Sunday, May 17, 2009

So close

This past weekend signaled the second to last weekend before the river, as well as a visit from my mom. She flew out from Denver to help me start packing up all of my belongings and she also wanted to say goodbye before my long river adventure.

After finishing up orthopedic surgery trauma clinic on Friday, the packing frenzy started. I had to pack up my entire room in preparation for moving back to CO for the year and at the same time organize and sort all of the gear for the upcoming trip. Needless to say there was outdoor gear everywhere in our small apartment. My mom was quite the trooper and really expedited the whole process as well as kept me organized and sane. In the end all the gear got sorted, and all I have left to do before I leave in a week and a half is get my food organized. That is going to be my goal this coming week.


Early this afternoon, as the packing festival was coming to a close, I took my mom out to Rivanna reservoir for a little spin in the boat. She is much more of a biker than a paddler but I think she enjoyed seeing what the "Mary Agnes" could do out on the water. There was a slight drizzle but it was nice to get outside and I couldn't help but smile as my mom realized just how small of a water craft I was going to be living in for the next several months. THANKS A BUNCH MOM FOR ALL YOUR HELP!


The end of this week also marked the culmination of my fitness training for the trip. I am now tapering down my workouts in preparation for the start of the trip. This is both sad and a relief. Sad because I really have enjoyed seeing how strong I have gotten over the past 4 months. The workouts have been great and I feel very well prepared physically for this trip. I really truly believe that all of the physical preparation will help prevent tendon and muscle injuries later on down the river. That being said, working the hours I have been in the hospital as well as training for a 4,000 mile trip has been taxing. I have made some sacrifices with my sleep and am looking forward to resting a bit, waiting for the start of the longest trip.


Until next weekend.

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