Checking in from the Couch

My skin has a nice red lobster glow to it. Or at least, it does where my skin was exposed this past week. Hello biking tan lines! It's been a few months.

Mackenzie, Lisa and I with a Tijuana in the background.

My legs sting from both the extra UV and from the 5,000 feet of climbing from today. It's the last day of a mini-training camp for just the para-pilots held at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. We were tested in four different ways - a RAMP test, Lactate Blood test, Otay Lakes Time Trial and the queen of all stages - Honey Springs Hill Climb. Not to mention a bunch of endurance miles thrown into the mix through the surrounding hills.

It's been confirmed - I did not become a better climber over the off season. Darn it! However, the cumulative climbing from moving to Colorado and being in Mallorca this last summer is improving my climbing ability. And that's all this girl could ask for. I'm building muscle memory of how to suffer on longer climbs and what my pace is.

I love this sport.

Seriously, where else do you get a chance to work on your weaknesses day after day, climb after climb? My fellow pilots pummeled and encouraged me. We even went to dinner blind folded one night to experience what it's like to eat blind. Piercing tomatoes with a fork is challenging! And eating fruit salad with Craig switching out my bowl without me knowing it, even harder. That rascal.

What's next? Time will tell. I am excited at the prospect and will continue training my bootie off. I've got some more tan lines to earn. And more town sprint signs to win.