Santa Clause is coming to town. A busy month but also time to tell you about my career move.

After 1.5 years of investments to find out what is wrong, why I can not run it has been enough. It has been and still is very frustrating and takes a lot of time, energy and money. I do not mind investing in finding a solutions but like any investments you want to have some gain/profit as well at a certain stage. 

After several people askes me why I was not going to become a cyclists I thought yes why not! I want to be able to set goals again. I still have ambitions and I am not ready for only recreational stuff yet.

Cycling is not new to me, but it is a different kind of cycling then in triathlons of course. The first is the reason I have confidence to take the challenge. I have a base in cycling and in my good triathlon years I was a strong biker. Also this Fall I have biked with a group on the dikes her several times and have been able to practice cycling in a peleton. The second thing I mentioned will be another challenge. Not going down in time trial position and go for 100 miles but intervals and playing games.

The attentively ear of Peter Zijerveld and his confidence in my cycling abilities had as a result that I was invited for a meeting with the management of a new women's team. After a good conversation and some time to think I decided to grap this opportunity with both hands and to make my entry in the women's peleton next year.

The purple/orange colours of the Davilex Triathlon Team are going to be  changed for the green/white colours of the Doleman's Landscaping Cyclingteam. The team consists of 12 cyclists ranging from young women coming out of the national juniors team, experienced international cyclists, ice skating speciliasts and a triathlete (who would that be?). The first weekend of December we had a team meeting. Considering the Dutch weather it became a training on the mountain bikes in the woods followed by a  team meeting on the couch.

It was very muddy on the mountainbike course of Papendal. Fortunately we are a road team, because some were not really fond of the mud . It was nice to be able to meet the girls, however I found out that I had some arrears. Not fitness wise but knowledge about the girls. They had all googled everyone.

It was strange in the beginning to focus mainly on biking, but you are getting used very quick to not going to the pool at 6-7 am in the morning. Although during the winter I try to be in the pool 1 or 2 times a week. A training session of 5 kilometers is history tough. I am still hoping that I can run again one day. But at the moment my focus is on cycling. Hoping to being able to set goals again and to be able to play a role in the women's peleton.

Besides my sport career I also have a new job per October first. I am working part time as a commercial assistant at
Verweij Groep B.V.  Fortunately the boss is also a cycling fan and I am very flexible with when to make my hours. Furthermore I am making more hours in the winter now so I can use those for my trainingcamps in Spring.

Very exciting and a nice challenge for the new year!
 

I wish everyone a Happy Christmas and a Happy and Healthy (also a injury free) 2010!