patients who educated themselves and had the will to fight the disease head on. That meant a positive mental attitude and a willingness to carefully and honestly monitor daily activities to avoids sudden “flare ups.”

A DREAM RE-FUELED

Towards the end of 2004 Tomarra began living what “she” would consider a normal life. While she couldn’t hold a full time job or even endure more than four hours of activity at a time, she took hold of the things she could do and did them to the best of her ability.

In January, 2005, Pam Lee, the manager of Trek/VW’s West Coast squad, invited Tomarra to race on Trek/VW’s regional team. Tomarra’s first response was absolutely not. But, Pam was consistent in her approach. She knew Tomarra’s background in racing and felt that with Tomarra’s resume of results, she could do it again even if she couldn’t train full time.
Bruce finally convinced Tomarra to give it a go. Pam and Tomarra agreed they would try one full season with flexible expectations.

“The Trek/VW program has to be the best regional program in the world,” Tomarra said. “They have the best equipment, the best support and the best managers top to bottom. As long as they were willing to understand the limitations of my disease, I thought it was worth the effort to at least try.”

That effort paid off. In April 2005, Tomarra was back on her mountain bike, racing at the Sagebrush Safari in Southern California.

“I was so nervous at the start of the race I was trembling with emotion,” Tomarra said.

The gun went off and the pro women began battling it out. Just a little over two hours later, Tomarra had won her first mountain bike race in five years.

“I really cannot remember what happened during the race that day,” she said. “I was just so happy to be on my bike again and to be healthy enough to be riding. Next thing I knew I was crossing the finish line winning the pro women’s cross country race. All my dreams were suddenly re-fueled. For the first time in five years, I felt GREAT!”


TIME TO GIVE BACK

The rest of 2005 was a dream come true for Tomarra.

In the early fall, Tomarra won the 2005 California State Mountain Bike Championships!

“Standing on the podium, I could barely contain myself,” Tomarra said. “After so much pain and suffering, all I could think about were all the people who believed in me and gave me the courage and support I needed to succeed.”

On October 27, 2005, Tomarra married the man she fell in love with seven years earlier – the man who stayed by her side during the deepest darkest period of her life.
“We were married in a private ceremony on a cliff in a remote part of Maui, Hawaii. It had to be the most magical day in my life,” Tomarra said.

By the end of 2005, Tomarra had fallen in love with life all over again.

“Thanks to everyone who believed in me, I could now live my life to its fullest each and every day,” Tomarra said. “I still have to be careful. I have monthly blood tests and doctor visits to monitor my progress, and I still have to swallow tons of medications each and every morning just to keep things in control. Because of my medications I end up nauseous and sick most mornings, but for the rest of the day I can focus on trying to enjoy life. For me, that is a valuable tradeoff. I can only work out three days in a seven day time period and only push myself on one of those days. But those hours in the mountains and on the road are the most enjoyable moments of my day.”

2006 has also been a remarkable year for Tomarra. She repeated her performance of winning the California State Pro Women’s Cross Country Championship Title for a 2nd year in a row. And, this summer Tomarra realized another dream by winning the NORBA National Championships in the marathon in the women’s masters open division in Sonoma, California.

“In 2007, it will be time for me to start giving back. My husband and I are going to travel throughout the entire United States training and racing to show others that Lupus is a disease you can control,” Tomarra said. “Like Julie Furtado taught me, I hope to teach others that if they too “master the art of denial” many of their remaining dreams can also come true.”

If conflict creates character, then Tomarra has all the character in the world. Her heart is filled with joy and now she wants to share that joy with others in need.

What follows is an article that briefly tells a story of how I got here...

My Goal:

The goal of this site is to reach out

and show people that if you can learn how to

"Master the Art of Denial"... anything is possible.