Friday, June 20, 2008

The Adventures of Pearl and Me,
or "The Hills Have Teeth"


I woke up this morning, had my cereal, then headed out for my first "real" ride with Pearl. I put in 6.93 miles by the time I got home. I have one of those nifty bike "computer" things, that keeps track of your time riding, miles per trip, lifetime Odometer, regular clock, average speed and current speed. Pretty nifty! :) Anyways, the map says it's 6.8 miles to my studio, so I put in the amount of miles, and boy was it a bit tough, and I have figured it will probably take me an hour to get to the studio, and an hour to get back. Granted, it will be good for weight loss, but it is a daunting prospect. But I will give it a go for awhile once I'm settled in, and see how it goes.

It occurred to me while riding though, that I can't fathom how I lived without gears as a child. I mean...small hills just about kill me now, WITH gears. But I can't recall having to stop and walk my bike up a hill much as a child, and I'm pretty sure we had hills. I was proud that I only had to walk part of one hill, I really tried to pedal it, but about 2/3 of the way up, my legs could NOT pedal anymore, and I started to fall over! Ha! So, I shuffled up the last 1/3 on foot, then got back on. (Now I'm wondering how many hills I will encounter on the way to the studio!)

I seriously hope that maybe as my fit level increases, and my weight decreases, that my speed will go up so it won't take so long to get to the studio. I have a bike that's made for comfort though, not so much for speed. I did slow down once in awhile to watch a duck, or a tiny bunny, so maybe that added a bit too? It really makes me realize how much we really need more bike routes! And the twin cities has one of the best, and could still use more.

It was a good test of my new bike too. If I had done the close to 7 miles on my previous bike, I'd be in serious pain right now, though on it, I probably would not have made it so many miles.

It's actually amazing how quickly the miles add up, just toodleing around the neighborhood. Makes me wonder how much gas that would have used in my car. :)

Plans for the rest of my day are to read some more of My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, get a shower, then laundry and toying with some ideas for a piece. My hands need some fiber in them! I may even have to cut into some of the faux batik pieces I did while I was at the quilt show in Kansas! And maybe dye a few yards of muslin yellow to mix with it..mmm..yes!

Are there any others out there considering switching to biking instead of driving when they can?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Stef i am so happy for you :)
Enjoy your camping trip :)

Eileen said...

Stephanie,
DH and DD each bought a bike. DD actually wants it for fitness but she said that when she knows she can make it, she'd consider riding to work. The only road I'd worry about her on is a local state road where the speed limit is 55mph and it's only one lane in each direction.
DH has been chalking up mileage like you-practicing to go to work. It's a little over 10 miles and he's up to about 8.5 now. He's hoping that by the middle of July he'll be riding when the weather permits.
I work out of my home so I don't need a bike right now. I just have to get my butt in gear(get it??)and start walking.