I'm a biker! :)

I'm taking time out from my favorite things post to post about a personal victory.

A few years ago Shawn got two free mountain bikes from work as part of an incentive program. We were super excited that we finally had nice bikes and couldn't wait to go out and ride them.

And then we didn't. We had a hundred excuses of course, and eventually we kind of forgot about the bikes in the garage and they've been in there collecting dust ever since.

But this is our year of adventure and our year of no more excuses, so I was determined to get the bikes out of the garage. Now that Josh is home for the summer and can watch Clariss for short times during the day, I decided that I would start taking a bike ride every morning by myself. I need the exercise, the fresh air and the alone time.

I was super gung-ho and determined. The first day that Josh was home for the summer I hurried out to the garage in the morning and grabbed my bike. After wiping off the cobwebs and dust I hopped on it and started my ride.

I made it two houses down the street and the back tire blew and I had to carry my bike home. Awesome.

My determination cooled just a little after that, lol. I put my bike back in the garage, decided to worry about the tire another day and went back in the house.

But fortunately I have a sweet husband who doesn't let me give up and he got the bike out, fixed the tire, adjusted then brakes and last night I tried the bike out again. And then I remembered how much FUN bike riding is! When I was a kid I practically lived on my bike. I rode it for miles every day. Getting back on a bike yesterday and riding up and down the street made me feel like a kid again. I loved it!

So this morning I set out on another bike ride. I didn't make it super far, but I did do a good cruise around the neighborhood. I discovered three things right away. First off, I have asthma (well, that's not new information, I've had it since I was a kid) and exercise tends to trigger it and I forgot my inhaler. I discovered that I have to be careful and bring my inhaler. I don't want to kill myself on my bike ride. Second, I discovered that I hate the seat on my bike. My butt hurt about five minutes into the ride. I ordered a new bike seat and I think it will make my behind happier. :) Third, I discovered muscles that I forgot I had. I'm not in super great shape. I thought I was going to hop on my bike and ride for miles. Nope. I discovered that I'm going to have to work up to a long ride! For now I'm just taking short rides through the neighborhood and every day I'll go a little farther.

One of my biggest motivations is that they just opened up a gigantic 60 acre park near my house. They have been working on that park for years and I have been waiting super impatiently for it to open. It finally opened last week and it is AMAZING!! There are trees and ponds and flowers and most importantly, really great bike paths. The back of the park opens through the neighborhood right behind me, so it's a fairly short ride through the neighborhood streets to get over there. I think one of my neighbors said that to ride to it, through it and home from it is a little over three miles total. That's a perfect morning bike ride.

So that's what I'm working up to. Three miles a day is a lot for someone who hasn't been on a bike for years, but I'm going to start slow and work up to it. Shawn wants to do it with me, so I think I might start taking a short ride by myself in the morning and a longer ride with him in the evenings. And of course we'll be getting the kids in on it too. We're getting Matthew a new bike because his old one is too small and we're figuring out what to do with Clarissa (we have a bike trailer that should work) and then we'll be doing family bike rides as well.

So that's my excitement for today! I'm really happy about this new found hobby. It will be good for our whole family and so much fun!