I’m sure we still have a few warm-ish days left before for-real winter comes to Reno.  But after a 25 degree temperature drop in two days, it sure feels like winter already (did you hear? it snowed on Mount Rose last night)

It just so happens that today was the first day I was ablewilling to ride my bike to work since working the Balloon Race (which was three weekends ago, if you’re counting).  I hate when I fall so quickly out of my riding to work habit.  I do have to say that I was proud to ride to work Monday and Tuesday before the big event (and even BRIEFLY considered riding to Rancho San Rafael at the crack of dawn).  The following week brought several days of meetings and errands and me not trying hard enough to make it work for my poor little bike.  AND THEN I got super sick.  And, according to the rules I’ve set for myself, I’m allowed to not ride.  And truth be told, (my coworkers would agree) I certainly should not have been at work.  I put off riding for several more days because the nagging cough and chest congestion has been hanging around far too long.  I’m still coughing and I’m still congested, but I realized today that I might not have many more riding days.  Contrary to Jeff Moser‘s recommendation, neither myself nor my bike are fit for winter riding.  Hopefully, one day, I’ll be all badass with my badass cycling gear and my badass road bike with its badass snow tires.  But I am not badass yet and my red cruiser certainly is not either.

So, I am sad to say that once the snow falls (or more likely, once daylight savings ends) I’ll probably be retiring my bike until sometime in March.  However, this is not to say that I’ll be giving up on my [most-of-the-time]healthy living or the exercise.  I have my indoor exercising methods and I’ve recently REstarted Weight Watchers (because as much as I think I am healthy, I have been unable to make a difference without help).  I’ve already lost 64 pounds in a few weeks! (yes, I gained some back, it’s part of the process)

So, hopefully I will be able to keep this blog up during the cold, un-bikable months.  But until then, I’m going to re-commit to riding every day!

P.S. I miss the me that wrote this.

like, a lot.  And my blog.  I’ll be back soon, I promise.

First, I have to say, I opened up a new post and then closed wordpress because I haven’t done anything blog-worthy, am not in a writing mood and/or have a headache.  Lucky for me, I’ve lately had this attitude of doing things that are good for me, in spite of my lack of will.  It’s weird.

You would think I’d have learned this by now, but for some reason I NEED to keep reminding myself that the time when I least feel like doing something is when I need to do it the most (writing and riding alike).  So, here we are.

First, I have to give myself public props for riding on my first day back to work, and not just because I said I would.  It felt good.  And I knew it would be THAT much more difficult if I didn’t just jump right in and do it.  So I did (and then because of heavy loads in need of transportation, I didn’t ride the next two days), and again on Friday.

In talking with Brad, I’ve noticed that lately, I don’t even have to think about it.  I’d be fooling myself to say that it’s become routine or habit for me already.  But I’m at least able to appreciate how easy it’s been to just get up and get on my bike (hah–all three times).  It does kind of make me wonder though, why it’s been so hard for me to capture any of this in my blog?  Often something will happen (or not happen) and I think, what a great blog post this will make, but the post never comes.  Maybe I am just THAT busy, but I don’t want to cop out with excuses.

That said, the other blog-worthy things that happened (or didn’t happen) since my last post:

We (Brad and I–my family wasn’t so excited about mountain biking) totally missed out on a mountain biking adventure we were trying to sign up for in Curacao.  I was BUMMED.  I have never been mountain biking before and was really exciting at the prospect of doing it for the first time on a tropical island.**

We did do an awesome kayak day in Aruba though, which was super rad.  I had also never kayaked before (although seeing people do it in the Truckee River sufficiently freaked me out about it).  Kayaking on a nice mellow beach though, I was prepared to handle.  I even volunteered to go first (YES, that is impressive and I’ll thank you to not disagree with me).

IweBrad kicked ass at kayaking.  When I wasn’t showering him with my paddle.  At least we didn’t tip over like my bro and sis (sorry guys ).

Anyway, it was fun.  And almost started to make up for the amount of delicious cruise food I ate the rest of the week. ***

The other noteworthy thing that happened this week is we FINALLY adjusted the seat on my bike so my knees will stop hurting (thank you Jeff Moser for helping to diagnose) and it’s a bajillion times better.

Now that school has started (not for me, but for my boo, who is in class until 7 on Monday and Wednesday) and daylight saving hasn’t ended quite yet, I might do some solo exploring on my bike.  Even though, it’s Monday, my workday has ended and yet, I’m sitting at my desk writing this … um, I guess that means peace out til next time! ****

**AND SUBSEQUENTLY BLOGGING ABOUT IT!!!

*** oh, btw, if you were wondering, the cruise was AWESOME

**** and if you made it all the way down here, thanks!  Now go do something more fun, please! (apparently it’s a footnote kind of day)

I have pretty much gotten up every day with the mind that I will ride to work.  I have even gotten dressed in cycling-friendly work clothes and shoes.  But for some reason, once I get down stairs, I head for the car keys instead of my bicycle helmet.  Today was the fourth in a row.

I don’t know why it was so easy for me to ride for two weeks straight and now I can’t even manage one day. I think a lot of it has to do with stupid lies I tell myself (but Annie can tell you more about that):

My stomach hurts today.  Riding, fresh air and getting my heart rate up a tiny bit will certainly make my tummy feel better.  I don’t ride.

I’m going in early. What kind of bullshit lie is this?  Because I’m working harder/more at the office, that means I don’t have to work as hard on myself, my health or the environment?  We all know the air/temperature is a basquillion times better at 7 a.m. than it is at 8.  I don’t ride.

I’m too stressed. Another ridiculous tall tale.  Exercise and fresh air have been proven to reduce stress.  I don’t ride.

I’ll start again when I get back from vacay. Can anyone tell me why this means I shouldn’t ride now anyway?  Wow, I’m absurd!  I don’t ride.

But hey, on the plus side, what I have lacked this week in rides, I have more than made up for in lattes from Starbucks (3), far surpassing my weekly limit (1).

Harumph.

So, after I committed to riding every day, no matter what, I was actually really good.  I rode to work every day that week and the following week (although I have to admit, this was only three days because my brother was in town) …

… okay, so it seemed like a lot more consecutive days than it actually was.  But I was definitely on a roll.

Then, on Saturday, we made a surprise visit to see Brad’s parents in Grass Valley, bikes in tow:

don't they look happy?

So, after a nice breakfast (and some subsequent laying around), we went for what was to be a leisurely ride around town.  Now, I’ve been to Grass Valley before.  Brad lived there.  Um, hello, Brad’s parents live there.  But until you try to ride your bike around the area, you really don’t have any idea how many big hills there are.  (There are a lot.  And they are big.)

My bike, cute as it is, is definitely not meant for climbing like that.  (Also, FYI Caltrans, the roads there are crap).  So, what was supposed to be a nice, easy family ride (yes, Brad, I’m calling myself family), turned into a really tough workout for all of us–but especially for the out-of-shape girl with the heavy, 30-year-old cruiser.

After a little bit of nausea and frustration, we all ended up having a good time.  However, as a result, my body just does not want to get back on that bike this week.

And that (in addition to my not blogging in weeks) is why I totally suck.  Part of it has to do with just giving my muscles a break.  But a lot of it has to do with working way too long hours, preparing to leave town for 10 days and general running around all crazy-like.

Monday and Tuesday were a result of feeling poopy and being lazy.  Today is a result of some necessary driving later (yes, driving to get a pedicure IS necessary).

I know I won’t ride Friday because everything will be crammed with trying to catch a flight.  We’ll see what tomorrow brings …

This morning I decided that from now on, unless I *really* can’t, I will ride my bike to work every day.  No more of this I’m too tired or it’s too hot or I feel like wearing a skirt today.  From now on (or at least until it’s no longer bike-riding weather–i.e. til it’s real, real cold) only the following reasons are acceptable for not riding to work:

• I have a legitimate meeting to go to that I can’t ride to, or hitch a ride with someone else going to that same meeting.
• I am injured (insert requisite “poo-poo” for Annie).  Not sore knees or other various muscles, either.  Riding tends to help the pain in those cases and I know it.
• I’m [really] sick.  And if I’m too sick to be riding to work, I probably shouldn’t be going to work anyway.
• Bad weather.  Not it’s too hot or it might rain, but real bad weather.  Acceptable forms of bad weather include: thunder/lightning storms, hail, extreme wind and (if I’m still riding this late in the year) snow.

That said, it was hotter than hades this morning.  It’s hot here in the summer, that’s a given, but typically it’s not THAT HOT at 8 a.m.  Well, today on my ride (I even left early) it was THAT HOT.  But as I said last week, I did it anyway.  Not such a fan of arriving to work as a sweaty pig, though.  May need to start wearing different clothing and packing work clothes to change into.  Whatever I need to do to make sure I ride to work.  Because there’s no reason (except for the above bullets) that I shouldn’t be riding to work every day. 

My knee was hurting like hell this morning.  I’m not totally sure why, but for some reason, sometimes riding my bike aggravates my knee(s).  It may just be muscles that aren’t used to getting worked, I don’t really know. I’ve never had knee problems before so I’m not too concerned about it.  Normally though, I’d take the day off from riding to work.  Actually, even this morning, as I was getting ready for work, I was thinking about how I’d tweet about not riding to work.  But then I remembered what got me on my bike yesterday (oh how quickly we forget things) and decided to do it anyway.  I took the easiest, least-hilliest route, but I did it.  My knee still hurts, but I feel better, having ridden (in case you’re concerned though, I think it feels *a little* better after the fact.)  I’m glad I did it.  And thanks are in order for Jeff Moser and his blog (and the inspiring people who comment on it) for reminding me why I started doing it in the first place.

Biked to work today–first time on my bike since Thurs.  It felt good.  Not biking for three days = suck.

Hooray!  Brad and I both vowed to not drive at all yesterday, and we rode our bikes everywhere we went!  It was my first day riding to work.  Brad came with me and we make a mini piedibus and he dropped me off at work on his way to school. 

After work, he came to pick me up and we rode to Bicycle Warehouse to pick up the basket I ordered (running to go take a picture):

my adorable wicker basket

We then rode to Sushi Pier 2 for some all you can eat.  We then had to ride home.  Ouchies.

Oh, I almost forgot to gush about our fabulous ride on Tuesday night!  Monday was super nice, but Tuesday was a good, long, hill-ish ride.

We rode down to Wingfield Park and then to Idlewild (which, by the way, is my new favorite park) from there.  We then rode up Hunter Lake to Plumb and home again.  I may have just learned to weeks ago to ride again, but I am feeling really comfortable!

I rode again to work this morning.  This time, by myself.  I think I did pretty well!  Will probably skip tomorrow because it’s supposed to be cold, but I think I could definitely ride to work three or so times a week.  I’m loving it!

I guess that’s all for now.