No one warned me about the worms!

I admit it, you got me!  When I read the bit in the manual that said something like "make sure you ride in the rain during your prepartion rides.  This will ensure that you are read for rain this summer,"  I laughed.  Haha, maybe, just maybe, I'll go for a ride around the block to try out my raincoat.  But that's it. No more!  When Kristen was preparing for her B&B trip last spring every day after March 1st was sunny and 65*F.  At least that's how I remember it.  Kristen is, by nature, not much of a complainer, so I never her whine about the temperature or the wind.

Which doesn't help me face the reality of the situation.  When I sat down in January to plan out my life for the next few months, I figured...hmm...if I start riding outdoors on March 1st and ride 5 days out of the week, but ride double on weekends I'll only have to ride 20 miles a week.  Totally do-able, even with a busy schedual. But it snowed, then there was spring break in South Dakota (no bike, sad face), then it snowed, then it sleeted, then it snowed, rained, snowed, icy, gale force winds, rain, more rain, SUNNY DAY, rain, ect.  all culminating in the fact that I now need to ride just under 100 miles a week to reach 500 miles by the start of the trip. Lets just say that I have definately gotten my rain riding in.  I think that if I were to wear my raincoat anymore than I already do, it might just fuse to my skin :)  That's not to say that the rain is a negative experience.  I learn from and laugh about everything that I've done.  I'm still laughing about our 65 mile attempt in a snowstorm that came 2 hours too early (see entry below).  There have been lots of other interesting times on the road too.

Summer and I decided to go for a long ride to beat, you guessed it, a storm around two weeks ago.  I looked up the wind direction because we like to pedal against the wind for the first half and let the gusts carry us home in the end.  Solid strategy, except when the wind changes direction halfway through.  We pushed ourselves, tell each other that we were almost halfway, about to go with the wind, when it switched on us :)  This past weekend, a friend and I rode from Holland to Grand Haven.  It was a wonderful, yet freezing, ride.  I finally saw hills on my bike!!! I can not tell you how exciting this is.  Mount Pleasant is flat...like a very squished, non blueberry pancake that you flatten with the spatula.  There are a few hills outside of town, but not enough to train me for real life mountains.  At least in GH I got to use all of my gear.  And I set a new speed record (for me) of 25 miles/hr!  Yay! But I haven't really riden that much this week with the constant thunderstorms in our area.  I  feel like the weather is too unpredictable to stray very far from town. 

Which brings me to today.  A day of worm avoidance manuovers, apricot knees and the most disgusting post ride clean up I have ever seen.  This morning was relativly clear (46*, only a few sprinkles :) )  so Summer and I went for a ride up Lincoln road.  Because of the constant storming there puddles everywhere.  And by puddles, I mean small lakes!  The Chip river prettymuch covers 30 feet on either side!  But a lot of fields are flooded.  And in Michigan, when it floods, the worms emerge!  I did not realize worms could be that big!  There were some that are thicker than a pencil.  When it comes to killing bugs and worms, I'm a wuss.  In high school biology I had no problem dissecting the pig or the cat, but I stood 5 feet away from my group's tray on worm day.   I just don't like. Ughhh.  So when the road is littered with worms, some still squirming around, my path become a little eratic (don't worry Mom, there were no cars anywhere near us!).  I was swooping, I was dodging, I was doing figure eights if I could avoid a worm.  But it was all for naught...more on that later.

While riding my bike, I get bored.  I was too busy dodging worms to look at the scenery and the wind prevented conversations and sing-alongs with Summer.  So my mind tends to wander.  Today I tried to classify what 46* weather does to my skin.  I've decided that the cold turns my knees into very ripe apricots.  They are a peachy pink with little bits that are still yellowish, but mostly fading into the pink.  Just in case you were wondering if shorts on a cold day was a good idea. 

Back to worms.  Upon returning to our apartment, I leaned my bike against the door as I fumbled with the keys.  And then I saw them.  They were everywhere.  Absolutly everywhere.  Some half squirming, some flattened, some in splattered bits.  My brakes, my camelbak, my raincoat, my shoes and my legs.  All covered in worms.   AHHHHH!  I flicked the bits off my shoes, ran inside and grabbed a roll of paper towels.  The next fifteen minutes were spent cleaning worm guts off of my bike.  And by cleaning, I really mean smearing.  Because worms like to stick to things, even after they are dead.  The streaks of worm bodies are everywhere.  One was still moving, although half of its body was in my brakes, flattened to bits.  Let me repeat:  AHHHHH!  This was not in the manual. 

Rereading through this post, I feel like it could be taken in a very negative manner.  But the thing is, I really want to share the funny, memorable stories with y'all and right now the funny things happen in the worst circumnstances.  I've had lots of wonderful rides where everything works, the wind is at my back and I can coast down the road at 16 miles/hr.  But that prettymuch sums them up.  I saw pretty yet average things, I had a good ride.  The End.  I wish that I could do a video of myself telling these stories, because then you would know that I really am enjoying myself (except for the worms).  Even the bad parts of the stories come with a smile.  I'm so glad that you have taken the time to read this.   Having so much support makes me feel so special, even if it is just Kristen and my Mom clicking over and over so that I get more hits :)

P.S.  I have had multiple hits from someone in Slovenia.  I am sooo curious who is reading this from there.  Please let me know who you are so that you can be my first Slovenian friend :)