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Well, I came home early from the europe trip and it was a good decision. I made that decison for a few reasons but as it turns out it was good call for another reason. One of my babysitters (ya, one of two, you read that right, see it takes two to replace me!! ha ha makes it sound like I manage a lot eh?) my mother-in-law, Nadia, came down with a kidney infection and could only lay in bed for quite a while. very painful condition. So, my mom would have had to go it alone in the morning getting trinity off to school and taking care of jade's needs too. It can be kind of hectic, I've got a system. well, honestly, i don't really have a "system"...I just get up pretty early before the kids do so I can get stuff done. At any rate, the weather was sucking big time in Belgium (I got snowed on the day before I came home). And while the weather was sucking in europe it was fantastic here at home. It has been better for my fitness that I came home.So, the sunday after I came home was the famous (here at least) Paris to Ancaster race. It's an enduro type race that is best done on a cross bike but I've only ever done it on a mtb bike (seeing as I don't own a cross bike). There are a lot of gravel/fire type roads, rail trail and single track and a couple of mud slides. It was a blast. Brian Chewter down at Central Cycle in Hamilton lent me a cross bike. Yes, that was very nice, to lend me a bike because it was a nice Marinoni and it was FAST. Here's a picture of me crossing the finish lineEven though it was really great weather and the course was as dry as I've ever seen it, the bike was really muddy. But, chris cleaned it up really well and it's now back at home at Central Cycle along with the women's race winner's jersey. My average HR for that race was 168bpm which for me is pretty dang high. I had a blast and I'm thinking about adding a cross bike to my bike collection (like I need another bike).