the brutal elements of nature: wind and sun and whatever keeps giving my bike flats

I woke up at 7 for the team training ride and heard thunder and rain outside my window. Disappointed that the weather was terrible I grabbed my rain jacket and went to Allen to meet up with the team. We began the ride after learning how to change a flat. The ride started off cloudy and chilly, but about halfway through the sun came out and I began striping off the layers. Eric taught me how to tie my jacket over one shoulder and under the other so it wont drag on the tire (works very well). I got a flat just before we got the the “park” in Sadorus. Thats my second one this week. I need to invest in new tires very soon. At the park Dory sat on bird poop and cleaned it off with a dirty stick, i think were prepared to get dirty this summer. After I got back I took a shower and noticed extreme burn lines on my arms and legs. Heat is actually still radiating from them. I went to the store to get sunscreen to avoid this pain in the future. The tan lines this summer are going to be intense and very unattractive. I went to Dory and Marks fundraising event that night and had a good time. I would like to thank Pi for everything he has done to get us ready for the summer. He has put a lot of effort into making sure each of us are physically and mentally prepared. Only 40 more days until we begin this journey. Sunday Kelsey, Jan, his girlfriend, and I decided to take a ride to homer lake despite the weather channel warning that there are very strong winds. We decided to turn around about 5 miles short of the Lake. There were two short stretches that the wind was at our back and Kelsey and I hit our top speed of 27.4mph. Last night we had our monday night meeting. Pi flooded us with bike information such as how to make adjustments and maintenance. It was pretty overwhelming and a lot to take in at one time but I’m sure over time I will be a pro at it all. Today Kelsey, Sean and I went on our weekly ride and made it there without getting lost or having any falls. Improvement! We had a picnic at Homer Lake, well more like eating trail mix and apples in the grass. We had to deal with winds again today but not nearly as strong as the past rides. I’m excited for 24 hour cycle on the quad Thursday and Friday. I plan on being at the booth whenever I‘m not in class and pulling an all nighter! This Saturday we have yet another team training ride 62 miles this time. So many great memories with the team and so many more to come.