Feeling the Burn

Today was a pretty standard morning ride-it was a bit chilly compared to the past couple days. I did a full ride plus the bridge today which was nice-the last two times I have ventured across the bridge I took a short cut through town. This added about 15 minutes to my ride which left my husband wondering where I was for a bit! I tried a different route to get to the bottom of the bridge this morning and I don't think I liked it at all! There is a really tight turn that goes directly into a steep hill which led to me walking my bike up the hill. I hate having to walk my bike! Anyway I went across the bottom of the bridge and then decided that I should take the top back to make it easier for me to get back on my normal route. Climbing that first hill to get to the upper level really made me feel the burn! I shifted down two gears but wasn't making as much progress as I would like so I stopped shifting and just powered through. I was huffing and puffing a bit by the time I reached the top but then it was smooth sailing! I am really glad that I choose to challenge myself this morning. It really made me feel energized!

A few other things on the agenda for the day-I would like to get back to counting points for weight watchers so that I can get a better handle on what I am eating again. This is and always will be my biggest challenge! I love food too darn much but I want to get fit and be healthy even more so I am determined to get back on track.
Today I will also be starting my Couch to 5k program which I am actually quite excited about! They have tot time at the gym from 9-11 so I plan to do my Couch to 5k and then take a swim to cool down without having to worry about what to do with my boys. I am hoping to have the time to write a second post later solely focused on running and why I want to be able to do it so badly! A friend may be joining me at the gym today which would be a nice change of pace. I often see people biking or walking together on my morning ride and I think about how nice it would be to have a buddy :o)

Forgotten

It seems like it has been forever since my last 5:30 am ride so it felt great to get back to it this morning. Last night I eagerly prepared myself for the ride-setting out my clothes, asking myself (and my husband) questions (How light is it at 5:30? How chilly is it? Do I need a sweatshirt? etc.), making sure everything was just right, and setting my alarm (I actually forgot that last thing until I went to bed so I had to get out a flashlight to set it oops!).
My alarm went off without fail at 5:30 but it did not actually wake me until 5:35-I must have needed those last 5 minutes! I quickly got ready and headed out the door. It was chilly but not too bad, the sun was just coming up, I could smell the summer flowers in the air-IT WAS WONDERFUL! I had forgotten all about so many of the things that I loved about my morning rides and also about some of the little hiccups. Here is a review of what was forgotten:

• Sunglasses-they may not be needed for the ride down to the park but they are needed for the ride home!
• The peacefulness-I had forgotten how calming and wonderful the early morning it.
• The sprinklers-I was able to bob and weave around them without getting hit with more than a mist.
• The beauty-the colors of the sky, the birds, the splashing fish-everything was so refreshing.
• Water bottle-it seems the need for hydration just completely slipped my mind!

I also made some realizations about a few other things:

• I still don't like the hills but I don't hate them near as much as I remember hating them last year.
• I love this just as much as I did last summer.
• I am now pretty positive that I have an ear infection.

Okay-that last realization kind of sucks but the other two are pretty good. I would really like to be able to extend my ride so that one of these mornings I can ride across the bridge as I have not yet walked or ridden across it. I didn't want to try it today because Matt and I decided that we would walk across together tonight-Happy Anniversary Babe!
All in all, I would say that I am thrilled to get back to riding and back working toward my fitness goals. I started a new 7 day challenge for Just Dance yesterday and this time I am determined to complete it! I think it is time for an apple and some Belvita so that's all for this morning!

Determination

Yesterday, as expected, was a difficult food day.  I didn't help the situation much when I indulged in some mac and cheese, cookies, and a pack of the kid's fruit snacks.  After knowing that I had too many points I spent most of the day thinking it would be bad if I didn't get to go for a ride at all...the more I thought about it, the more I realized it would be a good idea to take my bike along with me.  I would not have to miss two days worth of rides if I did!  Also, I have a minivan so there wasn't really an excuse there-it is super easy to flip down seats and get it loaded up.  So, that is exactly what I did.  I loaded my bike, even though my husband looked at me as if I were slightly (or possibly a lot) crazy, and felt great about my decision. 
Last night I got to use my new lights and they work nicely.  I finally had a chance to go for a ride at 9:50pm so I went for it.  Scotland has a very well lit highway that runs through town so that seemed like a nice place to ride.  I rode 50 blocks last night-three "laps" up and down the highway.  I also challenged myself to the large hill once last night.  It was a doozie so I only went up the once!  I felt a lot better after my ride and didn't feel quite so bad about my pizza consumption.
I got up a little before 6:30 this morning to ride again.  It was beautiful out.  A nice cool breeze and much more peaceful than last night!  I got some waves from older people sitting on the porch having coffee, and I enjoyed getting a look at some of the cool older houses in Scotland.  Overall, I feel great that I was able to keep riding and thus keep my streak alive! 25 days of not missing a ride!  I am determined to keep it alive!