May was the most marvelous month
And I have never had jet-lag so bad in all my life. That's the thing about life, the ups are up and the downs are down. But I am home now and I seriously need to write something on this blog just to get the ball rolling again.
In the month of May I went to the Giro d'Italia, I saw my first Grand Tour team time trial, I visited Northern Ireland for the first time ever (and loved it!), I met all sorts of really cool people, I secured my taste for real draft Guinness beer, and then I came home to see Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish at the Tour of California. I really like Brad and Mark.
All this fun and I haven't written a word on my trusty blog. I could wax poetic and say some things are just too good to share or too hard to put to words, or I could be totally honest and explain -
I'm just so tired. Yup, too tired from having so much fun. That's the truth!
Fun and darn jet-lag, which inhibited me from staying up until 2am (as I usually do at stage races) to write up posts, kept me from sharing my incredible journeys with you. I haven't even posted the amazing photos Willie Richenstein (my friend and co-photographer) took at the Amgen Tour of California! Gees.
I should note that I have also been 'speaking with' (via email) a number of individuals, helping them with vacation planning and other questions. I wouldn't trade these interactions for the world, meeting fellow cycling travelers brings me great joy but also takes away from my time posting out into the realms of the www.
I did post some photos on
Twitter. Huge accomplishment on my part. Want to see those iphone photos of what I have been doing the past month?
(All photos below by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®)
New York City - Colorado - Utah - California - Ireland - California - Utah - Colorado
I started out in Manhattan for 6 days
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Manhattan at night |
Then I drove from Colorado to Utah to California
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The middle of nowhere Utah |
Then I got on a plane to Dublin and drove into Northern Ireland where I was blown away by the beauty.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbbUCVXEmEByRqRMacuhksF7GyI-yjmPgwHl066k9c1395MrNgBiX0M2LDg290swcimOOD4LI9UuWyxtn7HSE2-V1w9WM1touvUdEaHq4RZYP4OmQDtOvJw0fxmxs4zYY21je8GiZqKNU/s1600/Northern+Ireland.jpg) |
Causeway Coast of Northern Ireland |
I drove the route of Stage 2 of the Giro d'Italia where I was so impressed with the community spirit on display.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Xkw9ikuQOAGQ0267cGdhn2FB2cI-vS706KqxHXUYcm1i6ifzO3Ehrta19eTsjK4Cez007LVefgcguyKCe5bBMHUk0SIdp6Ez14YljtNbaWMHMNyeJjN-cDlOGNBn0hKoKzub3M2yMLRC/s1600/Cushendall+Giro+2014.jpg) |
Cushendall in pink |
I visited some tourist sites including Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, Giant's Causeway, and Bushmills Distillery.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOpSlUyKI98QwDaR0-1uwjhmtDw_ZuufmX0XIa_Z0a5ZD0Dv1KkrzZM0BBwDTBr5AOTaTsdlVfZigHDm-4T83RyoGT1RYl6M_IqT5J2-C7pDOa8u3tQZes8VU7iFG8XIE-ddQbaROIMW_g/s1600/Carrick-a-rede+rope+bridge.jpg) |
Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge |
Even the whiskey ran pink for the Giro. Rule #1 buy OLD whiskey - it's worth the money.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgssF2Wpa3oDk_z9WHV9-AKLA-VJlXNirzPlOJH3smKY6LkAUIfjOaxP3sIcoaqvS7W_QzAO-5VczyGZOmOVP_2TaqsBbq2V7VQ5cTdpKRoqcWz8vNNBBhTOcwN34qesFXhJi2oNoP-Lcz/s1600/Bushmills+and+the+Giro.jpg) |
At Bushmills Distillery |
I went for a super fun bike ride in Belfast city to tour the route of the Stage 1 Team Time Trial with
Belfast City Bike Tours. I loved the guys who ran this tour, and Michael the owner of The Hudson Bar where we had a pint after our ride. Michael tried to spray paint me pink for the Giro.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuqh09czjGa2mNc6RKXw3qur1zw-M-Yqn4QguhX9J9zmZ2DEv0RoXDAgAJFpDhODRABf7wP4cS_fYgoGKiwe8RMP9nIbo6zePnisbM-mBrMx3jABGjbna_8m57BzFWFgvwfwHuOTaDEOz/s1600/Belfast+City+Bike+Tours+.jpg) |
Michael of The Hudson Bar, me and Gary of Belfast City Bike Tours |
I went to the Team Presentation the night before the Giro started in downtown Belfast outside City Hall.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicR5euILQWdPYTFpx92xjSeOtaujUDMExges5je5vhGdC0cnvrNrHb0aRQdx-LTORdT7ZiHdezRj8yB8u22uUhgRJkwi5t-Am9_fw3jDZCIbf8DZv-Hx42sxqJUTjkuFGNODBjFP9SzBLn/s1600/Garmin+team+presentation+Giro.jpg) |
Team Garmin-Sharp enters |
I had fun in the team area at the Titanic Quarter (which is a great tourist site btw) before Stage 1.
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Cadel Evans arrives before the TTT |
I was able to watch the warm-up in the morning near city hall, plus watch the teams start and take the first two corners of the real TTT of the Giro. Here team Garmin-Sharp took the start line shortly before Dan Martin would later crash and end his 2014 Giro.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLp4YKyhg5STaSiENxTnbn_ywmdj4TJXMvH4vx0nT65nJ5I7g5DDNph8WyN6zzhJ-MnDlLg0rhyoJBK_cvAh7gvrkOvaYVlF_32AY3Ta5SpToXsTd2mLi3Uto9p1iOwbguzqIGPmwpGdUV/s1600/TTT+start+of+Giro+2014.jpg) |
Team Garmin-Sharp when hopes were still high |
Attending the Giro d'Italia in Northern Ireland will stand as one of the all-time favorite races I have ever attended (next to the Tour of Flanders and the Amgen Tour of California in Solvang). Attending the Giro in Ireland was a blast, the people had more fun than I have ever witnessed at a race (a close tie with the Paris-Roubaix).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieeJPpEUAiO1XzKZ23q5ZkVxEjRknKHmnrIKf1ZJ4BGRoBx_sOwbBJZ-6JLruzJSAvJoqNDgbhg2mUyjZqSxG8bprINyPDSfud7xIJZKcTIPZXrwoGZML-dtBUDZpRzRWsWkYLIyAwYf-b/s1600/Pink+Llamas+for+the+Giro.jpg) |
Everything was pink for the Giro in Northern Ireland! |
For Stage 2, I walked 300 meters from my Bed & Breakfast to watch the race go by at a place called the Bla Hole.
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Stage 2 of the 2014 Giro d'Italia passes the Bla Hole. |
Then I drove down to the city of Armagh (my grandfather Peter is from nearby Newry) to watch the start of Stage 3 of the Giro.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYn_yF6T8blC28Fe6BapInOhzovfOi27WxJjKrq0bopHFAjsFXcYg7YCNk1XZefELdHSEqzgdu19EysqmFXgYTxwVBLAIO0zlzNwv1Q-UJzGkBm5r4IoXRsWtw155XreO-_oFl4kTjQv7v/s1600/Armagh+and+the+2014+Giro+d'Italia.jpg) |
St Patricks Cathedral in Armagh and the 2014 Giro d'Italia |
My four days at the Giro Start in Ireland were truly incredible!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1cSSkCp5w-NDvb1kbQtSTNqf_Ej34u0VqbrfOB1NRV8uhzJRBrfSno9nURywI5-xHnysMpWxyPii64YQPkr7TNTnwY6ru46cJOD2PYG3pbBMgMDqa8y2PCK22wsLm_5084wqPfblJi0w/s1600/Giro+Start+2014.jpg) |
Driving on the other side of the road was exciting |
But it was time to get serious about some good Irish beer and Irish music!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-odo6mR-sHMQm9Inyuvro8cUUeKKA8Vt6yHQBa5MU2KPKgWXN7V3Q3Md8ja8yiOHaNdaW__Q1kEHO9i9AAlobXqeP6jCc0PZJEWfDAIUd54m8mUL5LtM_Hb3a8YkhFYAW9PlsuiEh_C_j/s1600/Gus+O'Connors+Pub+in+Doolin.jpg) |
Gus O'Connors Pub in Doolin, County Clare |
Appreciate a real draft Guinness and a good Irish Stew
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pure deliciousness |
Stay at a lovely Bed & Breakfast
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAluEDPKzPRtgbLK8uOQjzcjLGarbSV1SZpaB0i4V7_XmTmSZzR8i_OY-YT8Ds-PQ9FSdooQuoydsi6tAdNp7RYUA0g2mVtXiyxyJ_9Iz-zXt-sGWpAb-3m4tUnIiKwrGEDxMfgbbTuFG/s1600/Daly+House+in+Doolin+Ireland.jpg) |
Daly House in Doolin Ireland |
And enjoy a relaxing long morning breakfast with fine Irish hospitality.
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A peaceful start to the morning |
And then a highly recommended 8km walk from Doolin to the Cliff of Moher with Pat Sweeney.
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Local guide and farmer Pat Sweeney |
A long flight back to San Francisco and LAX then found me once again in Laguna Beach, California waiting for the last three stages of the Amgen Tour of California.
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The beautiful beaches of Orange County California |
And this guy - Sir Bradley Wiggins. Cool!
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Funny and honest |
And Mark Cavendish. Did I mention, I like Mark.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtMYyaBrypYSlpEkE1cLVSnU-4B2wzhjYC-dsAD0WTmrTcuWeFP3AHYuHn0XaLMsIb423AjrXRyV8zJnMlzDImM-NoU1vbv0lip8dr73Vg9fj-06FOSLM0Wb8xvrMLgDZFGcPnxAECLdTo/s1600/Mark+Cavendish+at+ATOC.jpg) |
This was a tough Stage 6 for him, but he won Stage 8! |
And it looks like Bradley and Mark like each other as well.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCWB3J1rE0PJFmmP8g6RmdNw6jxihyDEQab6OlE-6x-jauFBvaXtUVhxBKzi1pkGhIMPKvQGzvMw14gUonzGUQjpntmFnX7CFKS2bkhs0GNMKY_J_DL4X7XFm9wgSdVcuhnaL-IdXYMNgV/s1600/Brad+and+Mark+at+Toru+of+California.jpg) |
Brad and Mark at Tour of California 2014 |
Bradley Wiggins won the 2014 Amgen Tour of California
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBiMS9WPJC7AWICDGFkzrGO7Dp3FNubvzTSLvDeKn6ncclReL_CQ2_mkbwyKRvb9cEYwcxTERLV9UGd41iuUJHWLzo31auxJ4e5yqz-0vxvU4vr1k70Y3LhZRETR-J8o4JYV9cgCfYu0M/s1600/Classification+winners+ATOC+2014.jpg) |
Classification winners ATOC 2014 |
And thank goodness this squad of Garmin-Sharp teammates in California had reason to celebrate Best Team.
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Celebration |
I enjoyed a few more days with family along the beautiful beaches of southern California.
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Newport Beach, CA |
And drove myself and my labradoodle dog Jack Denny back to Colorado through Utah once again.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4aStmZyNFlbZDS5PblYpO2H1xta6brZxE9NCHgEiKZkZaytxhd8peVuSu4-1NO4EeldlNBPst-7AHMNpmvLVSV1gkC1ewM5AEGoV7l5i0XWyLezBfFouLQtxkeAtxRKTe6Tv2qSjdg8ih/s1600/Utah+desert.jpg) |
Salt Flats, Utah |
And that is it for iphone photos from May 2014. Someday I will download my real photos. But for now, what a variety of sights I saw in May 2014, and such beauty. And super great people! I am so very grateful. And so very tired.
Home in Colorado
Last Sunday I went to a local bike race and took even more photographs which I have yet to edit and post, and this weekend is the Colorado Master Criterium Championships which I plan to attend. I think I will just carry my camera and not take any photos because god knows when I will get around to posting those as well.
This was my favorite photo from last week. A superman by Michael Gibson.
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Don't try this at home. Photo by Karen Rakestraw |
Send me some good vibes to get going again because now that I have returned to Colorado and it is fully summer, all I really want to do is ride my own bike outside in the sunshine.
Don't we all.