oh hello, bike trail

Now, I knew that when I came home, my mother would be eagerly awaiting a few training rides. What I did not know, was that she is deathly afraid of biking on the road. That's right, I am basically about to go pro in amateur road-cycling, and it's "hellooo bike trail!" There are a lot of nice things that mom pointed out about riding the trail: tree lined (just like Kansas, I'm sure), you feel more intense than most of the other people just because you aren't carrying a Blue Chip Cookie bag, and it is absolutely, completely, hold-a-level-to-the-ground, flat.

Now, all of this would set me up to feel totally confident about hitting the trail, except that my sister (athletic enough) and three of her friends took to the trail a day or so earlier to check it out. They rode four miles, to a McDonald's, where one vomited as a result of exhaustion (or heat exhaustion) and two of them had to rendezvous with a parent to get a ride back into town. (For all those concerned, Abby did, eventually, make it home on her bike).

Our ride was a little different. We drove about 15 miles to bike out to an ice-cream shop (nothing like chocolate-chip cookie dough to light a fire under you) and back. All was going well and we were cruising back from Miranda's Ice Cream Shop, having already tackled chain problems and the brutal heat of the day, when a woman comes flying out of nowhere. I hear mom chatting and I think to myself, "she makes friends with just about anyone who shares an affinity for physical fitness." Boy was I WRONG. This woman was none other than my mom's good friend/fitness instructor. As she introduces herself to me (while we are clipping along at a decent pace) I realize that my own mother has sicked her personal trainer on me, either in hopes of improving my form, or perhaps getting a break from riding alongside me.

Well, any confidence I had was instantly shattered as I heaved next to her maintaining my fastest pace ever and she made casual, composed conversation. You can bet I used up all of my energy on asking open ended questions and replying to hers with one word answers. After a few miles, I think she sensed I was actually dying and she told me she needed to check up on mom. I don't know if I have ever been more relieved.

Thank you mom -- you're always looking out for me.