Biking Update - August 23, 2008

This was a strange week for weight loss. I started at a new low and ended at a new low, but they were only 0.4 pounds apart. So, while there was weight loss, I am not sure whether to call it "significant" or "within the margin of error." But either way, I prefer a small loss to a small gain. :-) And, as I have to keep saying to myself, "When you are looking for long-term weight loss, weight that is slow to melt off is slow to come back." Patience is a virtue because it is so incredibly hard. Or at least that is why it is a virtue that is praiseworthy.

Not a lot of biking this week. Saturday is our usual big day for riding, but instead this week we took Shadowmom down to the Galloping Hill Inn which is a hot dog stand in Union, NJ where our parents used to go on dates (back when it was called "Petersons" after the two brothers who founded it right after WW2). We met Ward, Muse, and Baby E there for a nice day together. Baby E is getting so big (I know, I know, it is required to say this about EVERY baby, even though all they do is "get big") and is far more ready to smile and interact now than when we saw her this summer. Ward and Muse looked great, and happier in their new home. It was a day without biking, but we did manage to get in several hours of walking around Target and Circuit City, and probably burned off several thousand calories trying to figure out the traffic patterns in Union! They say the brain burns more calories than you'd think.

The rest of the week was better for biking, although I got sick toward the end of the week which grounded me for a few days. I took my first long ride around the neighborhood this week. I had been kicking myself for driving to places to bike, since one of the reasons to bike is to save gas. So, I figured I could simply find some roads around the house. Unfortunately, Shelton, CT is a place of busy, winding, and illogical street layouts. So after 20 minutes of biking up hills, around blind turns, and alongside SUV drivers on their cell phones, I gave up and came home, mentally exhausted. I am sure it will improve as I get used to the streets - I have no sense of direction, do I need repetition to build knowledge of landmarks - but for this season, I think most of my biking will be "drive to bike" arrangements. It has been wonderful, though, to feel cool breezes for a change! Our ride home from Captains on Wednesday was downright chilly!

Tomorrow, we're hoping for a ride on the Trumbull Trail or along the beach in Stratford. Here is hoping it is the start of my feeling better, and the next jump-start for weight loss.