...more than 100 bike miles in 2012...

In FEBRUARY!!!!

2012-02-04T20:17:00.000-06:00

It has been super unseasonably warm and nice weather for so long this winter! I have wanted to get my bike out so many times and I just didn't, but today! That changed!! I got my bike down and rode the mile and back to church!!! I am very excited right now =) Yes, the tires were flat, but how in the world can you complain about almost 40* weather - no snow, no wind, no ice, nothing like that just SUNSHINE!!! The pavement was basically dry too. It felt so good to get the sun on my face, the cool air in my lungs, my heart racing and my legs moving! The way there was pure adrenaline but it was like mud on the way home. I don't recommend it. But I do recommend getting out there and BIKING!!! I wonder if this is the earliest I've put miles on during the year....

2011-09-13T07:24:00.000-06:00

Forgive me Father for it's been 3 months since my last...

Oh wait. Sorry. I am here to confess something but not like that.

In case you didn't figure it out already, it's been 3 months since I last recorded any physical activity. That's not saying I didn't DO any (hey, hiking in the Rocky Mountains counts!!) but I really didn't think it applied here.

That changed today.

I attended my first YMCA boot camp class.

Nay, I survived.

I plan to get out of bed two days a week at 5am and get my butt kicked. I'm trying to stay positive =) But it was really hard today!!! I said that I was so far out of shape that I don't have one! I felt pretty good when I got home, I was actually singing and stuff but now, 2 hours later, I'm ready to collapse. Send help.

No seriously, I need help folding laundry!!

Anyway - it might not happen right away but I also plan to add running or biking back into my weekly routine. The weather is so nice right now, 60s and cool, it's hard NOT to be outside! Which was the cool thing about this morning's class - it was outside!!! We got to do it all by beautiful Lake Michigan. Other people were struck by the fish smell but my lack of nose nerves meant I only got the pleasure of using my other senses.

I know I need to drink more water now. And get up off the chair. So, until next time...

After these messages...

2011-06-23T07:34:00.000-06:00

So I have had almost 2 weeks off. One due to vacation and another due to a rough patch. I think I have a few things straightened out now and I hope to be shuffling my way through the neighborhood again soon! I refuse to give up even if the rest of life is getting me down. So - down not out. Lots of other people have come back from stuff - if they can, I can! =)

Wouldn't want to be kept away...

2011-06-03T12:06:00.000-06:00

This is a very busy week and the weather is blustery and cool, so you can imagine that I've been making excuses! GRR - I hate that. But today, despite the ~20 mph winds, I wanted to get out there. 3.1 miles w/an added hill to the end. Yes the end. Despite being tired I pushed it almost all the way up. I do not know the elevation change (ha! like it was a mountain!) but if I knew how to find that out I would. I hope to add a few more hills before summer is over. Like I told a friend, I felt like I deserved the burrito filled w/mac and cheese, meat, beans and squash puree when I got home!!

A Memorial Ride

2011-05-30T14:11:00.000-06:00

We got home from the parade, ate an early lunch and set out for a quick ride. We took the long way...which turned out to be 8.4 miles!! It was really foggy and about 10* cooler down by the lake...we stopped to put on our long sleeve shirts and get a drink at the lookout point. And take a picture of course!

16 tons

2011-05-26T09:33:00.000-06:00

Since the weather is still in the late winter/early spring stage (yes, we are less than a week away from JUNE!), I couldn't bring myself to stand the elements today and decided that if I was going to get a run in, it would have to be at the Y. No sun on my face there. =( I wasn't looking forward to it, but lots of people have been so encouraging and I just had to go. I had to. My body cannot be at a state of rest any longer and I don't want it to forget what to do!! I set this goal for 2011 of running a 5K in under 30 minutes and I will not give up!!! So. "Treadmill." (I talked to it before I got there!) "I plan to chew you up and spit you out today! We are going to be doing 3 miles, even if I have to walk. You got that?!" (I'm not very nice to the treadmill, although I probably should be. I just wanted to be clear who was going to be boss today!)

I ran. I walked. I ran. I walked. I kept the speed up higher than usual, I sweat more than usual, and I tried not to obsess over the distance/time numbers.

Not only did I manage to do over 3 miles....BUT I BEAT MY LAST 5K TIME!!! Ok, it was only by about 30 seconds, but

I DID IT!!!

Yes, I am overly proud of myself, yes I am celebrating, yes I am bragging, yes I am still slow, yes I am going to go again tomorrow, yes I can, yes you can too!!!

I went 3.12 miles in 35 minutes and 7 seconds!!!

My total miles so far: 61.11

Out!

2011-05-23T09:10:00.000-06:00

I put 3 miles on today...it was so beautiful! T-shirt and shorts weather FINALLY and the wind to make me fly =) Actually since I've had such a long break, my body was really complaining. But I pushed on - had to walk more than usual, but hey, I was out of bed, kicking Monday's butt!

...a tiny bit of biking....

2011-05-23T07:20:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I had no keys for the car to drive to church and everyone else was gone! So I hopped on my bike =) It's only .9 miles but I'm adding it to this year's total!

For shame!

2011-05-17T11:21:00.000-06:00

I know, all 2 of you are wondering where I went for a week...or more...
Truth?
I haven't run since the 5K.
But today I was done feeling like a slug and went for a run. 2.5 miles outside - around the neighborhood. I was actually quite impressed that my body remembered what to do =) Felt so good to be out in the sun!! It was still pretty windy (gusts of 15-20mph per TWC, which seems like nothing compared to the 30mph winds we've been having!) but in the 50*s and SUNNY!! I felt the hot sun on my face, teasing me! At one point I was in between buildings, protected from the wind and I had a flashback to summer running in college. My body aches for that!! Well, my body just aches since I am so much older than in college, but I really can't wait for some summer running...
I am about to sign myself up for another 5K - in my college town =) Pretty much the same route I ran when I did my secret 5K back then. Along the lake...can't wait - it's 11 days away! Due to my (far too long) break from training, I don't expect to beat my previous race time. I'm ok w/that. The fact that I did one and now plan for a 2nd makes me feel like I kick butt anyway! I do plan to wear less clothing and I pray the weather will cooperate w/that - break out the shorts maybe? And no more 3 T-shirts...oh such plans! Looking forward to more...

...and on to the next...

2011-05-07T19:19:00.000-06:00

TODAY WAS THE 5K!!!

Just for the purposes of remembering, I am recording my time, slow as it was, but since I started this project, it has been helpful to have everything in the same place.

I ran 3.2 miles outside today in 35m24s!!!

So...if you know me, the following story will not surprise you.

Give you 3 guesses as to what I forgot today.

If you guessed shoes, you would be correct.

We were halfway there (it's an hour drive) when I remembered. No point in going back. I was wearing my regular tennis shoes, which were quite beat up and not sufficient. Plan B was enacted so the day would not be a total loss - buy new shoes! I know, I know, that's like the worst thing you can do on a race day!! Story of my life. But I am happy to report that the shoes were similar to the ones I left back at home and really didn't cause any noticeable problems. I tried to make them one of my excuses but it just wasn't meant to be!

I can't believe I did it. I can't believe I completed my goal. I knew I wasn't going to be fast, but I am pleased. I wasn't last! I did that once already!

The best part about today was that my husband and kids did the walk, my dad ran alongside me, our friends were also running/walking...it was such a blessing to have so many people there! I know it inspires me to be a part of something social like that.

Now to find another 5K run for my goal!

Say WHAT?!!!

2011-05-05T08:47:00.000-06:00

I just did the neighborhood loop - but this time I went around the 2 big blocks closest to my house, too. My thought was that I would add a quarter mile or so, putting me closer to 2.6 or something....so I just got back, I'm eating my breakfast of wanna-be-champions and I plugged my route into google maps.

Wait for it...

no really...wait for it.......

3.1 miles!!!

I'm not saying it was pretty, and I'm not saying I was all that fast, but I am saying that I almost completed a 5K in my own neighborhood! Say WHAT?! No finish line, no time clock, and nobody literally pushing me on. Yes I am super proud of myself and yes I am indeed bragging! (Pride goes before a fall, so let's just hope I don't fall on Saturday!) I am taking tomorrow off and then Saturday is the race. WOW.

Total training miles logged: 49.29

I know I did some before I began writing it down, so I am awarding myself a nice even 50. I can do that. =)

No more junk food!

2011-05-04T08:20:00.001-06:00

I couldn't help myself last night...it was a fund raiser and I ate too many desserts...blech! I felt it today! But I knocked off 2.76 at the Y. Getting antsy -- 3 more days!!

RIP apathy!

2011-05-03T08:52:00.000-06:00

Today I seriously struggled w/a sense of just not doing anything. (Imagine me whining to myself....) "It's a busy day and it takes too much time to get over to the Y and back...it's cold outside and cloudy!...I'm achy...I might need an inhaler and I don't have one...(sidenote - I really was having trouble breathing just sitting here)...I'm tired...etc..."

However!!

I really wanted to kick it into gear and not let myself down. I started this whole project to run a 5K, not to sit on the couch and whine.

I bundled up (it's 38*, but feels like 31* according to TWC online) and went outside. I ran/walked 2.4 miles around the neighborhood. I felt like a cold slug, but I did it! I refuse to be indifferent about whether or not I achieve my goals! If I had some better/warmer running gear I think I could convince myself to get outside more often...too bad there is no running gear fairy!

Post Script

2011-05-01T18:56:00.001-06:00

MY FIRST 5K IN OVER A DECADE IS IN SIX DAYS!!!

6 DAYS PEOPLE!!!

Gale and I don't mean Crystal!

2011-05-01T18:51:00.000-06:00

Well, the Y is no longer open on Sundays and I needed to get a run in! But there were gale force winds...not joking...up to 30 miles an hour!! ARGH - the sun was shining and if it weren't for the wind, it would have been a beautiful day...yes, I'm complaining! AT ANY RATE - I got out there and ran 2.4 miles in my neighborhood. Again, I went faster than usual despite the terrain, the pain and the wind! Maybe I take bigger strides when I'm outside?? Whatever...done. Put it in the books!

2011-04-29T08:19:00.001-06:00

2.91!!!

More on this later...

Well that was interesting...

2011-04-28T09:11:00.000-06:00

Many of the treadmills at the Y were out of order today. =( Grumpy face. I got on the elliptical, feeling annoyed but determined. After about 12 minutes my knees hurt and I felt a 'crick' in my ankle. However - I am proud to say I pushed through for a total of 20 minutes/1.24 miles. Suddenly a batch of 'mills were open and I switched. My feet and legs felt like lead!! What is up w/that?? Different muscle groups were used, maybe? Don't know. I spent 17 minutes running/walking 1.33 miles, making my total distance 2.57 miles for the day. Here's to hoping the 'mills are fixed by tomorrow!!

...don't look, don't look...

2011-04-26T09:05:00.000-06:00

I ROCK! Today I managed to run for 10 minutes straight!! This may not sound like a big deal to you, but it's a first for me. I felt so good that I didn't even look down at the timer on the treadmill. I will admit though that I was awfully pooped by the time I was done! I know that it's not like I can do a whole 5k yet (it's in 11 days!!!!) but I am pretty proud of myself for working up to this =) I completed 2.51 miles today for a total of 35.55 miles so far....

Surprise

2011-04-23T14:44:00.000-06:00

A weird health thing this last week so that is my excuse for not running much. 2.4 today. Back at it on Monday - regular routine!!

On family, freezing, foot fungus and finishing!

2011-04-18T10:26:00.002-06:00

First of all, we were visiting family this weekend which prompted a 3 day break from running. I'm not blaming the family, but I am sort of making an excuse.
Then - we were in the western part of the state and it snowed! We had to brush the van off! Almost 2 inches of snow had fallen fast!! It is super cold this week and they are predicting more snow, even here. That's not all - it's windy and FROSTY. On top of that - our water heater is officially dead. No, we still haven't gotten it fixed. So showers in this house are almost hypothermia inducing! I took a shower at the Y today but...
I forgot my flip flops.
Can you get foot fungus from the Y shower after going barefoot only one time?
Wait - don't tell me. I don't' think I want to know! We really need to get that thing fixed. The showers at the Y are plenty hot, so that's awesome but it's pretty inconvenient to haul all my stuff and then forget the flip flops. I could have come home today, but no amount of foot fungus could stop me from a hot shower!! I will not freeze, rather, I'll just fight the fungus!
Today I did 2.8 miles! This is the furthest I've gone to date. I'm not saying I was fast, nor am I saying I ran the whole 2.8, but I can tell my body is becoming accustomed to this routine! A 5K is 3.2 miles and I am still not up to that...but regardless of how far I've gone or not gone, I plan to FINISH this 5K. And I don't plan to make it my last, so I won't be finished w/them yet!
(Total so far: 32.64! It's like I ran ten 5Ks, right? Never mind that it was over what, 5 weeks?)

Dragging the pizza behind me

2011-04-14T09:41:00.000-06:00

UGH - had pizza for dinner and leftovers for lunch the other day. I felt like junk today! Too many white flour carbs and dairy! BLECH - isn't it crazy how something you used to crave like a junkie can suddenly taste so gross?! I refuse to eat it again, despite there still being 4 pieces left in the fridge. I was so sluggish on my run today and I want to blame the pizza. I also think I didn't get enough sleep. However, I pulled off 2.65 miles. I should have pushed myself a bit more but I chickened out. Next week?

Begin-orphins

2011-04-12T15:24:00.000-06:00

I did 2.64 miles today! It's a beautiful day but I felt cold and went to the Y anyway. I ran for more than half the time I was on the 'mill!! I was pretty proud of myself - and I decided not to call them endorphins b/c when I feel them I feel alive, like I'm just beginning to do something, like I'm ready for anything!

Just another mill-ic Monday

2011-04-11T10:23:00.000-06:00

2.25 miles today. Grand total being 24.55 miles so far...

The first BIKE MILES of 2011!!!!

2011-04-09T14:23:00.000-06:00

WAHOO!!! And the biking year begins =) 1.8 miles to church and back for practice. I had the wind at my back on the way there and the biking euphoria began! On the way home, however, the ride was into the wind. Not quite so euphoric! My legs kept screaming, "This is not a treadmill! There's no place like home, there's no place like home!" We're not in Kansas anymore Dorothy...welcome to outdoor workouts!

Friday...feeling good...

2011-04-09T14:20:00.001-06:00

2.4 miles on the treadmill...

Oh YES I did!!

2011-04-07T19:09:00.000-06:00

I ran outside for the first time today!!! It was nice =) Cold, but nice! I felt like I ran less than I usually do, ran slower and just generally more sluggishly. HOWEVER - I managed to make better time than I've been doing on the treadmill! My friend Liz ~~shamed me~~ encouraged me to get outside by posting a friendly comment on my face.book wall and I am so glad she did!! While running outside, I realized that on the treadmill I really don't even think. I did a lot of that today, though! =) I made up a list in my head about the good and bad things about both treadmill and outside running. (I am a compulsive list maker, if you didn't already know that, well, you do now.) So this may seem lame, but I am posting the list...(by the way, I did 2.3 miles. Less than usual, but it was OUTSIDE!!!)

Treadmill

Boring
Joining the masses as I stare at mechanized screens and machines
Can control my speed and time easily
Water easily accessible
Get to look at the lake out the Y window afterwards! (The best part)
Other equipment available, if I choose to use it
Takes longer to get there, get going and then get home
Atmosphere is full of peppy people interested in staying fit (mostly)
Running surface is smooth, predictable, can control the incline

Running Outside!

Lots of excitement!
On my own – only passing cars see me
Using the mp3 player clock to tell time and Google Maps to pre-plan a distance
Don’t get a drink until I get home
Get to see things like red-winged blackbirds, robins and even ducks literally in my path! Not to mention looking into people’s windows (hey, don’t leave your curtains open!) and seeing their décor…so many other interesting sights…
I have other equipment at home – ball, mat, rubber stretchy thingys, usually I use them
Shorter time gone from home since I run around my neighborhood (hopefully no one sees me!)
Atmosphere can be cold (I had to dress like a hobo today! See last bullet point…), surface can be uneven and unpredictable, and traffic can be annoying…or it could be warm, sunny and exhilarating!

I didn't quit.

2011-04-05T09:08:00.001-06:00

I did 2.5 today. Total so far = 17.6 miles. Day off tomorrow!!!

Back to back 'mills

2011-04-05T07:19:00.002-06:00

I did 2.75 yesterday and I am headed out again today. Will I be as efficient on the treadmill today? I've never done 2 days in a row!

My dogs are dogged.

2011-03-29T17:04:00.001-06:00

Tired. Added 2.3 miles today.

2 shorts

2011-03-28T07:27:00.002-06:00

I did a short one yesterday to break back into my routine after a week off...only 2.2 miles! But it felt good...

Jealous

2011-03-17T07:15:00.000-06:00

I saw a guy leaving the Y yesterday for a run outside and I was jealous. It was still a little too cold for me though. Today it's cloudy and cool. Maybe in a week or 2?
I added 2.75 miles today, bringing my total up to 7.85. I told the young people in the running group that they were all motivating me. I 'chase' them by checking their stats =)

Treadmills are boring

2011-03-15T07:49:00.003-06:00

Despite that fact, I added 2.6 miles to the running total.

Still not bike season.

2011-03-11T20:37:00.000-06:00

It's still not bike season, but I'm attempting to keep up w/some young un's and run 250 miles by fall...and I need a place to keep track of it. I am too old and embarrassed to post my tally on their face.book page! So I'm putting it here...sorry to bore you w/something other than bike stuff...I promise I will still bike this summer though!

3/10/11 - 2.5 miles run/walk intervals...

To the bone...

2011-01-09T08:18:00.000-06:00

This woman is hard core!!! She rode her bike (while in labor) to the hospital!!! For those of you that are making excuses for yourself before you even click over, I just want to point out that she is also 41 years old....yeah...so when I figured she was a fresh faced 22 year old, I was wrong!! WOW - I am hanging onto this for inspiration!

Fun w/the family

2010-09-28T19:01:00.000-06:00

Well...we all went 2.4 miles =) But it was really hard. I'm really out of shape!!! In my defense...there were hills...are you buying it?

Finally - the grocery ride!

2010-08-30T21:02:00.001-06:00

Our new grocery store has opened a month ago and I finally got to ride over there! We all went, actually. I pulled Fabi in the trailer while Dave had Mo on the tag-along bike. On the way home I had Fabi and the groceries -phew- I worked hard in the wind! Not that it was far...only 1.2 miles, but it's something!

No Nutchies?

2010-08-24T08:23:00.002-06:00

Today 5 of us rode 1.6 miles to Big Lots to get some extra nutchies. Dave and Moses rode solo. I pulled Fabi and Ray in the trailer. (Yes, I work harder than everyone else at everything I do...! =)!) We were planning to just pick up some extra nutchies for Ray b/c they keep getting lost. They didn't have any. =( By that time it was too late to ride anywhere else. I guess in retrospect we should have just gone to the grocery store, which is even closer, b/c they always have them, but it was nice to get a little longer ride in. Either way, it didn't stop us from coming home w/other stuff!

Riders helping others to ride

2010-07-16T09:02:00.003-06:00

A local newspaper had this article about a program that gets bikes into the hands of those who may not be able to afford one...SWEET! If you live in the area and know of someone who could benefit, please pass the info on =)

Well, I guess I don't have a bike addiction...

2010-06-29T08:50:00.001-06:00

It's been over a month since my last ride. =(

The lazy rider rides again!

2010-06-29T08:46:00.002-06:00

I could make all sorts of excuses as to why I haven't ridden...but I won't. Today's ride was 3.7 miles. The weather was 65*ish, w/a strong breeze. Started out cloudy but turned to sun. Felt like a spring ride rather than summer! At least we didn't get rained on! I had Moses and Fabi in the trailer. They weren't the happiest about squeezing their almost-5 and almost-3 year old bodies in there, but there was no way I was going to hitch the trailer to a ride-along. Besides, I'm not sure if that's even possible! Oh well! Soon I pray Mo will be able to ride on his own and then I'll only have one kid to pull!

And all the night's magic seems to whisper and hush...

2010-05-18T18:16:00.002-06:00

It was a marvelous night for a bike ride!! We took the long way to church so it turned out to be 2.2 miles. I pulled Fabi in the trailer on the way there and both kids on the way home. I wore jeans and a sweatshirt which was fine, but when I got home...peeled off the sweatshirt. The weather is getting warmer and by the end of the week we may hit 80*!! WOOHOO!!

Finally some nice weather!

2010-05-16T18:26:00.003-06:00

Rode slowly to church today...Mo was on his bike while while I pulled Fabi in the trailer. Amazingly he made it all the way there! =) He also made it all the way home!!! On the way home, Dave was w/us, so I could actually go for a real ride. Adding 1.8 miles today...

Bike Olympics!

2010-05-16T07:13:00.002-06:00

Let's Go Ride a Bike has posted about bike summer games, a sort of olympics, if you will...I'm in! How about you?

I feel the need for speed!

2010-05-04T19:21:00.002-06:00

We rode to a fundraiser today, as a family. Well, I should say that Mo rode his big wheel, Dave pulled Fabi in the trailer and I rode too. It was 1.6 miles but Mo rode so slow...at the end I sped up and did a few fast laps around the block. I won't count them b/c I think it would be annoying to try and figure it out. I'm hoping next week there will be a few more rides...

BINDY!!

2010-04-26T20:33:00.002-06:00

I rode my bike to the bike shop =) It was 'bindy' as our girl Bean says! So I added 1.8 miles to my total and I will soon have new baskets, toe clips and a mirror on my bike! Can you say 'upgrade'? I am itching to ride more often and it's not that I need to spend money on my bike to actually motivate me, but all that stuff will help. I was putting groceries behind the kids in the Burley - they complained of milk jugs and such digging into their backs =( Now I will have 2 large fabric baskets on the sides of my rear wheel to go with my front wire basket. The mirror will help so I don't need to twist my body to see behind me while pulling kids in a trailer. The toe clips are not necessary but will make me feel more comfortable. One of the other moms in the neighborhood has ridden her bike to drop off her daughter at Mo's school for the past 2 days and I am so jealous! All the wind has discouraged me but maybe soon I will join her!

The 5 seater bike picture

2010-04-19T20:01:00.004-06:00

I know I mentioned this bike from when we were on vacation and I'm just now getting around to going through the pictures...So here it is! It was a pretty cool design and of course Dave thought one could make a similar bike at home...notice I said 'one' could! Dave's handy but I think something like that would require welding. He recently built a wooden scooter for Mo, which is more his level. (More on that over at the other blog...) Anyway - if we have the chance we'll do something like this again =) It seems not everyone would say the same. As we crossed a bridge over a small lake, we encountered a family on an 8 seater bike. One of the teen daughters said they weren't so lucky! When they crossed the bridge, something must have happened b/c the pedal had broken off! They seemed to be contemplating if the bike was still going to work...on further review, the post where the pedal was located was also bent, rendering the bike un-driveable. We were so glad that didn't happen to us!

Inaugural Ride

2010-04-19T16:09:00.002-06:00

My cousin just bought a new bike, so of course that meant we needed to break it in right away! We rode from my house to a nearby park and did the loop twice. Calculating the mileage proved difficult b/c I have no idea how long the loop is. I did manage to find some cross country skiing maps for the park and used those to closely estimate...and the grand total is 6 miles! It was a chilly day - almost 50*, but it was windy and according to the Weather Channel website that meant a wind chill of -10, so yeah...it was cool. I took a pic - you can see from my scarf how I ride! Bundling up doesn't bother me...much...=)!

We hope to get out on our bikes together more often!

Vacation biking!

2010-03-31T15:15:00.003-06:00

Today we rented a 5 seater bike =) We put on 5.1 miles tooling around Carolina Beach! I will post a pic later, but I was so excited to do some REAL biking outside!

Bikers in the mist

2010-03-13T09:18:00.002-06:00

6.5 + 2 = 8.5 stationary bike miles. It has been souper (pun intended!) foggy here for the past week and raining and I just can't wait to bike outside!!!!! Next week we may see the sun and 50+* temps...emphasis on MAY....b/c that's probably when it will really happen...

The imaginary ride

2010-03-10T13:58:00.002-06:00

I have decided that stationary bike miles count. Thus far I have racked up 6.5, all w/a resistance of 4 or more. Yesterday I did 2 miles, and even though it's not the same as riding outside, that was pretty good for me! I am hoping that by the time the weather gets nicer I will be up to 5 miles! I guess that's all the bike news I have for now...

2010 - starts w/a question...

2010-01-24T14:45:00.002-06:00

Once again, I/we begin this year aiming for 100 (or more!) miles logged on our bike(s)! I'm excited for this year...maybe it's just the January thaw we are having but I feel like I'm really going to take this challenge seriously this time. The other day I was at the gym and all those New Year's resolution people were there, which meant very few of the cardio machines were available. I saw an open bike, and I thought, "You know what? I do a bunch of biking outside, and I really do want to focus on that this summer, so why not? Why not hop on one of the stationary bikes?" I did 2 miles on that thing and it wasn't as bad as I thought! Mostly I closed my eyes and listened to my music, pretending I was somewhere else. But as I wiped the machine down, I wondered if those miles would count for my yearly goal? What's your vote? Should they count? Or is it lame, since they were on the stationary bike? I will tell you that I had the resistance set at 5 the whole time, don't know if that helps. I didn't choose a program or whatever, but I may do that next time, b/c then it simulates hills and whatnot. No matter what you/I decide, I think I will still log the miles here...

A ride cut short!!!

2009-09-22T14:45:00.002-06:00

Today we rode to church and then a doctor appt. We were joking in the office about making it rain by washing your car, or hanging wash...We went to the pharmacy and I saw it was POURING!! I tried to call my hubby but it was lunch hour. I called a friend w/kids, knowing she'd have a mini-van and she gave us a ride. It took 2 trips to get the Burley trailer and the bike home! I was so grateful! I was prepared w/a windbreaker and hood, but I thought there was only a chance of sprinkles! I wasn't really prepared to ride in a downpour, and being that one of the kids is sick, it didn't seem fair to drag them into it, even if it was in the trailer. Still - we did 2.6 miles before that! So I haven't completely fallen off the bike wagon....

A strong triangle

2009-09-16T08:25:00.002-06:00

I am so out of shape. What's new? Today I chose to let DW take the van, which means I am biking the kids to and from Mo's school. Four times. Four times 2.1 miles. Doing the math...that's 8.4 miles! BUT! It is Wednesday and according to my other blog that means I need a workout. Mission accomplished!

Fabi's first bike ride!

2009-09-16T08:21:00.002-06:00

Oh what a wild summer it's been! I could go on and on about that but this is the bike blog. Our foster daughter Fabi got to come on her first ride in the Burley trailer! She had to share the space w/Mo, which wasn't the original plan, but it was probably safer for him anyway. We rode to the mall - Google maps was unable to give me good directions to the actual store we parked outside of so I am calling it a mile. It said 1.3miles to the offices. After looking at the map, I think it was pretty close to the actual store. At any rate, it was almost 80* (in Sept!!) and it was a beautiful ride!

Not to the store!

2009-07-16T20:19:00.002-06:00

I rode to church today and to the garden boxes. I cut cilantro and we ate it! So far we've eaten spinach, lettuce and peas too. Not too exciting but I did answer the cell phone while I rode...don't worry mom, it was safe b/c I was in a driveway for an office that was closed! That was weird. I rarely ride one handed anymore and I never learned to ride w/no hands...

FINALLY FIFTY!

2009-07-06T11:25:00.003-06:00

Today we kicked into high gear and rode to a 'new-to-us' grocery store 2.4 miles away. On the way home, we stopped by DW's school and rode home w/him. The ride home was into a stiff wind (aren't they all?) so I was glad Mo wanted Daddy to pull him =) All together we did 5.1 miles - phew - but it feels good!

and then some

2009-07-03T14:54:00.002-06:00

Today I went running w/my friend Tracy. I think we did over a mile. Then I biked the 1.8 miles to her house to check on the garden...it was a jungle!! But I cut spinach and lettuce...on my ride home I put it in the basket. Did I mention I have a basket now? It's pretty big and every time I get on my bike, I feel like I'm in the movie Wizard of Oz. That and I hear Pink Floyd music! It's funny, but somehow it makes me ride faster/harder. Ok, a little faster. I'm a little miffed that June is over and I only have barely 50 miles, so if you see me driving around town you have my permission to ask me where my bike is and use your foot to gently kick my behind.

Ride to the garden

2009-06-29T17:09:00.001-06:00

We took a quick ride to the garden...1.8 miles. It's been so hot and finally it seems to have settled into good biking weather - breezy and 70* =)

The hot weather is here!!

2009-06-20T21:04:00.003-06:00

Tonight I rode to the video rental place, church, and home again w/Mo in the trailer. It was HOT - finally! - so I remembered to bring a change of clothes for church. Usually I need a sweater during the service due to the air and fans blowing but not today! I was pretty flushed and warm through the whole service. How is everyone else doing? Bike season is here! I hesitate to set a goal for the week, especially since I'm not working outside of the house. But - 8 miles a week? If I ride 2 miles a day for at least 4 days a week, that shouldn't be a problem. However, if you haven't noticed, I'm rather undisciplined! Well anyway, I said it. 8 miles a week into the fall. 200 miles, here I come!!

Beautiful night for a ride!

2009-06-13T19:46:00.002-06:00

Finally!!! The weather has been beyond gorgeous today! 65* or so and sunny, a light breeze...we rode to church and added another 1.8 miles. I already had the boys hooked up to my bike and we were running late as usual, so I got the added benefit of some resistance =) I feel so out of shape, but I can tell I'm not nearly as sore after a ride as I used to be...hope that continues to be the case w/more warm weather in the forecast!

Errands in less than summer weather

2009-06-11T15:46:00.002-06:00

I am tired of putting off doing the errands on the bike due to inclement weather! I guess the only way to fix that is to move, but anyway, we did 4.6 miles of errands. We made it over to the garden plots (more on that later over at the other blog...) too that made me feel 'green'-ish. It looks like next week may get into the 70s so I hope to do some more riding...that and now that our new computer has arrived I plan to post more!

To church for a Stretch Your Food Dollar Workshop

2009-05-17T17:07:00.001-06:00

Came back into a stiff wind. Not fun. But I felt like Ah-nold as I managed to push through!

Getting ready for BWTWW

2009-05-16T20:18:00.001-06:00

Think you're ready for Bike(/Walk) to Work Week? Take a quick quiz!

Quiet ride!

2009-05-12T12:01:00.002-06:00

Maybe the boys are getting used to our rides - hope so! - b/c today no one argued or cried! I only heard one question, "Where are we?" It was a good day to ride for fun =) 2.8 miles...

Early bird gets a cold bike ride

2009-05-02T19:56:00.002-06:00

Got up early today and did 2.4 miles - by myself! That's the beauty of getting up early, I guess. The boys were awake but didn't care to go, which meant I could go trailer-free! So much easier! I also did the 1.8 miles back and forth to church. It seems the weather may be getting nicer on a regular basis...but then again, I think I say that every week!

Biking back home...

2009-04-12T20:39:00.002-06:00

We took the bikes back home and managed to squeeze in a ride while my parents watched the boys. (They were supposed to be sleeping, but mostly they were just resting!) We took a lot of bike trails and paths that are not on Google maps....according to DW's odometer we went over 7 miles!! He claims that the odometer can't possibly be correct b/c during set-up it asked for tire size and his tires are in between 2 of the choices...when I attempted to put our route (close as possible) into Google maps, it said it was almost 6 miles. So I'm going to say we rode 6.5 miles. That may not be accurate, but it's the best I can do. Anyway - my glutes are telling me it may have been more like 9 or 10 miles!! Tomorrow will be interesting...but hey, all I have to do is walk to the phone to call a maid service, right? HAHAHA - just kidding, Mom. Anyway - this year I am definitely getting a jump on the miles! Hope you are dusting off your bike and planning some rides...

No rest for the weary (legs)

2009-04-09T18:24:00.001-06:00

Today we did a 2.4 mile joy ride (Ha! Is it joy when there's over 55 lbs of boy in the trailer?!) and I biked the 1.8 miles to church for a meeting, all w/in a 3 hour time span! I'm working my way up to 5 miles a day...

Legs taking the day off!

2009-04-07T20:34:00.003-06:00

So...DW and I decided to bike to go vote. We added 1.4 miles!!! That means I biked 3.4 miles in one day! And yeah, I think my legs will most likely secede from the rest of me tomorrow...

I don't think we're in Kansas anymore...

2009-04-07T11:16:00.002-06:00

Current temp is 40*, windchill 33*, wind is 21 mph from the NW. BUT! Who cares?? I loaded the boys into the trailer and went for a 2 mile bike ride before lunch! My legs complained A LOT but as the old saying goes, "No pain, no gain"! The best part of the ride was that I was midway up a hill (ok, I admit it was small, but it was soooo windy!!!) and I heard the most beautiful sound! I love those creatures and they really inspire me, so yeah, I pushed even harder and made it up the hill w/o my dairy air ever leaving the saddle =) GO ME!!!

Wait - I wasn't supposed to feel it until tomorrow!

2009-04-04T14:50:00.002-06:00

So I rode to church and back for a drama meeting...2.2 miles. Add that to the 1.2 that I did this morning and I put on 3.4 miles today! I am already feeling it. Good thing tomorrow is a lazy day. But I guess w/the snow coming I will get an upper body workout shoveling!

Get out while you can!

2009-04-04T11:09:00.002-06:00

Saturday April 4, 2009 at noon. Current temp - 47*, wind - 3 mph from the East with gusts up to 11 mph. Miles biked to the grocery store for burgers and back - 1.2. Getting at least one short ride in before the snow tomorrow - priceless!!!

The first ride of the year!

2009-02-10T15:14:00.002-06:00

I can't believe that today was nice enough for a ride!! There were some really strange circumstances around the ride today and you can head on over to the other blog for the whole story, but as a teaser I'll tell you the ride wasn't planned and it wasn't even on my own bike! I rode 1.1 miles by myself today...it was HARD. Lots of wind. I am sooooo out of shape!! But I am claiming a victory b/c we're not even 6 weeks into 2009 and I've already got a jump on logging miles! It's not even riding season! Dave rode his bike to work today too...I should really get him logging his miles on here...I just edited the blog title a little. I'm not really sure if I want to come right out and make our goal 150 or 200....or just leave it as 'more than' last year...At this rate, I hope we can get to 200! I think everyone should log their miles and come back here to brag about it! Hopefully this post will motivate you guys! Get outside today =)

I'm still here!

2008-11-01T18:43:00.002-06:00

HI - wow I thought I was busy back then...in case you didn't know, my mom had a bad bike accident on Sept 10. BAD. She had 2 brain surgeries...long story. Check the other blog if you want to know more. That being said, there's more than enough reason why I haven't written in this blog lately. It seems that my mom will be able to come home next week - you wouldn't believe it if I told you. That someone could suffer severe traumatic brain injuries and nearly 2 months later be walking and functioning almost back to normal...the docs don't even believe it! Ok, the reason I started to write this actually was the fact that I biked 2 miles to church and back today. It's been a long time!! I had Mo and our foster son in the bike trailer and it was the first time for that too. HOO AH!! 55+ lbs...I'm sore and I know I will be more sore tomorrow, but I'm a glutton for punishment and I think we're going to ride over there again tomorrow!! We'll see...the weather has been holding out so far, but I don't think we'll have much more of this. Sounds like rain and pretty cold temps are coming our way. They've mentioned the S word a few times but I haven't seen evidence of it! Hope you're all keeping track of your miles...I'll be back soon!

Mo rides the 1.5 miles himself!

2008-09-08T12:33:00.002-06:00

We went to a friend's house and back last night. Moses really wanted to ride his own bike. We thought it would be fine, but Dave hooked the empty trailer to his bike just in case...I almost couldn't believe it - Mo did great! He rode the whole way there and back! He had 2 minor spills but wanted to get back on again =) Tough guy! We also practiced asking mom and dad about crossing streets. I'm so proud of him! He loves to ride his own bike w/us and makes up all these bike songs...Maybe next summer we can track his miles separately.

WOW

2008-09-05T13:13:00.001-06:00

We need less than 12 miles to hit our original goal of 100 miles!! I can't believe it...I was getting a little discouraged back there and I'm glad I realized this just now. =)!

Out for a ride

2008-09-05T13:09:00.002-06:00

Today Mo and I biked to the dr's office, but then took a long way home, just b/c. I felt like letting out a little steam and he was content in the trailer. My legs burned a bit at the end but it was only 3.3 miles! I almost wanted to keep going but it was lunch time. Now that the weather is a little cooler (and Dave's back in school!) we'll probably try to do more errands that way. He desperately wants to ride his own bike so someday when we have more time and I have more patience maybe we'll try that...

Block by block

2008-09-02T18:27:00.002-06:00

Last night and tonight we all went on our own bikes around 2 different blocks. Moses is getting pretty fast on his bike and he doesn't even get off at the corners anymore! It was still slow going for us adults and we doubled back a bunch (I felt like a shriner on a bike!) but we are only adding 1.8 miles for these adventures. I thought of taking my bike to get the veggie box today but due to 80+* weather and time constraints, I didn't. I'm glad I didn't in the end because there were 4 melons to bring home not to mention LOTS of zukes and beans!! Maybe next week it will be cooler and I'll have more ambition!!

The outlaws ride again!

2008-08-29T19:28:00.002-06:00

Just in time for Harley's 105th, we rode 2.2 miles tonight on the tandem. Dave's ankle is not entirely healed but he got the ok to 'wean' off the boot. It felt sooooo good to be back on the bike! It sounded like it was comfortable for Dave, so I'm hoping we can do it again soon. How's everyone else doing?

Reading rather than biking

2008-08-06T13:48:00.002-06:00

Here's a few things I have been reading...some stuff inspires me in more ways than one! The summer's not over yet, so I am not giving up completely. I guess I consider myself on hiatus. I could go off riding by myself, but it's not the same. Dave gets his cast off in 10 days so we'll see if he can get back in the saddle before summer is over =)

Broken

2008-07-14T15:19:00.002-06:00

Dave's leg is broken. He had surgery. Check out the other blog for details. But today I'm talking about broken plans. We planned to do some biking together this summer. We were looking forward to putting Mo in the trailer and riding off into the sunset. Our home state has so many cool trails...so now that won't be happening. I'm feeling a little discouraged our summer totals. I'm not riding as much as I wanted. These past few weeks, I've just been riding to school and no where else. If we want to run errands as a family, it means taking the van. Otherwise it's boring to go by myself. Dave wants to get out of the house too so I just fire up the fuel-inefficent bohemoth and away we go! (I'm just kidding about the van, it gets pretty good gas mileage and my family from other towns tell me we have pretty cheap gas. It's not as big as Dave's brother's van either, but I just get cranky when we could be biking instead of driving!) So the point is, I need some encouragement. Tell me I'm making a difference even if it's small etc...yadda yadda...but tell me I should keep doing it!

Back in the crooked saddle again

2008-07-01T12:40:00.005-06:00

My ride started out bad today. I fell off the bike in my own driveway. I was barely on it! Every day I ride to summer school in a skirt and I have yet to have problems. It wasn't the skirt. It was the shoes. My kickstand is loose, apparently, and was sticking out. It got caught between my flip-flop sandal (not the cheap kind, but that's the best description!) and my heel on the first revolution of the pedals. In attempting to shake the kickstand loose, I dumped the bike. Landed on the same knee and wrist as last time. Sighed. Got up, kicked the stand back into place, got back in the saddle and coasted down the driveway. Something wasn't right. The seat was crooked. Not having time to fix it, I just rode on. I discovered at the end of class that I don't have the muscle to fix it and just rode home w/a crooked seat. Sigh. Then I get here, update the total for June and find it's only half of what May was! Not feeling it today. Well, there's other things that are affecting my attitude. You can read about other family injuries at the other blog. Let's hope July is better! Heck, let's just hope tomorrow is better! I'm too old for bike injuries!

In my own state!

2008-06-29T05:31:00.001-06:00

There are some bike share programs - I just heard about the one in Green Bay and I've known about the one in Madison for a while. I really think it would be cool to get one in our town. The thing about the one in Madison is that it really works for the huge student population. I'm not sure GB has a group of people like that who will be able to use/support it on a regular basis, but I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes for them. I guess I think GB is sort of similar to my town, so that's why I'm watching it a little closer than the Madison program. Do you have a program like this near you?

Calculate Cash Saved

2008-06-25T13:31:00.004-06:00

I just added a new calculator to the sidebar. Thanks to commutebybike.com! According to the calculator I am saving approx $2.37 a week by biking to summer school! Don't laugh...I purposefully picked that school so I could bike there quickly. I'm lazy, late and I like sleep! That $9 a month or whatever will probably go in my ice cream fund. How much are you saving? What will you spend the extra cash on?

2 days of summer school

2008-06-24T14:49:00.002-06:00

I've biked these 2 days. Today I took a different route home b/c I didn't like being on the semi route. It's fine in the morning b/c no one else is on the road, but the new route home (.4 miles longer) was better. I don't know the weather forecast for the rest of the week, but if I do the 2.8 miles for all of the 5 days of school, that's 14 miles/wk. That might not sound like much to you, but for someone who's not too active, that's a pretty big deal. Yes, proud of myself again. Just shake your head. I hope to find some more bike inspiration soon...

Zzzzzz

2008-06-21T19:31:00.002-06:00

No I haven't been taking a long nap. We didn't take our bikes on vacation. It was better that way. We had the camper and visited a bunch of family, so there really wasn't much time for biking. This week we are babysitting 2 of our friends' kids, so now that there's 3 kids under 3 in our house, we aren't exactly biking off into the sunset. We could probably put the 2 big kids in the trailer, but the baby? I don't know what we'll do when we have more kids. I guess I hope some of them will be old enough to ride their own bikes! Since we want 12, that's gonna be a lot of bikes! Anyway, I'm rambling. Not sure if there will be many miles added this week. I'll have to make up for it...

Dodging puddles

2008-06-13T18:14:00.001-06:00

Two miles to church and back on the tandem =) It's finally sunny out w/humidity to choke a horse. Not fond of that but we'll take it if it means it's not raining!

Rain Rain Go Away

2008-06-11T14:49:00.003-06:00

We haven't been in the saddle much due to a lot of rain. And cold. Right now it's 48*! I just feel like complaining about it. I'm thinking of all the camping trips this summer and hoping we can take our bikes. Dave thinks it would be cool to take the tandem and attach the bike trailer to it - huh? Won't that mean more work for him?? Especially on the hills! We'll see. Do you take your bikes on trips?

Rectangle, rhombus, trapezoid...

2008-06-10T13:45:00.002-06:00

I'm out of shape. I don't know which one, but I'd love to be in at least one! I haven't biked for what, a week or more? Today I called a friend and asked to meet at a park just so I would have a reason to go somewhere!! Last week was so busy and we haven't been shopping much. That's good I guess, but then I really need to come up w/stuff for us to do away from the house. At any rate, I added 2.1 miles today. I took a different route home, hoping it would up our numbers but it only added .2 miles. I guess I'm just not that creative! Next time we'll go for a jaunt around the city =)

Safety vs. shortest route?

2008-06-02T20:30:00.002-06:00

First of all, we added 2.2 miles today. We went over to the mall area. It's not that far, but the shortest route involves some very busy streets. Also, being the mall, the entrance area is busy. What really bugs me though, is that at least half the way there (not consecutively!), there is no sidewalk. So you go a ways, get into the street, get back on the sidewalk, cross an on ramp, sidewalk under the highway, cross an off ramp, sidewalk, and them before the entrance, no sidewalk. What's even worse is the fact that there are 3 street signs and a telephone pole. That's not all! I mean you could get off and walk your bike around the posts, but it's a rather steep incline. So if it was just me, I could probably handle it, but you've heard that I already flipped the bike and trailer, right? Yeah. So do I go out into the busy road, as cars attempt to enter the mall area? Or do I brave the incline and muscle my way around the posts? Is there any area where you struggle w/that conflict of safety and short route? The other, safer, route goes pretty far out of the way and involves a hill. I keep meaning to survey some other 'biking friends' but I forget. So what's your opinion?

Slightly off the wagon...

2008-05-30T13:17:00.002-06:00

So we have fallen slightly off the wagon due to the holiday, the weather and busyness. Yesterday we added 4 miles to the total. I feel really bad that we haven't done more biking! But the good news is that the weather seems to be looking good for this week! Hopefully I can convince Dave to do some errands on the bike w/me tomorrow. It will be good to be in town this weekend! How are you all doing? Gas prices aren't getting any better, are they??

A bicycle built for 2!

2008-05-25T19:30:00.003-06:00

Sweet ride...

Tracy took our picture! Mo had gotten out already but how do we look? I think I can officially consider myself a bicycle enthusiast b/c I frequently catch myself walking around like this...

Nice, right?
More about our tandem ride on the other blog!

Tandem!

2008-05-25T16:38:00.003-06:00

We're going to Tracy's house on the tandem bike, pulling Mo in the trailer. We'll see how it goes! There will most likely be photos to come...but add 1.8 miles...

How do we calculate bike path distances?

2008-05-25T07:02:00.002-06:00

We put another approx. 3.6 miles on the other day doing errands. I say approx. b/c Google maps ignores my request to travel on bike paths! Grr...any suggestions would be helpful. Dave says I need to get an odometer - is that what it's called? I feel like I wouldn't trust it. And how much does that cost anyway? This quest to use the bike was to save money! We're hoping to ride to church this morning, we'll see...

WIPEOUT

2008-05-19T09:08:00.002-06:00

Yeah, we dumped. We rode w/Dave to school today. It was really easy on the way there b/c I didn't have the trailer =) On the way home, however...I was cutting the corner of a gas station and I forgot the trailer was wider than me. The trailer tipped and then so did I! ~~Luckily~~ Intelligently, we were both wearing helmets and Mo was fine on the side. He just yelled at me! "HEY!" I was wearing mittens b/c it's still so cold at 7am, so that saved my hands from getting scraped. I have a pinky-nail sized chunk of skin missing from my left knee but that appears to be the only damage. What doesn't appear is the sore knees! That and I'm guessing I'll have some great bruises tomorrow! Oh well...all together we rode 6.8 miles. I think that number is a little off b/c we cut through a park that doesn't exit on google maps, but it's the best I can do. Someone said I should try using google earth instead but I'm not much of a map person and since I finally feel like I know what I'm doing on one program, I really don't want to try another! Well, how is everyone else doing? Keeping track of your miles? Finding new routes to avoid hills? I know our ride this morning could have been shorter, but we have some pretty big hills around the river! Hope you've been enjoying your time outside!

We're not this hard core!

2008-05-18T12:35:00.002-06:00

But we sometimes wish we could be. Meet the Car Free family! I didn't read it all, but I know they do some biking and bus riding. They've got older kids too so I think it's easier for them to all navigate around town on their own. We were going to ride bikes to church today but it looked like rain. It didn't actually rain, but it still looks like rain so I'm glad we didn't. Summer still hasn't come around to our corner of the US - shoot, spring is barely here! So for now we use that as an excuse. Deal with it!

Seven pounds of underwear!

2008-05-17T18:46:00.002-06:00

Ok, I know this article is about more than that, but that is the phrase I walked away with! Actually, if you are a woman and you bike, you'll find this interesting...How the Bicycle Emancipated Women.

My butt fell off...

2008-05-17T12:26:00.002-06:00

...which is not necessarily a bad thing! We did 7.2 miles today!!! We rode to our church annex to pick up some free bread for the family of one of Dave's students. We rode to the students' house. We rode to the church that hosts winter farmers' market. It didn't feel like winter =)! We ate a muffin by the lake and rode home. It was wonderfully sunny and warm, but the wind is still brisk. Made for a good day to do errands on the bike! Is our total over 20 miles yet?? May is almost over. If we log 20+ miles for May, and 20 miles for each month until the end of October, that means we will reach 120 miles!! Yeah, I'm getting ahead of myself...Well, our ride today reminded me that we should look into some saddle bags or maybe a rack online. Since we have the trailer (usually) we can put stuff in there, but w/a kid in there it only holds so much! Any thoughts/suggestions?

Are there more of you out there?

2008-05-16T16:20:00.002-06:00

Friend recommended I add a link to this article...the guy is not going to use any gas for a month. I can't say we've given up gas for the summer, but I hope we are putting a dent in the amount we are using! Let me know if you find any other articles like this out there. Misery loves company right? No we're not miserable on the bike, but gas prices are!

Bike home from foster care meeting

2008-05-16T14:21:00.003-06:00

It was 2.2 miles. My head lamp was out and I was on a relatively busy street, but it was amazingly still dusk-y at 8:30pm. Makes me excited for summer and those long sunny days!!

Sunny and cool

2008-05-15T14:39:00.002-06:00

I did 1.9 mi to church and back. I went to a funeral for a 6 year old boy at our church. The ride home was sunny and cool...I guess I was glad I was on my bike. I just listened to the sounds of the neighborhood and prayed for the family. It felt good to be on my bike. If I was in the car I probably would have zoned out or turned on the radio. I hope to ride my bike to the last foster care class tonight. I missed one when we were taking the classes last session so for me it's a make-up class. You can read more about our foster care journey in the other blog...