Remember I said I'd start training that Sunday a couple weeks ago? Surprise -- so far, so good. Legs feel like noodles. And rock. At the same time. Whatever they actually are, it sure feels good.

Longest ride I've done so far was two-weeks-ago's Thursday morning -- my friend + I cranked out 30 miles before class and it felt really great. Came home, ate my weight in watermelon, epic shower blasting my girl Beyonce, shaved my legs and zipped off to class. FRESH. And then peaced out for a solid nap in the afternoon.

Sometimes I'm too stressed to wake up at 6:45 for a morning ride, so I'll do it in the afternoon. Sunrise is infinitely better, though. The air's crisp, my mind's clearer than it'll be at any other point later in the day and not another soul's on the trail. And breakfast, an already perfect thing, is even better. And then I smile to myself when I slip back into my neighborhood and everyone's just rolling over to snooze their alarms. It is getting exhausting, though. Especially now during midterms and everything. But I've got to keep this promise to myself -- and through the next seven months, too.

Dang.

DANG.

(That second iteration is me realizing I graduate in seven months.)

Now that October's here I've started on with the 25 mi/day thing and the extra 2.5 miles each way really isn't that bad. To be honest, the hour-and-a-half-ish it takes to do the whole thing flies by. Recently, though, it's been taking me the first five or so miles to just get my mind to stop racing through lists and itineraries.

What's this afternoon look like? How many hours of sleep can I squeeze in tonight? Did I get around to those edits on that one story? Shit, I shouldn't be biking right now. No, stop it. This is for you. Ugh, I really ought to call my brother and finish helping him with those college essays. Nah, he's got it. I'm so hungry. Ugh waffles. It's so gorgeous out here.

That's a pretty accurate excerpt of first-five-mile thoughts for ya. I'm leaving town for Portland Wednesday morning, so the rest of this week will be laid back, but going to fit in one last ride tomorrow morning. The day's super packed so I'm heading out for this one around 6:30.

Bonne nuit.