Arriving back to Spain is always a little exciting. Even though I was only in New Zealand for a short while, getting back to my ?other? home environment is always stimulating. Although at the same time, this excitement is always coupled with a sense of nervous anticipation about the year ahead.

The Tour of Langkawi didn't finish exactly how I had hoped it would. In the first couple of days, I thought I was going to be up for a stage result during the week. I started out feeling strong and fast, however my form started to worsen as the week went by. By the end, I wasn't feeling at all good in the sprints which quickly deflated any confidence I may have had. At first I felt really bummed but then after some reflection, I put things back into perspective: I had never aimed or expected to do much in the first place. I had only focused on the race as an introduction back to racing and a good way of gaining some race fitness. After starting off well in the first couple of days, I began to get a little excited and felt as though I could rule the World. When the wheels promptly fell off that dream, I was punched in the guts with a much needed reality check. I felt bummed but I soon reminded myself that the grand scheme of things, this Tour didn?t feature. I hadn?t trained with the Tour of Langkawi as a focus race and was not expecting to have form going into it so I had nothing to be disappointed about?..Phew!

After Malaysia, I flew back to France where I had to run around all over Bordeaux, doing every UCI medical test under the sun, which we have to do at the start of the year. It?s always a mission at the best of times but when clinics are not where they are supposed to be and you don't know the area at all, the whole process becomes way more difficult and frustrating than it needs to be when you?ve just gotten off a 14 hr flight.

After a couple of days running around doing this, I finally headed home to Spain. The night I came in it was pissing with rain and very cold. Not something that I was particularly happy about and it didn't give me a super g?ed feeling to be back as I opened the door to the house and was engulfed by the cold, damp feeling that overcomes a place when it?s shut up for so long without life. This feeling seems more intense for houses in Spain.

Since I?ve been home though, it has warmed up a lot and the weather has been pretty good most of the time. A little cold at night but the days have been awesome. It has taken a bit to get used to being back here - getting out of the ?offie? mode and back into ?race? mode while changing hemispheres again. I?ve been able to do some good training rides but not a whole lot. I think that I may have overdone it the first couple of days back and I?m paying the price now. The last few days I?ve been feeling pretty flat. It?s always hard to know how much you should train when you?re just getting back into the training/racing routine.

Aside from the difficulties of taking the time to get used to being back, the other bummer is that I forgot to bring over the bloody marmite. I think this is the first year ever I have come away and forgotten a very important piece to my season?s puzzle. Needless to say, I am bitterly disappointed?Carole?s got it on the top of her list of things to bring over so roll on March!

On Sunday I have my first race back in Europe. It?s a French Cup race, the Haribo Classic. After this, I return to Spain for my home race, the Tour of Valencia. So for the next while it?s all go again. I?m not sure how I will be but I suspect that I won?t be all that good. I?ll just be aiming to get through it and try and improve on the condition again.

So stay tuned as we run with it for the next week.

Julz

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