So... training camp was beyond amazing!!! All the coaches were GREAT, and I learned so much information! Even if the camp were 2 weeks long, I still feel as if we wouldn't have learned everything about biking. To be quite honest, when I thought of riding for this trip, I did not anticipate so many details that went into it. It's necessary to consider the smallest things, whether it's your clothing, or your bike, or your tires, or your brakes, or what kind of drink or food you have on the ride, or the weather conditions, or the terrain, or, or, or... there's always something new! The first day of training camp was split into two parts. The first part was 4 stations, and the second part was a team ride with the coaches. The first station was an obstacle course. We focused on clipping in and out properly, centering our weight over the bike, and turning with our hips rather than the handlebars. The second station was a 4-mile ride where we practiced switching gears and drinking while riding, which is really hard, by the way! I dropped my water bottle twice! The third station was the same 4-mile ride, but this time, we focused on communication while riding, such as pointing out debris, gravel, and cars! The fourth station was an emergency stop tutorial, which is very practical! I definitely need to work on that! After our team ride, we had a Q&A session with the coaches and dinner! The entire team was so pooped after that first day. I was one of the last people to go to sleep, and I was in bed at 10:30 pm!! CRAZY, but I had a GREAT sleep!! Working out is just so awesome! Too bad school gets in the way; I wish I could just work out for a living! How ideal! The second day of riding was even better than the first, if that's possible. We stayed with our groups and worked on pace lines. Biking is so much more pleasurable than any other workout. I feel like speaking while biking is effortless, especially compared to running, where I find myself unable to speak after a couple of miles! I'm not going to lie, that first day of training camp, I hated riding on hills. I dreaded the upcoming summer because I knew the routes would be full of steep hills and mountains, but after I learned how to tackle a hill and practiced that second day, I learned to love them! :)

Overall, it was one of the best experiences of my life. This whole endeavor is still so new to me. I just can't help but think how amazing this is and when I'm out on that bike alongside my friends and I'm looking around, the whole thing just begins to seem so unreal to me again! AH; I CAN'T WAIT!!! :D Surprisingly, my butt and legs weren't as sore as I had anticipated. My body was drained; I love that feeling! I had scabs and scratches on my right knee from falling the first day, but I still felt great!

I've been on two rides since training camp already, and it's awesome how much I've improved since that first day!!! Today I found myself subconsciously working on some of the drills we were taught! :) Biking is amazing! After every ride I've done so far, I've just wanted to keep on going! I love my Texas 4000 family, and I'm too ecstatic to continue my training with them and share this experience with who is to become 58 of my closest friends!!! :D