Have you signed the pledge?

The pledge...  The pledge...  The Pledge of Allegiance?? Nope (but I can see how you would think that).  The pledge to make the commitment to improve the future of biking.  THE pledge.

If you haven't yet signed, please visit:
People For Bikes

The goal of peopleforbikes.org is to gather a million names of support, to speak with one powerful voice—to let policy makers, the media and the public know that bicycling is important and should be promoted.
Let's let our voices be heard!!! 

Watch this video titled "If I ride" about how the world would change if YOU rode your bike.  The only oil you would use would be on your chain, and oil tankers would be filled with chocolate milk.
It's VERY inspirational- please check it out!!!   It's only 1:27 long.  I just watched it 3 times.
If I Ride

What would happen if YOU rode??????

First BikeHers ride

Today I rode with the BikeHers group on our first group ride.  It was fun!!  I way overdressed, but it's so hard to know how to dress when the weather is in the 50's with a strong wind.  At least I'd rather be warm than cold. 

 

Not a great picture, but you get the point.  I stole it off the BikeHers site, so I'm kinda copyright infringing anyway.  There were about 11 of us.  Pretty good sized group.  We (Ali) and I rode from my house, around the lake twice and back home.  22 miles- not too bad for Ali's first post-baby workout!  I'm very impressed.  I should have taken a picture- I can't believe I forgot.  Seems like a really great group of like-minded ladies, tho, and I look forward to hanging with them in the future.

This is the last week of school before Spring Break.  I'm ready for a break.  Ready for a week off.  It will be fun, what I have planned (I'll let you in on it later).  Will be a BLAST!

I'll try that long run tomorrow after school.  I should have gotten it in, but it seems that laziness took over.  And that's not always a bad thing. 
You know what Monday means:  COMMUTE time, baby!!

A day of nothing but relaxation

I didn't ride today.  I didn't run.  I didn't even swim.  I got up early to go weigh in at my Weight Watchers meeting (um... that didn't go so well), took the dog to the vet, ran some errands and did a little bra shopping.  BTW- on a side note- bra shopping is far worse than any swimsuit shopping day.  Do you even KNOW how hard it is to find something to hoist the girls up to where they were in my 20's.  Well if you don't know- it's incredibly difficult.  Why oh why does gravity do such terrible things to my chest.  But I digress...
It was a great day to do lots of nothing.  Sometimes it's just what you need.  I enjoyed every minute of it.

The day ended with a nice little fire in the backyard.

Today was pretty chilly.  I refused to put on my down jacket, so I just froze when I went outside today.  It's March, doggone it- it's sunny and it should be warm so I was protesting the frigid weather.  It didn't do any good.  It was still cold despite my protesting and minor temper tantrum. 

The dogs and I went outside after dinner to enjoy a little fire.  It's the first time I used the chiminea that was given to us by some friends.  I had no idea that pinion wood smokes like a... well... a chimney.  The smell was heavenly and I felt like I was being transported to Colorado, the Grand Canyon or any other number of places where we're surrounded by beauty and enjoying an evening camping by the firelight.  It was so peaceful.  The hum of the highway and the glow and crackle of the fire did my soul a world of good!



So even tho I didn't even look at my bike or running shoes today, my heart and soul got a great workout of rest and relaxation.  And that's not a bad thing! 

well I guess it's officially March

When it's spring-like for 2 days then suddenly turns to winter in an instant.  Remember how beautiful  my commute was the other day?  Yeah, it was nothing like that today.  It seems we have a touch of bi-polar in the weather.  In like a lamb, guess that means it's going out like a lion. ROAR!!
See that flag up there? That's a strong northerly wind.  A cold wind (like there's such a thing as a warm northerly wind, right).  Brrrrr... had to stop and put on a hat, then stop and put on my full finger gloves, and then stop to pull my wool socks up to my knicker bottoms.

Yeah- I looked pretty darn cool (in Nerd World).

Since I was stopped so much- I figured I might as well get a picture of me. I look thrilled (notice the Elvis lip curl signaling my displeasure at my frequent stops and my ever-slowing pace into the wind).

The trail I was on parallels the highway so I looked over at the highway with all those wretched fools driving in their cars.  They don't know what they're missing.

They're missing the freezing cold north wind, the almost-blow-you-down gusts, the... WAIT- maybe for once they have it better than me.
Oh WOW- I had a momentary lapse of intelligence/perspective there.  There's NO WAY they have it better than me.  Sure they have their awesome cage protecting them from the elements and their satellite radio and their really, really warm heater turned all the way up keeping their toes all toasty and their fancy seat warmers keeping their tushy toasty... DANG IT!  Why didn't I drive??


OK- I'm better now.  I might have been cold, but I still had it better. I might have been fighting the elements, but it sure did feel good to be moving outside!  Moving slowly, moving unsteadily in the wind, moving forward.  Moving all the same.  And it felt GREAT!!!

So like life, the ride continues...

Commute derailed

I rode to work yesterday.  I did not ride home.  I did not ride today.

This time of year, and for the next couple months, I will wrestle ferociously with my allergies.  I never knew allergies could make you feel sick- like you have a cold sick.  The last few years I've experienced some terrible allergies.  Last year I just thought it was the sniffles when in reality I'd been fighting a sinus infection for about 2 months.  Who knew?

So I rode to work not feeling that great, and by the end of the day I was done.  I called my hubs and he came to pick me up.  It's *ONLY* 3 miles, but with the equilibrium issues in my ears and the fuzziness in my head I thought it not best to get on a bike and try to stay upright and balanced.  I came home and slept from 4:30-9, woke up long enough to let my contacts unhinge from my eyeballs- then went back to sleep at 10.  Woke up this morning feeling much better.

On another note, I've seriously fallen off my Weight Watchers wagon.  Seriously!  I've gained 2 lbs in the last 2 weeks.  I was down 11, now I'm only down 9.  Truth be told, I have NOT been tracking, not been showing much self-restraint and not really caring much.  I don't know why, but I'm at a stand-still.  After losing 11 lbs and not having my clothes fit any differently AT ALL or not even having anyone notice, I'm feeling rather discouraged.  I need to get back on it- and start caring.
Here's to hoping I can turn things around...or even care to.

Since you stayed with the post this long- here is a reward for your tenacity:

It's my philosophy on cycling:  SLOW down and enjoy the ride!  Style over speed.

LOVE this blog

I've discovered a really great blog.  Stick figure cartoon observations on cycling/commuting.
It's fantastic.  You really should check it out!
www.biseekell.blogspot.com


Here's one of my favorites:

Now get on over there and check it out!!

I'm a BikeHer

I joined a cycling club today.  I haven't belonged to a cycling group in many, many years.  6 to be exact.  I'm a lone ranger when it comes to riding.  I go when I want, where I want, and how fast I want.  I'm a maverick (yeah, you heard me, John McCain- you're not the only maverick out there). I'm a bike riding,  errand running, work commuting, adventure seeking maverick.

 So why did I join a group?  Because this isn't any ordinary group.

This is BikeHers.  Get it?  Bike Hers.  Bikers.  (it took me a while, too).
It's a women's cycling group.  Not a fast racing group.  Not a hammer group.  A group of women who like to ride, enjoy being outdoors, and want some company on the road.  Safety in numbers and all.

Welcome to the club!

I'm hopeful that this is the group for me.  I've wanted to share my love of cycling with other women in a non-competitive non-threatening way.  For the love of biking- not because we have to average a certain pace or go a particular number of miles.  Riding for the joy of riding.  Riding because being on our bikes makes us happier, stronger, healthier, more confident women.

There's nothing wrong with competition.  I wish I had a competitive bone in me, but I don't.  I don't fit in with racers for a number of reasons: the top two being that I'm slow and I don't need to win.  That kinda defeats the whole point of racing.
I just want to ride my bike, take pictures and enjoy the ride.

It's very exciting.  Very exciting, indeed!!