Biking Update - July 25, 2009

A very good week for bike riding, but a very poor week for weight loss. Started off last weekend with a long ride along the Stratford Shoreline with CRChair. It was a gorgeous day after several days of rain, with blue skies and high clouds. Then, on Sunday, I did my first "real" ride from my home in Shelton, CT to church in Trumbull, CT. ("Real" because I actually attended church after riding down, then rode back home. Thanks to pastors for helping arrange a shower before services.) If you are from the midwest, a ride of about 8 miles each way might not seem like much. But that is with SIGNIFICANT hills every mile or so the whole way there, and long (but more gentle) uphills all the way back. Then, on Wednesday, we had a good ride up to Captains for Guys Night Out - which may be Bowhunter's last regular GNO with us, as he is moving in August and we are away on vacation next week. Sigh.

The weight-loss front was not good this week, however. After the Sunday ride, I spiked up almost back up to 210 lbs, and never got much farther down over the course of this week, despite eating almost perfectly. Not sure if the extra weight is muscle building (which would be good) or if my body is "off", but it was discouraging. Especially in light of the fact that this next week is a "free week" where I eat what I want, which means guaranteed weight-gain. Still, I am not in this for a sprint, but a marathon, and these setbacks will occur. As Bowhunter reminded me and Nick seconded, it can be dangerous to focus on a single number as a guide for your life. Weight gain is not always fat-gain, and you want to watch your overall health.

This next week will be one of vacation. I plan to ride the bike every day, but also eat pretty much what I want. Don't plan to gorge on sugar or anything, but I do plan to leave my worries behind for a bit. We'll see how it all goes, and I will keep weighing every day. Be watching Mod-Blog for photos of the trip!