Maggie Coles-Lyster

Hey everyone! Oh man does time fly by! It has been one year since my appendix and here's an update as to how this year has gone for me! So after about two months in the hospital and missing school, I returned to my usual life, ahead in science class and completely caught up in everything else! I gained back the 20 pounds I lost very quickly, and started fitting my clothes again! I started out with some longer slower rides then, with the help of physio, everything was feeling good so I started racing at the end of the Springs Series just in time for the stage race! Most of my first races back (especially long, hard road races), I would finish the race with a killer stomach ache. It felt as if you have had the flu and ate something that gave you food poisoning as well. The stomach aches would last for usually 1 hour afterwards and would prohibit me from being able to walk. All it was was the scar tissue getting stretched or something, but man it hurt! I did months of physio and...

And it's finally ready to post... ;) My first time in Winnipeg! We left rainy BC, to arrive in sunny (!) Winnipeg on October 23-26. My dad, my grandparents and I all went (with the Troublemaker- my bike ;) and arrived there with 2 days before the race. After getting picked up from the airport by a huge bus, we went to the hotel and chilled out before going out for dinner. We hung in the hot tub that night and stood on the corner of Portage and Maine :) The following day, we went around to see my grandpa's old house and sight see around Winnipeg. Then, it was back to the Farimont and out to the Forks for a pre-ride of the course. My first impression of the course was that it was fast and smooth (tons of flow) but took a really big toll on you with a run up followed by 2 rideable sand pits and stairs. We met up with the Local Ride team, rode the course, then went back to the hotel for dinner and to pin the numbers, as well as a hot tub and steam room session (I lasted 2 minut...