Where Did Summer Go?

As I sit enjoying the last hours of my summer vacation, I can't help but think where did it go? It seems like just yesterday I was packing up my classroom at Roxbury, ready to make a bee-line out the front doors.  So what did I do all summer you may ask?

I kicked off my summer vacation with a trip to Kingdom Trails.  I saw earlier in the year that NEMBAfest would be at the end of my school year and I registered Lance and I for our first trip there.  I have to admit, I was a bit anxious about the amount of people that would be attending (approximately 2000) and how crowded the trails might be and the rowdiness of the people.  But...it was absolutely awesome.  An overall incredible experience - everyone was so relaxed and chill, the trails were never crowded, and I would do it again for sure.

Tent City at NEMBAfest
Smiles for miles at Kingdom Trails
I spent six weeks working as a mountain bike instructor for the Morristown Beard Day Camp.  This is my 7th summer with this gig.  Yes, I get paid to ride bikes.  However, I will admit there are good days and bad days.  We had an eclectic group this year - there were times I wanted to bang my head on a tree but most of the time I was wearing a grin the size of our continent.  The best part is watching kids progress from their first day to their last day.




I managed to get in some downhill riding at Mountain Creek.  I've decided that I prefer the rocky natural trails over the smooth flow - but don't get me wrong, they're all fun.  I even attempted two Thursday night league races - one was rained out and the other was fun even though I didn't know most of the people who showed up.



A huge highlight of my summer break - I am now an IMBA Level 2 Skills Instructor.  Since getting my Level 1 certification in April, I had been preparing for this.  I spent four days learning from the best...Shaums March.  A physically and demanding weekend of so much information.  I worked hard for this and proud to show off my certificate.  Oh, and I got some private DH coaching from Shaums.  That was pretty rad too.

Perfecting my front wheel lift
Getting to DH with Shaums


I got to assist as a coach at the Cognition Coaching CX clinic along with some really awesome people.  As for me, I've been working hard to get ready for CX season but are we ever ready?? I made choices in the spring and summer to work on mountain bike skills and other endeavors so this CX season will be...well, we'll just see how it goes.


I wrapped up my mountain bike summer fun with a weekend of riding at Cranks Around the Campfire.  I had the awesome experience of leading an intermediate ride over at Stephens State Park as well as a women's ride at Allamuchy.  I also got to assist with three Cognition Coaching clinics, putting my IMBA Coaching skills to use.



My garden...well, I did manage to get lots of tomatoes this year.  Unlike last year's abundance of zucchini, my plants were much more calm.  I managed to make a few jars of pickles, tomato jubilees, and several dozen zucchini muffins.  The rain and heat spells really took a toll - along with my busy schedule.  I ripped out the last of my dying plants this week and will be prepping for some fall veggies.  No voles spotted and the garden lady stepped down, so my email inbox was relatively quiet.


So tomorrow it's back to school - starting my 12th year of sculpting young minds.  I'm ready.

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