Well, today is the first day I have been able to sit down, and let you know how the weeks have gone.

  This whole trip was dedicated to filming for a High Defenition T.V. show that will air all over the world called NOMADS.  Nate, Sasha, and Don Hampton were all the filmers for this trip, and they did an amazing job. 

  Everyday of the entire 2 weeks was spent filming, and riding some of the most amazing terrain ever!  It was awesome!!!

  Mick and our friend Steven Foley from Australia filmed together alot, and I think that was really cool for them being how Steven and his dad are the one who got Mick into Mt. bikes in the first place.  They even got to race the mega avalanche.  There child hood dream! 

  First in LE D’ALPES.  There was an Avalanche race, and they both did very well.  It was the first time for either of them to race on snow, and against 100’s of riders all at once.  It was really hard, but a very good experience for them both. I was waiting at the bottome for them, and they both had the biggest smiles on there faces when they crossed the finish line!

  There was a cut slopestyle contest there,that I was planning on competing in, but once I got there and rode the coarse, I was not feeling to confident on it.  So I decided not to compete last minuite.  It was more important to me to save myself for the rest of the trip, and for Mick,  then to get out there and do something stupid and hurt myself.  I havn’t ridden much this year, so I knew it would not be wise to try and push it. 

  I was pretty bumbed about how the slopestyle went for me, but when we arrived to ALPE D’HUEZ, it all changed for me.  I have not ridden down hill in over a year, but Cannondale loaned me a Perp., and I went filming with Don Hampton, Carlo Deikman, and Ameer.  I have never felt so good on a bike.  It was AWESOME!!!  Two days later, they talked me into racing the Mega Avalanche.  So I did!  It was crazy!!! 

  There were 60 girls in my class, which was the most girls I have ever seen riding at once.  First we had to do a mass start qualifier to determine where we would start for the Mega Race. I ended up getting 3rd.  It was pretty scary to start with 60 girls all at once. But it definently pushes you.

  So the day of the Mega, we had to get up at 5 a.m., and make the treck up to the 14,000ft start on top of a glacier in 0′c wether.  Brrrrrrr!

  Micks race was the first race off, and it was a mass start of 406 men.  It was so fun to watch.  Riders were crashing everywhere on the snow!  It is so hard to ride, especially when you are dodging stacked riders.  20 min. after they started, it was the girls turn to start, but they had to post pone the race due to a bad crash on the glacier.  The helicoptors came in, and airlifted him out, and as soon as they left, the girls got lined up again.  

  5min. before our race was to start, I noticed someone walking up the snow carrying there bike.  It was Mick.  He had tacoed his wheel after dodging falling riders. I was really bumbed for him, but then I found out that he was the one helping the injured rider, and then I knew he was meant to be there just for that guy. 

 So finally, we were off! 

  I never crashed on the snow, which put me in first for a bit, then I crashed super hard on the rock section.  I was feeling really good until I stacked.  I thought I broke my arm for a bit, but when I finally picked myself up, and got my bike back on coarse, 3 girls had passed me, but I kept on going. 

 Down fast grassy hills, traversing for miles, and pushing up switch backs, across single track, up and down hills, and finally to the best down hill ever, I made it to the finish in 4th place in 1hr and 14 min.

  Deffinently the hardest but coolest thing I have done.  It was so fun!  I would deffinently be interested in training for one next year, and this time using a smaller bike.

   We are home now, and Mick just raced the Maxxis cup back in France over the weekend and placed 2nd.  It was really good!  It was fun to go to a smaller race again, just to see the passion in the weekend warriors. It makes me remamber the good days of beginning in the sport.  It was cool!

  We will be heading back to ALPE D’HUEZ this weekend for another smaller race.  It’s really great training for Mick.

  The RUSH  H.D.T.V. show NOMADS will air sometime this year on the Discovery Chanel, and on the Rush netowork.  So check your local listings, and keep an eye out for the star of the show, Mick Hannah! 

  Have an AWESOME & BLESSED DAY! 

                                                     THE HANNAH’S!!!