TRAINING (the real reason it's been 6 years since our last bike tour)

Training is hard, y'all, and it takes TIME. A lot of time.

That being said, it's all been worth it. We are way more in shape and prepared than we were last time around. Which is good, since we will only be riding for 1 week rather than 2.5. Back in 2009 the first week was an experience in pain and perseverance. We weren't ready, and our legs and most significantly our butts felt it. Now, hopefully, we're at a point where we can actually enjoy rather than merely survive.

What we've been doing:
We started the year with our traditional New Years Day ride.

It was cold. And we rode just 17 miles. At the time, that felt like a lot.

For me, training didn't really start until Spring Break. Dad set the training schedule. Some of the rides we did on our own (plus Mom), others with our riding group. Some hurt, some were miserable, and others were just beautiful.

Our longest ride was 70 miles. We were aiming for 80, but unfortunately the heat got to me. The most we rode any one week was 6 days out of 7. I felt the most exhausted after our first 45 mile day, but our fastest and easiest long day was 50 miles just a couple months later.

It's been a long 3 months. I've worked and trained, and not had time for much else, but as we approach departure day it's feeling worth it. More than that, it's been a long time since I've felt this strong.