ai yi yi

Welp.  It's day two of Backroads training and I feel like I've been here a week.  It is like a college course where everyone is on speed. go go go go go ALL THE TIME.  A bit intense, but really just a preview of the months to come.

We started out bright and early yesterday morning with a 15 mile bike ride up and down some mountain passes -- and I do mean UP and down.  I was huffing and puffing and straggled up the first big hill in dead last place.  Thankfully I don't think I was the only one hurting.  I'm happy to report that I wasn't last up on every hill after that (shame lit a fire under my bum) but I wasn't very impressive.  In all, though, the ride felt awesome.  Salt Lake is beautiful and even when your lungs feel like they are going to explode you can't help thinking that if you are going to die at least you'll die with a great view. 

The ride ended with a beautiful picnic in a little park and it felt great to lounge on the grass and mange after the long haul.  Then we made our way to our home/classroom for the next week or so: the Backroads warehouse.  It is such an operation at this place; tons of people, tons of stuff happening, and tons tons tons of bikes.  It's a pretty amazing organization.  They gave us the rundown for training and split us into groups, et cetra, et cetra.  Anyway, not to bore you all with the sordid details but they packed a whole lot into one little old day and we all staggered back to the condos feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Its going to be an intense couple of weeks and I know I'm going to struggle with some things and do much better at others.  I mean, I have a lot of catching up to do as far as getting in shape goes (like two of the girls here have done Ironman competitions and they aren't even the most in-shape people here... its a wee bit intimidating) but I did pretty damn well in bike mechanics today (all those crazy flats on those cruisers in Paris really paid off!) and I'm sure I'll do well in public speaking tomorrow.  Friday, on the other hand, may be the challenge of my life: parallel parking a 15-passenger van and then backing up that same van with a massive trailer hitched to it.  Pedestrains beware.