Hello all!

It has been a great week at Burke! I spent last weekend at home resting and getting my feet back under me after a first few intense training weeks, and got in a really nice mountain bike ride with my parents. It was nice to be in my own bed, and honestly, I realized that I really missed Fritz. I mean, I call and text and facebook my friends all of the time but you can’t really have any interaction with a dog unless you’re petting it, so I was glad to see him.

Per usual, we had some fun workouts. Monday morning’s strength session was pretty awesome- besides the sweet circuit that one of my teammates put together, we were joined by two 2010 Olympians, Simi Hamilton and Garrott Kuzzy, who both skied at Middlebury. To bookend the week, on Friday morning, after a light jog, we joined the alpine girls for some “ultimate football” which is basically ultimate Frisbee but with a football. It was really really fun!

Today most of campus loaded up into the vans at 530 and trucked down to Middlebury for the Kelly Brush ride (http://www.kellybrushfoundation.org) for 28, 50 and 100 mile bike rides. We had a BEAUTIFUL day and I had a lot of fun on my 50 mile ride. I teamed up with some other Burkies and a couple parents and formed a wicked pace line. We averaged 17 mph on our way to Champlain and back through cornfields with amazing scenery- Green mountains on one side, Champlain and the Adirondacks on the other. After the ride I connected with a few friends who are Midd students and then my van to a quick trip to Burlington. It was a great day!

I took TONS of pictures this week, so here is a rather large sampling! (You can click to enlarge them)

Adios for now,

Emilie

Another amazing sunset!

Dani snapping

Dani, Jenna and I str8 cheesin' (cred Sophie!)

One of Dani's amazing shots!

Jump! Jenna Sophie and I (cred Dani)

Jog destination: Apple tree!

Apple trees are everywhere up here- you never have to worry about bonking during a workout!

 Magill Fields

Burke Mt

Green Mtns

Burke again

The original bike lane

These two deer and I had a staring competition- they won because I got bored

There are lots of dogs on campus all of the time, so there is always fetch to be played

This is my favorite dog on campus- Seven is always game. How can you ignore that face?!

(I can ignore the ball though... gross)

Alpiners drinking chocolate milk and chatting after a bike workout

A crew of Burke boys at the 28 mile sag

Riding pal Lisa bossing it out on mile forty something

Busy Church Street in Burlington!