TIME THERE: 26 min. (boo yeah!)
TIME BACK: 28 min.
WEATHER: clear, 8C, 6 km/hr wind there; sunny, 26C, 20 km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: dress pants, t-shirt, waterproof shell (put shell in panniers on the way home)
NOTES:
I'm a competitive person. I always have been. I enjoyed being the youngest person in my intermediate horseback riding class, the top mark in my classes, the only sibling with the straight-A's, the author of the essay that was always read aloud as an example of how things should be done. Even despite my childhood obesity, I still managed to be among the top competitors in track and field for the 100m dash and - of all things - high jump, in my grade at elementary school. Had I not hit puberty and been crushed by self-consciousness, perhaps my competitive spirit would have pushed me towards sport and I might have been able to lose some of that weight in high school. As it was, I ended up wearing baggy clothes to hide my shame, never breaking out into anything faster than a quick walk for fear of jiggling, and turning my attentions to writing. No regrets here, but I do wonder sometimes what I could have done if I'd taken up a sport, especially given the athletic prowess of my brothers (who played baseball at the national level in high school).
My competitive spirit is seeping out of me unabated now that I've started bike-commuting. This morning, for instance, going over the big steel bridge that crosses the river valley, I was sailing along at a good clip, passing other people and feeling very good about myself. Then a woman on a rickety old makeshift hybrid (road tires on a bike with an upright body position) passed by me about halfway into the bridge - without ringing her bell (lawbreaker!!) - and my inner voice immediately started agitating. "Hey! What the hell? How is she passing me on an old bike like that, being as non-aerodynamic as that? CATCH HER!!!"
The motto that I've been chanting to myself like a biking mantra is "come on, work those little legs!!" (I have disproportionately short legs - thanks Dad!). When that woman passed by me on the bridge, my internal voice started whipping that mantra at me like a jockey whipping his losing racehorse. I worked my legs as best as I could, but there was no way I was going to catch her - we were getting to the hill coming off the bridge, and hills are my Achilles heel. Luckily for me, the incline seemed to be slowing her down too. Here's my chance to catch her! I just started to pull a little closer to her when she reached the stairs, where she dismounted and walked her bike up and onto the university campus. I pulled up and dismounted not that far behind her, but lost a lot of momentum on the stairs and fell farther behind again. As I got to the top of the stairs, panting and sweating, I swung my stiffening leg over the saddle and settled in, ready to really catch her this time. My thighs were burning as I pushed off and started pedalling away from the stairs, and as I looked up my heart sunk as I saw her pedalling away at light speed a full block ahead of me. How the hell did she DO that?
"That little bitch!" said my inner voice, "Go get her - work little legs, do it!" I picked up speed again but we were already on campus, having to deal with frequent stops and pedestrian traffic. Though whenever I caught sight of her ahead of me I would continue to chase her across campus and call her names in my head, she kept weaving in and out of my field of vision, pulling farther and farther ahead, and I quickly realized she had definitely won our little competition. By the time I pulled up to my building, I didn't know where she was anymore. That competitiveness sure got me to school in good time, though - 26 minutes! - so I can't complain. And although I lost, it was a nice change of pace trying to follow a faster biker, making a little game out of it.
"Yeah, well, she's not carrying around an extra person's worth of weight," sniffled my battered ego. Suck it up, buttercup - you did very well for you, and that's plenty enough to celebrate for today. Though I have to say, you could definitely work on being a better loser.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Week Two - Day Three
TIME THERE: 32 min. (including a stop at the library to drop off an overdue book)
TIME BACK: 27 min.
WEATHER: partly cloudy, 10C, 19 km/hr wind there; overcast, 18C, 22 km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: yoga pants, t-shirt, waterproof shell (shell was in panniers on the way back)
NOTES:
Ever since I first got pregnant a couple years ago, I've had chronic sinus infections. Through most of my pregnancy I was sick as a dog (huh - do dogs get sick a lot? Where'd that expression come from, anyway?) with one viral infection after another. I was even sick when I went into labour. After my daughter was born, she and I had a habit of passing things between us so that for pretty much her first whole year of life we didn't go a full two week without one or the other or both of us being sick. Sometimes we were functional, other times we were bed-ridden. It was a brutal, brutal time. But since the beginning of the summer we've both enjoyed a very healthy few months. It's been great!
But, it seems, the sickness has caught up with us again. I can't really tell if what's making my daughter unhappy is teething or feeling sick, but I definitely know I've got something. I'm operating at about a 70% capacity. I'm not sick enough to stay home from work, but still sick enough to really be feeling it by the end of the day. I'm feeling a lot of sinus pressure behind my eyes and above my upper molars, which is making my teeth sore, and I've got a runny nose and a sore throat. I'm exhausted by the end of the work day, and now that my daughter's in bed all I really want to do is pass out myself.
It sure hasn't affected my ride-time though. My God, did you see that? I made it home in 27 minutes!! That's riding with a cold, against the wind, feeling tired. It kind of makes me feel like a GOD! I finally found a route that I like, and I really do love it - it's scenic and fast and flat. I've also noticed that there's a huge difference in how hard I have to work this week compared to last. I don't feel tempted to walk my bike up the small inclines that I do face, and for most of the flat stretches I can sail along at a pretty decent clip without having to pant like an animal. I can't tell you how fast I'm going because at some point last week someone stole the computer off my bike! That's up there in incomprehensibility with someone stealing my doorbell, which also happened recently. Seriously, my doorbell?
I'm convinced that I'd be feeling a lot sicker right now if it weren't for the commuting, because it seems that the fresh air and hard breathing and increased heart rate are all contributing to a much slower and weaker onset of symptoms. And when I'm biking I feel fine - it's when I get off the bike, at home and at work, that I feel the worst. So, biking is making me healthier in more ways than one! I'll take that for a dollar.
TIME BACK: 27 min.
WEATHER: partly cloudy, 10C, 19 km/hr wind there; overcast, 18C, 22 km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: yoga pants, t-shirt, waterproof shell (shell was in panniers on the way back)
NOTES:
Ever since I first got pregnant a couple years ago, I've had chronic sinus infections. Through most of my pregnancy I was sick as a dog (huh - do dogs get sick a lot? Where'd that expression come from, anyway?) with one viral infection after another. I was even sick when I went into labour. After my daughter was born, she and I had a habit of passing things between us so that for pretty much her first whole year of life we didn't go a full two week without one or the other or both of us being sick. Sometimes we were functional, other times we were bed-ridden. It was a brutal, brutal time. But since the beginning of the summer we've both enjoyed a very healthy few months. It's been great!
But, it seems, the sickness has caught up with us again. I can't really tell if what's making my daughter unhappy is teething or feeling sick, but I definitely know I've got something. I'm operating at about a 70% capacity. I'm not sick enough to stay home from work, but still sick enough to really be feeling it by the end of the day. I'm feeling a lot of sinus pressure behind my eyes and above my upper molars, which is making my teeth sore, and I've got a runny nose and a sore throat. I'm exhausted by the end of the work day, and now that my daughter's in bed all I really want to do is pass out myself.
It sure hasn't affected my ride-time though. My God, did you see that? I made it home in 27 minutes!! That's riding with a cold, against the wind, feeling tired. It kind of makes me feel like a GOD! I finally found a route that I like, and I really do love it - it's scenic and fast and flat. I've also noticed that there's a huge difference in how hard I have to work this week compared to last. I don't feel tempted to walk my bike up the small inclines that I do face, and for most of the flat stretches I can sail along at a pretty decent clip without having to pant like an animal. I can't tell you how fast I'm going because at some point last week someone stole the computer off my bike! That's up there in incomprehensibility with someone stealing my doorbell, which also happened recently. Seriously, my doorbell?
I'm convinced that I'd be feeling a lot sicker right now if it weren't for the commuting, because it seems that the fresh air and hard breathing and increased heart rate are all contributing to a much slower and weaker onset of symptoms. And when I'm biking I feel fine - it's when I get off the bike, at home and at work, that I feel the worst. So, biking is making me healthier in more ways than one! I'll take that for a dollar.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Week Two - Day Two
TIME THERE: 28 min.
TIME BACK:27 min.
WEATHER: clear, 7C, 6 km/hr wind there; partly cloudy, 21C, 9 km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: Yoga pants, t-shirt, waterproof shell. (should have worn gloves!)
NOTES:
It has begun. The past few days I've noticed that it's still dark when my alarm goes off at 6:30 am, and a week before it was still a bit light out. The rising sun chases off the night's darkness by the time I leave the house, but it's coming, I can feel it - it won't last long. The rising sun was low enough in the sky this morning to blind me for half my commute. Before I know it, I will be leaving my house in darkness in the morning and biking to school guided by safety lights. Feeling the chill in the air this morning, seeing my breath form ice crystal clouds before me, I could already sense the impending frost that will soon cover the grass during my morning rides. I can already imagine it, feel it coming on - fall is here, and winter is very soon to follow.
But, I've gotta say - WOOOOOO!!! It feels good to be back in the saddle!
That tune-up over the weekend did wonders for my bike - it's completely solid now, the gears shift easily and predictably, and the ride was noticeably easier and faster. When I got to work this morning I felt refreshed, awake, and alive. Today, I feel truly grateful that despite my best efforts over these past years to abuse my body with an unhealthy lifestyle, it's still capable of speed and fitness and health. I am able-bodied, and I am very thankful that I have the gift of health that allows me to commute and to use my body while I still can.
By the end of the day yesterday I started feeling a cold coming on. My throat was dry and sore and I was kind of mucousy, and I kept waking up throughout the night trying to swallow but finding my throat so sore that I could not. When I woke up this morning, despite my eagerness to get back on the bike, I immediately started making excuses not to commute today - I don't feel well, my throat hurts, I'm already parched and the cold air will only make things worse! I chose to ignore myself and commuted anyway, chewing a piece of gum the whole way so I could keep my saliva going and hopefully help lubricate my throat. I discovered that by the time I got to school, I felt better than I had when I left the house, and that maybe all that blood-pumping and heavy breathing helped boost my body's immune response to whatever it is that's ailing me. Maybe this will be a year of great health - fewer colds and sinus infections, which since my pregnancy I've been battling much too frequently - and higher immune functioning! That's a potential benefit of biking I'd never even considered before - fewer sick days?? Here's hoping!
In the end, it really surprised me just how much I had missed bike-commuting for those few days when I didn't do it. I love it. I love the speed, the rush, using my body, challenging myself, and breathing all that fresh air. And my fellow commuters - what a little secret society we have! Smiling at each other as we pass each other on the streets, knowing that we share in this secret joy, knowing that all those people in the cars beside us listening to the news and getting stressed out from the traffic have no idea how happy they could be if they just got out of their cars and into a saddle.
Giddy up, cowboy.
TIME BACK:27 min.
WEATHER: clear, 7C, 6 km/hr wind there; partly cloudy, 21C, 9 km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: Yoga pants, t-shirt, waterproof shell. (should have worn gloves!)
NOTES:
It has begun. The past few days I've noticed that it's still dark when my alarm goes off at 6:30 am, and a week before it was still a bit light out. The rising sun chases off the night's darkness by the time I leave the house, but it's coming, I can feel it - it won't last long. The rising sun was low enough in the sky this morning to blind me for half my commute. Before I know it, I will be leaving my house in darkness in the morning and biking to school guided by safety lights. Feeling the chill in the air this morning, seeing my breath form ice crystal clouds before me, I could already sense the impending frost that will soon cover the grass during my morning rides. I can already imagine it, feel it coming on - fall is here, and winter is very soon to follow.
But, I've gotta say - WOOOOOO!!! It feels good to be back in the saddle!
That tune-up over the weekend did wonders for my bike - it's completely solid now, the gears shift easily and predictably, and the ride was noticeably easier and faster. When I got to work this morning I felt refreshed, awake, and alive. Today, I feel truly grateful that despite my best efforts over these past years to abuse my body with an unhealthy lifestyle, it's still capable of speed and fitness and health. I am able-bodied, and I am very thankful that I have the gift of health that allows me to commute and to use my body while I still can.
By the end of the day yesterday I started feeling a cold coming on. My throat was dry and sore and I was kind of mucousy, and I kept waking up throughout the night trying to swallow but finding my throat so sore that I could not. When I woke up this morning, despite my eagerness to get back on the bike, I immediately started making excuses not to commute today - I don't feel well, my throat hurts, I'm already parched and the cold air will only make things worse! I chose to ignore myself and commuted anyway, chewing a piece of gum the whole way so I could keep my saliva going and hopefully help lubricate my throat. I discovered that by the time I got to school, I felt better than I had when I left the house, and that maybe all that blood-pumping and heavy breathing helped boost my body's immune response to whatever it is that's ailing me. Maybe this will be a year of great health - fewer colds and sinus infections, which since my pregnancy I've been battling much too frequently - and higher immune functioning! That's a potential benefit of biking I'd never even considered before - fewer sick days?? Here's hoping!
In the end, it really surprised me just how much I had missed bike-commuting for those few days when I didn't do it. I love it. I love the speed, the rush, using my body, challenging myself, and breathing all that fresh air. And my fellow commuters - what a little secret society we have! Smiling at each other as we pass each other on the streets, knowing that we share in this secret joy, knowing that all those people in the cars beside us listening to the news and getting stressed out from the traffic have no idea how happy they could be if they just got out of their cars and into a saddle.
Giddy up, cowboy.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Week Two - Day One
NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
Of course, my bike was not ready for me to pick up from the shop by this morning, so I had to drive to work. Well, I didn't have to drive, I could have taken the bus like a more conscientious commuter. But I didn't take the bus because it would have taken 45 min. plus however much walking-to-and-from-the-bus-stops time, and with the way it's scheduled, I wouldn't have been able to drop my daughter off at daycare at 7:30 then get to school on time for 8:30. So - driving it is.
I figured I'd be saving a lot of time by driving. I was surprised that, in fact, it took longer than biking! It probably wouldn't have except for the fact that: I had to drive around for about 10 min. to find parking, and where I ended up parking was a 20 min. walk to the building I work in. I ended up getting to school at 8:25 when I usually show up at 8:10 or 8:15. However, when I'm biking I do need that extra 10 min. or so before work starts to change into my work clothes, de-sweat, put some gel in my hair to tame it's craziness, and generally fix myself up a bit. When it comes right down to it, if you factor the pre-work fixing myself up into the bike-commuting time, it's about the same as driving. But at least when I bike I feel good about myself, and the brisk workout and cold morning air wakes me up better than a strong cup of coffee (which I also have, for good measure).
I tried to compensate for the lack of biking with the extra walking (20 min. from the car to the building and back) plus a 30-min. lunch-time walk with a friend of mine. So I ended up with over an hour of walking in my day, which is definitely better than nothing! Still, it doesn't compare at all to the workout I get from biking. And the wind against my face! And the views I encounter along the way! Man, it's been four days of non-biking (a long weekend plus one day of bike-in-the-shop) and I'm really missing it.
I picked up Mike the Bike from the bike shop after work today, and he's lookin' good! Tires are full, the steering column is tightened, and the gears are fixed so they don't jump. Poifect! I can't wait to get back on him tomorrow. Honestly, I really am surprised how much I missed biking. I was so glad to see my bike today that I had to suppress the urge to hug him when I picked him up from the shop. Maybe I'm just starving for human affection, but I really did miss that bike!
On another note: if you are thinking of having children, and also value your sleep, I implore you to reconsider the having children thing. I just had a long weekend from hell, which made for a first day back to work from hell. My daughter is teething and going through a growth spurt, which means lots of crying, tantrums, and NO sleep. Three straight nights, including last night (a work night - come on!!), of going to bed between midnight and 1 am, then waking up between 5 - 6 am. NOT cool. Then, in an exhausted state, all weekend long I had to deal with a cranky, demanding toddler who would only nap long enough for me to do the laundry and other household necessities, but not long enough for me to sneak in a nap myself. I'm not usually a bitch, but I sure was this freakin' weekend. BABIES!! Honestly, now, I love my daughter to pieces, and I also wonder if all parents - especially those who have more than one, once they know better - are completely and utterly nuts.
Maybe a nice hot bath and a sweet chicory drink will calm my tired nerves. Mmmm, here's hoping!
Of course, my bike was not ready for me to pick up from the shop by this morning, so I had to drive to work. Well, I didn't have to drive, I could have taken the bus like a more conscientious commuter. But I didn't take the bus because it would have taken 45 min. plus however much walking-to-and-from-the-bus-stops time, and with the way it's scheduled, I wouldn't have been able to drop my daughter off at daycare at 7:30 then get to school on time for 8:30. So - driving it is.
I figured I'd be saving a lot of time by driving. I was surprised that, in fact, it took longer than biking! It probably wouldn't have except for the fact that: I had to drive around for about 10 min. to find parking, and where I ended up parking was a 20 min. walk to the building I work in. I ended up getting to school at 8:25 when I usually show up at 8:10 or 8:15. However, when I'm biking I do need that extra 10 min. or so before work starts to change into my work clothes, de-sweat, put some gel in my hair to tame it's craziness, and generally fix myself up a bit. When it comes right down to it, if you factor the pre-work fixing myself up into the bike-commuting time, it's about the same as driving. But at least when I bike I feel good about myself, and the brisk workout and cold morning air wakes me up better than a strong cup of coffee (which I also have, for good measure).
I tried to compensate for the lack of biking with the extra walking (20 min. from the car to the building and back) plus a 30-min. lunch-time walk with a friend of mine. So I ended up with over an hour of walking in my day, which is definitely better than nothing! Still, it doesn't compare at all to the workout I get from biking. And the wind against my face! And the views I encounter along the way! Man, it's been four days of non-biking (a long weekend plus one day of bike-in-the-shop) and I'm really missing it.
I picked up Mike the Bike from the bike shop after work today, and he's lookin' good! Tires are full, the steering column is tightened, and the gears are fixed so they don't jump. Poifect! I can't wait to get back on him tomorrow. Honestly, I really am surprised how much I missed biking. I was so glad to see my bike today that I had to suppress the urge to hug him when I picked him up from the shop. Maybe I'm just starving for human affection, but I really did miss that bike!
On another note: if you are thinking of having children, and also value your sleep, I implore you to reconsider the having children thing. I just had a long weekend from hell, which made for a first day back to work from hell. My daughter is teething and going through a growth spurt, which means lots of crying, tantrums, and NO sleep. Three straight nights, including last night (a work night - come on!!), of going to bed between midnight and 1 am, then waking up between 5 - 6 am. NOT cool. Then, in an exhausted state, all weekend long I had to deal with a cranky, demanding toddler who would only nap long enough for me to do the laundry and other household necessities, but not long enough for me to sneak in a nap myself. I'm not usually a bitch, but I sure was this freakin' weekend. BABIES!! Honestly, now, I love my daughter to pieces, and I also wonder if all parents - especially those who have more than one, once they know better - are completely and utterly nuts.
Maybe a nice hot bath and a sweet chicory drink will calm my tired nerves. Mmmm, here's hoping!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)