Vacation

Nice place!

As I write this post I am icing my knee/IT band. See, I got out for a little adventure today. No big miles, but noteworthy. I've been anticipating this vacation for months. My sweetheart is working at Brainerd International Raceway for Harley-Davidson, and I get the luxury of tagging along. I have 3 days to myself to explore the area. My original intention was to take some long road rides, and Monday we will ride together at the renowned Cuyuna Falls mountain bike trails.

Due to my injuries, I am unable to do those long miles. This is day 1. I took my time this morning, catching up on messages. I did a hotel room strength workout of 10 walking lunges + 10 pushups x 10 rounds. I stretched and iced.

Last evening I was so hungry when we went out. I did not ask for gluten-free chicken wings. I realized when we got them that they probably were breaded and I ate about 5 of them. Dinner was so nice. I feel incredibly spoiled to be eating out at nice places and staying in a hotel! About an hour after dinner, the belly cramps started. Suffice it to say I could not leave the hotel room until about 11 this morning. So, I took my time.

I could use Steve's car, since he biked to the race area, but I'd rather get a little exercise. So, I set out on my bike at the approximate intensity of a brisk walk. My Achilles and my IT band are kinesio-taped and I have no desire to push it. My first stop was the health food store. I picked up activated charcoal to help my belly feel better. I also picked up a couple of picnic lunch items, and krill oil. I asked the cashier for coffee shop and dinner recommendations, as well as some help with directions. There is a very busy highway between the hotel and.... well.... everything! They were very helpful.

My big plan for the day was to visit Northland Arboretum, find a beautiful place to sit, and read a book for as long as I wanted to. I rode around for a little while in search of the right spot. The scenery was lovely.

And then I found the perfect spot:

Curious what I'm reading? Check it out! I'd highly recommend this book.

Personally, learning to be in the moment has eluded me for years. Sometimes I feel like my mind is in the future so often that I completely miss out on the current moment. This is especially true of when my kids were little. There is so much I don't even remember, and I believe it's because my mind was not in the moment. I'm working towards being present and incorporating mindfulness in all that I do. I won't get those times back, but moving forward I can savor this amazing, miraculous life and all of the moments I'm given. 

I sat, laid down, stretched, counted my breaths, channeled Reiki, and nearly dozed off. It was very refreshing to have that time. Then, I wandered about the gardens.

I rode this trail briefly, to the very busy apiary :-)

And then I pedaled the few miles to Brainerd for some very good coffee and a gluten-free blueberry scone. I made sure to savor those moments. Delicious moments!

The trip back to the hotel included a lot of paved path as shown below. It also included a stiff headwind, and by the time I got back my injuries were more than ready for rest and ice. Good time to write a blog post!