I went out this morning in the fields out back. I have about two acres of fallow with a trail circling it and one up through the middle that goes snaking back and forth (a man and his riding mower and a hot summer day...). No hills, no real obstacles. Just basically deer cover.

I managed to enjoy it for the most part though it was not very challenging. It was like going to Space Mountain only to ride the tram. I am a couple of miles from Big River and if I had more time I could go up there, but midweek with school and everything, the backyard must do.

On that "Beginner's Ride" a couple of weeks ago, I was discouraged when we all went out and... bye went the beginners. The poor sweeper was stuck with screechy me plodding along doing the occasional crashing into bushes and nail-biting hesitations at stone wall intersections. I am sure it was no fun for him. Last week I could not go as my nephew is in town, and this Monday upcoming I can't go because I have to fly to NC to go be a dutiful daughter and rescue my mother from another sibling's drama.

So the backyard it was.
I wonder if I will ever get over my slowness.

A friend asked me if I could be on their Greenway Challenge team to do the mountain bike portion. I was kind of surprised, because I had told her only a week ago that I had just gotten back on the bike and was still a little unsteady. I thought about it, slept on it, then shot off an email saying, "Okay, heck ya I'll do it!" thinking, well I've got eight weeks.

Well, then I get an email from the captain who was like, yeah, I heard she invited you but... we met this other girl who is super good on the mountain bike but if she can't do it?

So I'm thinking, okay. Yeah. That makes sense. But now I'm a little bummed out.