Little addictions and a little love

Having spent the summer biking my ass off (quite literally, I might add), I lost 20 pounds. But as the days get cooler, I realized that it won't be long before riding my bike will no longer be feasible. I know there are some hardcore riders out there who will ride in rain, snow, sleet and hale, but I am not one of those riders. When I was training for the MS ride, weather didn't stop me from training, but it was summer and it was warm. I know I am not disciplined enough to ride in the winter. I just don't like being cold. So, it's off to the gym because I'm doing the MS ride again next year and when I begin training again I do not want to have to start from zero.

There is something about the gym that is so boring I can't even stand it. No matter how loud the music is or how many TVs are scattered around, time always stands still. Today it wasn't very busy, which made for poor people watching, which made for a very long morning. I'm not hanging up my bike for the winter yet, just not going to be on it as often. When I do hang it up for the winter, I'm going to miss it.

Cycling has taken me by surprise. I didn't know how much it was going to affect my life when I first got my bike. I knew it would take up a lot of time, but I didn't know how much I'd actually crave riding. When I have a day off, I go for a ride. When I'm at work and I'm bored, I think about how I could be using this time to ride. Instead of shoes, my retail therapy has turned to bike gear. Two weeks ago, Jon and I met at a bar for a drink. Our conversation went right to riding and stayed there. We stayed at the bar for about a half hour and left to visit the local bike shop. Yeah, that might be lame, but I got a new cycle computer out of it.

I have a feeling the gym is not going to be as addictive as cycling.

Yes, that is me during the MS ride.

By the way …

When I wrote the post yesterday about taking one day a week for myself, I had no idea the response I was going to get. Honestly, I thought some people might be put off, thinking that I was a terrible parent for not being able to take care of my own children. Quite the opposite happened, all of your comments where unbelievably positive and you have no idea how wonderful that makes me feel. The part of blogging that I love is the sense of community I get from you. I love that you offer support when I'm feeling down and congratulations when I'm up. The comfort I get in knowing that I'm not alone in how I'm feeling is absolutely priceless.

And then there are days like today when my blog buddy, DC Urban Dad, gives some of his favorite blogs a little love. I am so honored to be one of those blogs. Thanks so much.