Courtenay Brown

It's hard to believe that a week ago today, I was lounging in the tropics, eating plantains and looking for iguanas! Here are some photos from the non-racing part of the trip. I didn't take very many, we had a real photographer on hand, but I'm still glad I took my camera to capture some of the fun. (p.s. I know that's VAC clothing I was sporting... I've loved the blue and white for the past few years but I'm EXCITED for our new Team Trakkers Canari clothing! Wait till you see it!) [nggallery id=49]

Last weekend I headed down to the tropics for the inaugural REV3 Costa Rica race weekend. It was a quick but wonderful trip - I arrived last Wednesday, got oriented and met my new Trakkers teammates on Thursday, hung out at the race site and participated in a panel on Friday, raced the Sprint on Saturday, flew home Sunday, back in the classroom and at the laptop on Monday. Phew! I really enjoyed the race. We had a beach start at Playa Conchal, a beautiful white sand beach with views outward to the rugged Costa Rican coastline. The water temperature was perfect, and the surf was nice and ...

For the past several years, I've been exclusively a 700c-wheelset girl. It's been fun, but challenging at times, since I'm a " short 5'4" " (yes, these are air quotes, so yes, there is a lie within them somewhere). My new Kestrel 4000 has 650c wheels. One outcome is that my bike sits higher up on the trainer, so watching me climb on and off it is pretty funny. I might get myself a mounting block. A second outcome is that the bike fits me really well! The third outcome is what I want to elaborate on, however. I needed new chainrings! Because 650c wheels have a smaller circumference, the standard 53-39 chainrings don't get the bike going as fast as a ...

I did gymnastics in third and fourth grade, when we lived in Manila. I loved it and made my mom come and watch me practice, which must have been deathly boring considering my best move was the penny drop off the uneven bars, with loads of assistance from the teacher. I was terrible. [caption id="attachment_3144" align="alignnone" width="200" caption="March 2, 1988"][/caption] Here is a family photo from Manila that one of my seven half/step/awesome sisters recently posted on facebook. It's from her 14th birthday. My mom was taking the photo, so she's not in it. The first thing I noticed was that cake - totally not the work ...

There are a few nice things about having a "minimalist family Christmas", which I know is soo two months ago now that it's February, but bear with me. There are a few nice things: - we get to sleep in on Christmas because there's not much to open - family togetherness! Which results in me text-messaging my brother across the table during Settlers to ask him why my sister, on the other side of the table, is being The Worst. - only have a couple thank-you notes to write (still finishing the second one...) - JANUARY/FEBRUARY FEEL LIKE REAL CHRISTMAS!!!!!!! Sorry, family, but the hat and sweatshirt and non-cheesy earrings (good job Ma!) have been upstaged. For example, I arrived home yesterday to find a ...