Happy Monday, I hope your weekend was relaxing, fun, and fulfilling. I did the usual: work at the Library, grocery shop, and yoga on Saturday, relax, practice parallel parking, and did some blog work on Sunday. And now it's time again to start a new week. Time to Power our Mondays!
I am excited to say I will be able to start up my love of biking again. Lately I have only been able to "bike" during my 2 weekly HIIT cardio sessions and any miscellaneous spin classes I took. Not real biking. Well I went out on Friday and got a new bike. Nothing fancy but I had been using my mom's bike if I ever rode, so I needed one of my own.
I was not able to get any good pictures this weekend (it was raining and so great outside-picture-taking weather) so this one is just from Wal-Mart.com. But the bike is just a simple Mongoose mountain bike, but I am hoping it will be good. Right now I just want something for riding in parks and trails.
The last time I rode a real bike was June 15th at the Pedal For Preservation 2nd Annual Ride. It was my first bike official "ride" and I didn't train for it at all. I just continued my stationary bike cardio, nothing on the trails outside. But my dad and I signed up for the 14 mile route and would just take it as a fun experience.
(My Dad and I right at the start. *All Photos curtsy of PFP*.)
Well...I don't know if you could call it fun. Don't get me wrong I love riding but this was something else. First off, I was not very prepared for riding on gravel trails (The Colombian Trail) for that many miles all while having no idea how to set the gears correctly on the bike. Second, the ride was not 14 miles...well it was supposed to be but there were no mile markers and at any of the 2 rest stations we passed no one told us how far we had gone. There were other volunteers dispersed at random points along the trail when it opened up to a rode but they didn't inform us either. The map they gave us at the check in made the route seem like it was a circle and would loop back around, no turning around required. Well apparently we were supposed to turn around at some random point. But no one on the 14 mile ride knew when. So we ended up going 9.4ish miles and finally found a volunteer to ask what was going on. They told us we went to far and were now on route to do the 28 mile ride. There was no way I could make that. So I very angrily voiced my opinion of the planning and organization of this ride to the poor volunteer (I should have yelled at the volunteers who didn't do their job a few miles back!) and we turned around and began out trek back. In all we rode about 19 miles. I was not prepared, I was angry, tired, and starving at the turn around. I had only have some cereal and fruit that morning and left the almonds I brought in the car.
At the rest stations they had bagels and dirty apples....well that doesn't work for someone who is gluten-free. (O an at the end when you got back to base they had personal wood-fired pizzas...I was not happy...no gluten-free (allergy-friendly food) options and not a vegan thing in sight.) But this is all my fault I just did not prepare, and I always do so this was very un-me.
However we finally made it back (the only good thing in our favor was it was a nice day and was not too hot) and I just wanted to go home and eat and relax. I couldn't even walk right after I got off my bike. I was so worried how I would feel the next day. But surprise I felt fine and my legs weren't sore! I attribute that to my strength training, stretching, and healthy eating.
So will I be doing this ride again or would I recommend it. Well no I won't and wouldn't. No mile-markers, volunteers not doing their job, unorganized, and the trail was the same monotonous scenery (tree covered gray gravel trails) the whole time. Not a fun ride.
So anyway I am hoping now I will be able to actually get out their, get in trail rides and sign up for better events. I do love riding bikes, it is really the only outdoorsy fitness I like. I think I have come to peace with the fact that no matter what I say I really will not be running anytime soon. It just does not appeal to me. I am scared, don't have anywhere to run, and just hate cardio. But biking I like, it doesn't feel like cardio that's why to get in my cardio I choose the stationary bike or spin.
I am Powering my Monday knowing that later this week I will be able to rekindle my love for the bike! Not only will I be able to ride but my mom said she will start riding as well. I am so excited to be able to do a fitness activity with my mom. She will be starting slow but I think this could be a great thing!
So how will you Power you Monday?
Ever have a bad bike-event experience or have you been lucky with good ones?
What is you favorite form of cardio?
Leave a Reply