What a Beautiful Weekend

This was a great weekend. I would love to recreate it. Here's my summary:

On Friday we drove to Lake Vermillion to spend time with family at a beautiful cabin on a quiet bay. We saw deer and eagles chasing osprey. We saw an otter swimming by the cabin, loons floating by, and herons flying. Maya got to dip her body in the chilly water and sit in the hot tub, which was pleasantly luke warm for her. I went blueberry picking for the first time with some great people on a scenic bluff over the lake. I could have stayed in that blueberry patch for days; it felt so refreshing and good for my soul and brain. After leaving Erin at the airport this morning so he could go to DC to have work stuff interfere with fun with Steff and Andy, I went strawberry picking with my mom, mother-in-law, and Maya. Maya was a trooper to the core. At one point she spread out on her back in the row, put her hands behind her head, and leaned back on the strawberry plants in the most adorable strawberry picking break ever.

Then I took a nap instead of calling my riding partner like I was supposed to. Sorry, Adam. That was rude in about 10 different ways. To make up for not riding, I ate pizza and strawberry shortcake with my mom. I also started watching probably the worst movie I've seen in a long time. But it was strangely engrossing. I kind of wish that I could have kept watching, but I was a good TRAM trainee.

I went home and rode our exercise bike. It's a recumbent type of bike. I thought that this would feel better on my body than that little saddle jamming itself up you-know-where, but no. I hurt in different places, and more of them. I did sweat more than I do on the trail, which was fun. And possibly the best part of the weekend came while riding this old-person bike: I could focus on watching my legs rather than not running into trees and people. And let me tell you, my legs jiggle far less than they did when I started this crazy road to the TRAM Ride. This was possibly one of the most motivating things I have encountered while training (Can I really call what I've been doing training? Technically, probably not. But will I continue to say that I've been training? Heck yes. It sounds tough and hard-core and cool). Steff's posts about her mad training have also been motivating. But really, what can be more encouraging than less leg jiggle? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It actually made me want to ride a lot more. Good thing I'll have the chance to ride non-stop for a week. Holy legs! Can you even imagine the thighs and calves and sunburns we'll have?! And the butt! I really think my butt has shrunk, too, while training. My tight pants are now slightly loose pants. Isn't that just the coolest thing ever?

To re-cap: Nature, family, Maya, berries, blah, blah, blah, less jiggle, pants fit better. I like this training thing.