If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
See that picture? Doesn’t look like much, does it? Yet it represents a strong start on my path to physical fitness.
I picked up my bike from the shop on Friday afternoon. It took them longer to complete the overhaul than they’d anticipated. It was in bad shape. The two mechanics gave me a refresher course on basic bike maintenance. (Believe it or not, a decade ago, I did all my own bike repairs.) “You’re left shifter’s going out,” they told me, “But you may be able to get by for several months.”
I was eager to take my first ride of the year. The air was chilly, but the sun was out, so I pedaled up River Road to downtown Milwuakie. I stopped at the library and the comic book store (no, I didn’t buy anything), then rode home. To my surprise, I was able to make it up the hill without dismounting!!!!
The bike repairs were expensive — over $200 — but I feel they’re worth it. Except for the left shifter, it feels like a new machine. It’s quiet. It rides smoothly. It’s awesome.
On Saturday, I worked in the yard and didn’t get a chance to take a spin. Today, though, Kris asked me if I could go to Trader Joe’s to pick up some bread and some parmesan cheese. “Gladly,” I said.
This time I rode through Milwaukie, up toward Sellwood, over the three bridges path, and then up 39th to Trader Joe’s. I had to dismount once (climbing from the bike path to 38th — that’s a steep incline), but otherwise muscled through.
At Trader Joe’s I also picked up a Greek salad and some ginger limeade. On my ride home, I stopped at Sellwood park for lunch. I ate olives and feta cheese and onions and peppers and lettuce (no dressing — I don’t like dressing), rosemary bread, and limeade. Those who know me well understand that the fact that I chose to eat a salad is the most amazing part of this story. I never choose to eat salads.
As I was eating, the seagulls stood nearby and begged. They wanted my bread, but I didn’t share.
The ride home — in the glorious sun — was fantastic. Again I made it up the hill on River Road without dismounting.
All told, I biked just over 20 miles this weekend. I’m now 1% toward my goal for the year! That’s a fine start for the middle of February.
p.s. I weighed in at 199.5 this morning — my second time below 200 since January 1st. I keep hoping I won’t go back over, but I know that weight fluctuates. As long as the trend is downward, I’m happy.
Mac
11 responses so far ↓
1 DC // Feb 17, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Congrats!
As a cyclist, it makes me happy to see others getting into (or back into for you) cycling! It’s a fantastic sport–great community, a lot of fun, good for the environment, and hey, it even provides a bunch of health benefits as well!
Keep it up!!
2 Joe // Feb 17, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Great Job!!
Couldn’t agree more about the beautiful day today.
Took the kids to the playground over by Powell’s technical, ran a bunch of errands, did a bunch or yard work.
3 Lauren Muney // Feb 17, 2008 at 6:04 pm
YAY!!! … and soon you won’t dismount.
I was AMAZED at what the “commuter bikers” do everyday in Seattle. (No, I didn’t know that Seattle was that hilly… and WOW, it’s neat). If they can do those hills, you’ll be doing your riding well also - in Portland.
Yay as well to your downward spiral
4 Sally Parrott Ashbrook // Feb 17, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Go JD! Great job on the bike ride AND the salad. I find that the days I exercise, I am more likely to think about what I am eating and make healthy choices because I want to keep my track record going.
5 Pam // Feb 18, 2008 at 10:26 am
good job, JD. You know, biking is excellent cross-training for running (wink, wink)!
6 Joshua // Feb 18, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Oh, that glorious day that I reach 199.5(on my way to 190), I live in a constant state of anticipation. I obviously had to have at one time, but I actually do not remember the time in my life that I didn’t weigh more than 200 pounds.
Great job on getting back on the bike. I used to get so much exercise…now i need to get exercise.
Just another battle for the war I suppose.
7 Anca // Feb 18, 2008 at 2:59 pm
There’s no Contact page, so…
1. I thought you might be interested in this article: http://men.webmd.com/features/16-secrets-restaurant-industry-doesnt-want-you-know
2. Your http://www.getfitslowly.com/archives/ page doesn’t work.
8 Red // Feb 18, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Somebody is ALL MAN. Congrats on biking and getting under 200 lbs again.
9 Lynn // Feb 19, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Hey, J.D. I’m really enjoying your new blog. Weren’t the last couple of day just the best weekend in the Northwest? Good for the soul!
You might be interested in the latest strategy I’m using for my own nascent exercise program: http://www.takebackyourbrain.com/2008/my-exercise-ad-campaign/. So far it’s working better to motivate me than anything else I’ve tried.
10 Susan // Feb 20, 2008 at 6:24 am
Awesome! Sounds like a fun weekend! Congratulations on your progress!
11 brad // Feb 21, 2008 at 6:27 am
This morning as I was walking back home after accompanying my girlfriend to her bus stop (a pleasant 25 minutes roundtrip), I passed a bicyclist, a jogger, and a woman on her way to her outdoor aerobics class. Nothing unusual, except it was 0 degrees Fahrenheit this morning (-18 degrees Celsius). It made me realize how wimpy my excuses can be (it’s too cold, it’s snowing, it’s raining, etc.) to avoid outdoor exercise!
Leave a Comment