Update on my Biking Adventures

Well, we are still at it.  YES!!!  I am so glad that I wrote about my early biking experiences.  Reading them now, after 4 months, shows me that I really have improved a lot and am stronger and braver than I was 4 months ago.  I really need to keep writing about all of this!  So I'll share a couple of highlights and a quick catch up and then I'll try harder to keep up with all of this.  Because even though 4 months feels like it has been a long time, I think it's pretty safe to say that I am still having early biking experiences.  I plan to keep biking for a very, very long time.

At the end of July, while camping in Kilgore with my side of the family, I was able to go mountain biking with my two brothers, two brother-in-laws, and James and Stephen.  I was the only girl.  We rode up the trail to Aldous Lake, rode around the lake, and then back down.  Around 3 miles I think.  I was by far the slowest rider, but James and Ben stayed with me and were very encouraging.  I made it up, around, and back much better than I thought I would.  It was great!  I'm so thankful all those guys were willing to put up with me!!!

Then at the end of August Cecily, Kim, and I rode the Tour de Lentil.  We rode 32 miles in 2 hours and 52 min.  Kim had ridden it the year before which was nice because she knew the route and what we should have with us and all that good stuff.  Cecily and I were a little nervous because before that day our longest ride was only 18 miles.  But it was great!  When we finished we felt like we could have kept going!  It was a beautiful day and a beautiful ride!  It was SO much fun and felt so good to finish that ride!  Next year we are doing the 100K!!!

Mountain biking has just been getting better and better for me.  My legs are stronger!  I am able to bike all the way up the road and not feel shaky starting out on the trail.  I hardly ever feel wobbly any more.  I am able to bike right past places that used to scare me to death.  There are still some places I can't bike yet.  But we aren't quitting!  Oh, and we have come upon moose a couple of times and had to turn around.  Just part of the adventure!  

When school started we weren't able to continue our early morning rides any more.  I really miss them!  But we did join a gym, North Idaho Athletic Club, and have been going there about three days a week.  We do pilates, yoga, spinning, and a little Zumba.  It's not too unusual for me to have sore muscles now.  But again, I can feel myself getting stronger!  I am so very thankful to be able to be getting stronger and to be able to work at it with great friends. 

Something I really do need to work on is drinking enough water.  That has always been difficult for me!  I do notice now though, that I am able to bike better or do crunches better or whatever it is I'm working at better when I have been drinking plenty of water.  Imagine how much I could have felt my whole life if I had been drinking lots of water!