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I suppose after weeks and weeks of hardly posting, a “catch up” is in order. I’ve been busy and have been spreading myself thin between multiple sports….again. Only this time, I’ve brought swimming into the picture as well. I’m toying with doing a triathlon in August, the whole shebang this time, unlike my previous one where I was simply the “runner/hobbler”.

I learned to swim years ago. To this day, my mother is still petrified of water, never learned to swim and because of her fear, made it a point to put us in lessons at a very small age. Then, later, all those months at summer day camp and all those PE classes at Bob Jones kept me pounding out laps and hating swimming. I don’t enjoy it. Rob is trying to redirect my thinking of swimming so that I’ll actually enjoy it (like he does). He views it as fun, relaxing, therapeutic even. I don’t…so I’m obstinate. I’ll do 25 meters or 50 and stop. I then get scolded because as he says “you aren’t even out of breath, there is nothing keeping you from stringing together laps other than you just refuse”…My problem is…I don’t FEEL like a good swimmer, never have. I was taught that the amount of laps completed was all that mattered…not to enjoy them, or make them efficient….just beat them out. Subsequently, I kick too hard, obsess about completing another lap, do something funky with my legs when I’m trying NOT to kick too hard and it all falls to pieces from there.

It’s funny that this time last year, he was trying to get me on a bike and he tells me (though, of course I don’t remember it like this) that I acted much the same, refusing to get on my bike, refusing to even pedal…he literally would have to yell at me to get me going….and now, compared to swimming, my bike feels like my comfy security blanket…an old, comforting, friend.

Speaking of old friends, this past Saturday was my first “big ride” and among the group of riders was an old friend (Kirk). I spent much of my youth experiencing Kirk’s shenanigans. We spent years in the same school, playing the clarinet in band together, attending the same church/youth group and even traveling out of the country for a summer mission trip together. Ohhhh the stories I could tell! Instead, I’ll just say it was cool to ride with him all these years later, all grown up, both with families, etc…

We rode this weekend to Saluda with a great group that I’m not really worthy of riding with…but they were taking it easy…Steve Baker, Sam Smith, Hank, Matt, Kirk Flinte and of course my duly betrothed….and another POA guy that I don’t know..(SORRY!) I had never ridden 60 miles before and had never before ridden with a group of that caliber. Clearly, it was an easy day for them and I so I was able to hang on until the bottom of the climb, then I settled in and took my sweet time. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to ride in a non-sketchy group, where I could chat, enjoy the ride, the scenery etc…. it will make my ride tomorrow at Donaldson with less experienced riders (me included) seem all the worse, I’m sure! It was most interesting navigating through Saluda’s coon dog festival….carrying our bikes out down the rail road tracks to get back out of town, etc. but a great time all around. My legs seem to have bounced back nicely, and that makes me happy.

This week I’m looking forward to another week of multi-sport activities and perhaps another lesson in crit racing and the fine art of “getting dropped”.