10 Years Ago This Summer...

Yikes, who is that person on the left. Oh yeah, that's me...10 years ago this summer when I was 20 years old.

I've been waiting until I could get these pictures scanned in before I blogged. Last Thursday I went on a 12 mile ride and couldn't believe how easy it seemed. Then on Saturday, July 3, I went on a 40 mile ride and couldn't believe how hard it was!! I had to stop with 10 miles left (in Rockford) and eat something and get more water. I did feel better after I ate a little something, but still struggled the rest of the way, not even sure I could make it.

Anyway...10 years ago... In the summer of 2000 I marched in the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps. For those that don't know, Drum Corps is kind of like a professional marching band, only you don't get paid (you pay to do it) and you travel with the corps across the country from Memorial Day until mid-August-ish competing against other corps. I was thinking about that summer on these last few rides. It's been awhile since I've been able to think of it fondly. Again, for those that don't know I dated a guy for almost 11 years and his life was/is drum corps. Needless to say, it did not end well. So I've spent much of the last 5 years 'hating' drum corps and everything it stood for. However, I live a new and better life now and have come to terms with most of what happened BM (what Mattie and I call "Before Matt"). So now that I'm in my thirties and so much wiser...right?, I can really think about the positive impact that summer had on me.

I was young, could take on the world and all my friends were doing it! I was in Colorguard in high school and loved it (Of course I had the greatest band director in the history of the world, Max Colley, Jr). Guard is so much cooler then people think...heck so is Marching Band! I decided to try out for the Colts to prove to myself that I could do something different. I had several friends that raved about their experiences and I felt like I was good enough to take on the challenge.

What a challenge it was. Definitely one of the hardest thing I have ever

done in my life. Running all over football fields in the cornfields of the mid-west, throwing large poles in the air with even larger pieces of fabric attached to them, all while keeping a beat, trying to look normal/pretty/ like it's easy and sweating like crazy. Both of these pictures were at the end of the summer at our last rehearsal. I really did eat, I promise, I didn't start out THAT skinny. And even though I wore sun screen every single day, my skin hasn't been the same since.

When you get that ice breaker question in groups of "what's the hardest thing you've ever done?" I often reply with 'marching drum corps.' The majority of people in those groups don't understand. It's one of those, 'guess you had to be there' kind of things. Surprisingly, I only had a few of those 'I can't do this anymore days' and most of those were in the beginning during 'Cornfield Tour' (yeah, we basically travel around rehearsing in different cornfield-focused cities). I had many more 'I can't breathe' moments (I have asthma), but inhalers work wonders.

I was on sports teams most of my life, so I understood concepts of discipline, working hard, teamwork, but drum corps took it to an entirely different level for me. You really don't want to be the weakest link, if you're out of place or lost the beat, every single person watching and participating can see it! It's ridiculously obvious. And I really, really hate disappointing others and sticking out. Colorguard was great for me because it addressed both! There is so much more I could say about my summer of 2000 and it will probably come out throughout this summer. But this is a good intro. I have lots to reflect on regarding my experience and I'm sure I'll think of some great rehearsal stories while I'm riding.

How am I going to finish this training and do this 184 mile ride? The same way I made it through a summer of drum corps... on faith and with heart.

L

PS It's been entirely too hot for me to ride lately. So I haven't gone since the 40 miler...Ugh.