BIKE: Mike
TIME THERE: 36 min.
TIME BACK: 34 min.
WEATHER: clear, -21C, 9km/hr wind there; clear, -13C (-21C with wind chill), 19km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: cotton long johns, fleece pants, turtleneck, fleece mid-layer jacket, lobster gloves, balaclava
NOTES:
My New Year's Resolution this year is to develop a more vegetarian lifestyle. By that I don't mean actually become a vegetarian. I've done that before, and I've proven I can live without meat for a couple years, and that's as far as I want to take it. After all, my all-time favourite things in the world include delicious grilled steaks and turkey dinners with the family, and I'm not willing to give those up again. However, I think it would be nice to introduce more beans and legumes into my (and my daughter's) diet and even experiment sometimes with tofu recipes. I'm hoping this move will expand my repertoire of dinner options, introduce my daughter to different kinds of foods, contribute to a healthier diet in our household, and even be easier on the ol' bank book. So I'm still "allowed" to eat meat, especially if I go out for dinner, but I don't plan to buy it for the house. We'll see how that goes . . .
If you have any tips for good, easy vegetarian recipes, I'm all ears!!
(Oh, and I'm not interested in recipes that involve "artificial meats" like those rubbery fake hot dogs or that ground unbeef - I figure whatever they have to do to make plant matter taste and look like that couldn't possibly be any better for a person than just eating the real deal!)
As for the biking . . . it is what it is. I find myself praying for a short winter, because I have to say I'm really not loving the winter biking. It's not the cold that does it, it's the terrain - the frozen, snowy, icy roads and sidewalks. I have to work so much harder, I have so many more obstacles to negotiate over or avoid, I go slower and take longer and my hands and feet are always numb by the end of the ride. I just can't wait til all this crap melts away and I can take my usual route again, ride on the roads again, get up to decent speeds without fear of crashing again. I know I should settle in for a long haul, because an Edmonton winter is far from over in early January. Still, a girl can dream . . .
Hi Healthy Biker,
ReplyDeleteGood to hear you're enjoying the weather too. I had a great ride in today (I actually got some decent speed going, reminds me of fall riding. The snow pack on the high level sidewalk actually melted too! No more boot packed, rutty nightmare where I am exposed to high wind!). I'm actually a vegetarian so of course I'm glad to see anyone else wanting to try it. Vegweb has a ton of great recipes, one of my recent faves is this pot pie : http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=24106.0.
Great comfort food for Edmonton winters.
I agree that the terrain is the biggest challenge in Winter cycling here in E town. That and the sheer bulk of all the clothing I need to wear most days.
Wicked - thanks for the tips, Corey! I'll be sure to try out that recipe.
ReplyDeleteHey, are you one of the other cyclists I frequently see crossing the High Level Bridge? If you do pass me and recognize me (I'm on a black hybrid bike, wearing a red helmet and black outerwear with sand-coloured serious-looking boots) - give me a wave!! :)