4.3!

I gave my body a day of rest yesterday and enjoyed an awesome Fathers Day with Shawn and the kids and then today I got back to work. I made it 4.3 miles today! Every day is just a little bit better than the day before. Last week it seemed like making it to the park was a big milestone and 3 miles seemed really far. Now I can make it to the park and barely break a sweat and I realize that 3 miles was just a starting point.

One thing I did today that made my ride even better was to stop at the park and sit on a bench for a couple of minutes and just enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. I was starting to get really winded on my ride and was tempted to head home so instead I decided to stop for minute and catch my breath and I think I may just make that a regular part of my ride whether I need it or not. I sat on the bench and felt the sun and watched the geese in the pond and inhaled the smell of fresh cut grass and LOVED life for a few minutes. Like really super extra loved it.

This new bike riding hobby is as much for my mental health as it is for my physical health and taking time to sit and enjoy the moment was really nice. I got back on my bike and rode another mile and it felt awesome.

I listen to music while I ride and I've been gathering a collection of music for my ride. One song on my playlist is the Florence + The Machine song called Dog Days Are Over. To me it's about someone who is finally leaving a difficult past behind and finding happiness and that's what life feels like to me right now. Last year was a struggle for me and I feel like I'm finally pulling myself out of that and remembering what happy feels like and I like it. That song is significant to me on my ride. It makes me feel happy and pushes me to keep going just a little bit more when I think I'm done. I have the regular version and the Glee Version (which is slightly peppier) on my playlist so I usually hear it twice on my ride. I like it.

One of my other inspirational playlist songs is Happy by Natashia Bedingfield. It makes me...well, happy. :)

Getting out of the house every morning by myself and listening to happy music, feeling the sun on my face and getting my heart pumping for a little bit is doing wonders for me. It's only been a week, but I can already see how my morning bike ride is making a difference in my whole day. I'm happier, more focused and more energetic. It feels really really REALLY good. :)