4,000 and none

i failed to report that two weeks ago, i rolled over 4,000 miles on my precious waterford bike. in just over 2 1/2 years, i rode the equivalent of a trip to the midwest and back. 4,000 miles sounds like a lot. but in truth, it’s not. not for someone who used to ride year-round despite inclement weather in chicago. not for someone who moved to california to explore new territories by way of two wheels. not for someone who doesn’t own a car or who avoids public transportation like the plague.

so what gives?

i’ve got zero excuses really.

actually, this past weekend’s ride could shed a bit of light on the subject:

1) i am no athlete. i’ve always wanted to be, naturally, but i never wanted to work at it. i kept hoping the occasional weekend ride over the summer would be enough to literally get me in better shape. but i lose fitness fast, and with the chillier temperatures, the riding isn’t as prolific.

2) the wind. believe it or not, there’s still wind here, and on sunday, it deterred naz and i from completing a 50-mile ride. though some would say doing half that is still pretty damn admirable, it’s the failed 25 miles that honestly hangs over my head. stupid wind.

3) careless and selfish riders. ten miles from home, still on the other side of the golden gate bridge, i had two roadies tailing me on an incline. did i mention the winds? did i mention no fitness? i basically was pulling these two bastards while trying to climb a hill and look over my shoulder for oncoming traffic so i could cross back over to the bridge’s bike path. oh yeah, and it started to rain. instances like these are clearly discouraging rather than motivating.

naz and i have been talking more about the reevaluation of our diets and exercise level. i think we’re on a better path now as we look to alternate activities and update our way of cooking. i hope to talk more about this in the new year, but to clarify, this decidedly is NOT a new year’s resolution. it’s more about altering a way of life to be continued as long as necessary, not till the end of february when clearly the resolution has failed.

07 December 2009