BRRRRRRRRRR!!

I rode the last 2 days in a row, but this morning was my coldest morning since last winter - 20F degrees!! I tried to ride with my normal cold weather gear, but it was barely enough and by the end my toes were quite frosty. I think below 30 requires additional layers from now on!!

Anyway, it was a great ride and I'm feeling quite good, so no complaints today. And, I'm still making progress on losing the November weight:

11/27: 203.5
12/1:  203.0 (I knew that 0.5 pounds would come in handy)
12/5:  202.0
12/7:  201.5
12/8: 201.0

Really! I'm not making those numbers up. I weigh on the same scale (it's a medical scale which seems very accurate), at the same time on days where I ride my bike in to work. I suspect I'll continue to see those results until I plateau at about 195 or 196 which is where I was prior to a lazy November. Once I get back to that, I'll have to either eat better or add more exercise to get any lower. But we'll see - just need to get through Christmas first.

Ride On !!

Well, I'm back on the bike regularly again. I rode twice last week and plan to ride 3 or more times a week for the rest of the year (except for Christmas week of course). I am still battling some physical ailments, but seem to be getting better. Frankly, it just feels good to exercise and be outside even if I'm not in tip top physical condition.

The bad news is that I once again proved that riding can be more expensive than driving. I lost my second safety light in about a month. They cost about $6 each and that's at least 2 round-trips to work. Ouch.

Finally, while I am taking it easy, I am trying to lose some of the weight I packed on in November while I wasn't exercising so much but eating enough for 3!! Here's my progress so far:

11/27: 203.5
12/1:  203.0 (I knew that 0.5 pounds would come in handy)
12/5:  202.0

Progress! Ride On

Well, this has been a slow month for riding unfortunately. Ok, prepare for a brief bitch session:

My shoulder has been bothering me for a few months now. First, I gave up swimming - thinking that was the problem. When that didn't help, I went for a cortosone shot. No luck. So I thought riding could be part of the problem. So, I took the first full week in November off. Still no luck. Well, one morning I woke up and my shoulder was killing me. I thought it could be that I am sleeping on it funny. So my wife and I switched sides of the bed (after 12 years of marriage, not an easy task!!) and after 2 days it actually felt much better. But the progress was short-lived.

I then rode to work once (#2) in the following week, but due to other issues and my attitude, that was the only ride that week. The following week was Thanksgiving week and we went on a week long vacation. During that time, my shoulder continued to feel worse instead of better. So now I'm going to take some more aggressive action - I just got an appointment with a chiropractor for tomorrow. I've never been to one, but I prefer alternatives to surgery and cortosone.

But that didn't stop me today for ride #3! Today was a beautiful ride, but I took it nice and easy - didn't watch the clock at all, just enjoyed! I'm planning on riding at least 3 days/week moving forward (except for Christmas week). Oh, and since I gained about 10 pounds in the last 3 weeks (I eat like a pig, so taking time off from exercising is BAD), I'm going to track my weight for all to see:

• current weight: 203.5 (I like to be precise!!)

Ride on!!

Oh boy. Riding home last night was my first "NIGHT" ride since last winter. It definitely takes a little getting used to.

No, not me. But I don't look dissimilar. I have white blinking lights on the front and red blinking on the back. I'm ordering a couple more because I saw a guy last year wearing several and it was impossible to miss him. In fact, while riding at night might be more unsettling, it's probably easier for cars to see you with the blinking lights.

Another twist to my ride last night was that traffic was backed up for a couple of miles. I was gliding slowly past cars on the shoulder when there was some, but I also went off road slightly when necessary. Not sure that was a good idea - especially in the dark where it's difficult to see what I'm getting into.  Also, the drivers are stressed due to the traffic and I don't need to piss anyone off.

Anyway, it was a good ride - Welcome to November!!

Ride on

Happy Halloween!!

 view from my office this morning

Well on the last day of the month, I scored my 12th ride of the month. Not bad - probably a record. November and December could be tough for matching that many rides with all of the holidays and such, but we'll see.

Today's ride was another smokin' fast ride!

Stats:

• 41:50 time
• 13.182 miles
• 18.9mph AVG
• 33.2mph MAX

Trick-or-Treat !