Okoboji Weekend

I spent the weekend at the lake with some amazing old friends. We've hung out periodically, but with kids it's not always easy to really connect, and this weekend was a great time of doing that. And of course, there were obligatory self-portraits with the oldest kiddos.

Nothing much important

This week I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed. The semester is busier than those in the recent past, but mostly it's my own fault since I'm going out of town over the weekend and trying to get everything done. And it's not like things are unmanageable, but adding a night class and 12 hours a week of GA work means I need to be more organized and focused. And when I forget something or end up going out to eat because I haven't planned a meal ahead of time, that sucks because it's stuff I should have written down or gotten done. But such is life. And I have to say, as much as I hate dropping the ball on things, I am enjoying the pace in certain ways. Weeks go by quickly, and I feel very productive. Now if that could happen and I could do everything perfectly, I'd be all set.

Brrr....

I was dumb this morning. I checked the weather and it was 48 degrees, so I thought it would be perfect bike weather...I always get too hot, so this morning would be a nice break from that. Only I've never biked in cooler weather and made some fatal mistakes:

1) I didn't wear socks in my bike sandals. Numb toes and feet.

2) It's kind of a darker day, so I didn't wear sunglasses. This meant wind in my eyes/face, and tears/snot streaming down my face.

3) Capri bike pants.

4) No ear protection.

5) No gloves. I have these sweet wristwarmers a colleague gave me when her mother-in-law gave them to her and she didn't like them. But, when I left I thought wristwarmers might be overkill. Yeah, no. Here's the thing...it's not like you can put your hands in your pockets on a bike. You kind of need them to make sure you don't run into anything. And can stop. So freezing fingers too.

All in all, I was fuh-reez-ing. Adjustments will be made. The good part? My average speed was a bit faster than usual because I wanted to get home and warm up!

If only riding 26.2 was as awesome as running it...ah, well. It does make for my longest bike ride ever, and brings my summer bike miles up over 450. Whoo-hoo!

So physical ability has never been my thing. I can kick ass academically, be at least moderately creative, and cook enough to eat quite well. But gym class? Well, let's just saw I was the last one picked for teams. Always. Well, I guess unless we include lesser known sports like bocce ball and laser tag, and most people don't.

When I bought a bike this summer I was excited about it, but about 99% sure I would fall off early and often. So far that hasn't happened...so far. And actually, I love riding. Mostly when it's a flat surface, but still.

I also think it'd be fair to say I am a rule follower and like to plan out anything unknown. If I can't study it, read about it, practice it by myself, you're not likely to find me doing it in public. Which is why I almost exclusively ride on the trails. Riding on the street with cars, other bikers, etc., is just a little too intimidating.

But I would like to do it. The bike trail is great for fun, but unfortunately the grocery store, library, etc., are not conveniently located directly off of the trail. If I want to ride my bike to these places, and I do, I will have to ride on the street.
Enter community education class Traffic Skills 101.

The class was awesome. We learned basic bike maintenance including how to change a flat, hazard/crash avoidance, and how to cycle in traffic. It was one of those things where I wanted to do it, was excited to do it, but really had to push myself, as I was generally terrified to show up at each class. The fear was mostly about doing bike maneuvers in front of other people, which turned out to not be quite as terrible as I thought. Sure, I was the least skilled person there, but no one laughed out loud which helped. The instructor was also really nice and helpful.

And today we did a road ride. Again, much anxiety about being able to keep up with everyone, etc., but mostly unfounded, with the exception of a couple of not giant hills (still kicked my ass). What was awesome was learning how to negotiate traffic in Sioux Falls. The map below shows our path, through some major intersections in town. I can't say I want to bike those streets any more than necessary, but I would feel a lot more comfortable doing so if I needed to.

So yeah, I did not die. I did not even fall off of my bike, although I did hit too many of the tennis balls in the parking lot drills. And I learned stuff! I love learning stuff.