Riding not writing.

I know, I know. It's been like a month. Meh.

I've been busy finishing up my employment consulting with the NC Dept of Commerce, getting my new career counseling business off the ground and preparing for my new 9-5 gig as a Human Services Specialist with Orange County (which started today). Whew!

HOWEVER, Rick and I have gone riding around town the past few weekends and I am SUPER PLEASED that he has managed to get up to about 6 miles (as of the last bike ride) and isn't totally freaking out about going out on public streets. Sunday mornings are absolutely perfect, we've discovered. He actually woke ME up at 7am yesterday to go riding!

My new job has me going in at 8:30 and it's much closer than my last job, so morning rides might be feasible again. Now if I can just find my bike light...

Us looking awesome:

-L-

Trike Life

So, almost a week ago, Lena tried to kill me.  It was only my third time out on my new (to me) Terra Trike Rover, and she talked me into going "on an adventure."

Little did I know that this "adventure" would involve hills, 4-lane roads, a brief trip through the ghetto and a white-knuckle 30mph downhill.  In all, it was a great little trip, and I was really happy that I was able to (albeit slowly) make my way into the downtown area.

It started with a trip to the end of our neighborhood to 54, which luckily didn't have much traffic at that hour on a Sunday morning.  This was a slow uphill and there's no sidewalk, so I was silently praying that motorists would see us.  In hindsight, it probably didn't take very long but it was an eternity at the time.

She then led us down the side-street next to the "B Mart" which is a sketchy convenience store.  She stopped to get gas there once and said that there were "a billion toothless crackheads" inside, so I wasn't too thrilled about going into this section of town.  It was still early, though, so it seemed pretty safe.  After that came the hills.  I'm way out of shape and totally not ready to do these hills on a regular basis, but I'm glad that she made me do it so that I know what I am capable of.  Here's a picture she took from the top of a series of hills.  This was definitely the most difficult part of the trip.

My main focus right now is riding for an extended period of time on smaller hills to build up my endurance.  For my hard work, I was rewarded with a brief ride around the court square in downtown Graham.  I never thought that I'd be capable of making it there on my third trip out.

The trip home was pretty uneventful until we turned onto Townbranch Rd.  I didn't realize how steep the downhill section is, and I began really building up speed.  It's a good thing that my trike has disc brakes!  Lena's bike computer was showing 26mph and I was pulling away from her, but I don't know how fast I was actually going.  I was trying to brake evenly so I didn't flip over but hard enough that I'd be able to safely turn back into our neighborhood.  It was a wild ride, for sure!

Overall I'm really happy with the Terra Trike so far and look forward to more fun rides.  It's so much more comfortable than a conventional bike.  Although I didn't have it for Lena's "adventure," I've got the Map My Ride app back on my phone now and it's encouraging to see so many calories burned from 30-40 minutes rides.  I'm feeling very optimistic about it and find myself wanting to ride more and more.  Now if we can just get the weather to cooperate!

Bike MS: Tour to Tanglewood

Good evening, y'all.

Quickie update: I have decided to take my riding to the next level by doing a biking fundraiser for the National MS Society on September 28th. As many of you know, someone near and dear to me has MS and I really want to do this for her. Please consider supporting my cause if you feel moved to.

The link to my page is here. 
If you don't want support me financially that's okay, I'll still take all the moral support I can get!

Cheers,

Lena

Schooled

Goooooood Morning!

Rick went on another bike ride with me on Thursday morning and we had a nice time weaving around parts of the trail and taking laps around the parking lot of the local park. I was so proud that he came out with me that early!

This morning I woke him up around 7:15 and said we were trying something new.
 <Panic>NEW?!</Panic>
 I led him over to Graham High School, which backs up to the road behind our house. We rode around the deserted parking areas, through to the front of the school and took advantage of the sidewalks on the street that runs in front of the high school and adjoining elementary school. Not one single car passed by and it was really nice not to worry about traffic. On the way home, we navigated through the center courtyard and covered breezeways, which was really neat. I feel like when we're actually going somewhere and exploring new things, it definitely keeps the riding interesting. High hopes for 3+ rides next week!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

-L-

Beautiful Day

Good Morning!

I have a day off today (thanks to the lovely State of North Carolina, who has decided to cut hours of temp workers) and I am feeling awesome. I woke up around 6am (stupid internal clock) to news of the arrival of Rick and I's new nephew, Tyson, born in Clearwater Florida around 4am this morning.

After I chatted on the phone with all of our family, I went on a good power ride, more of a sprint than a marathon, but boy did it get my blood flowing! I did a lot of thinking about life and how blessed our family has been, even when things get hard. I have never thought I would be a morning person, but being outside in the fresh air just as the sun is coming up is one of the best things ever.

When I got home I made Rick and I smoothies for breakfast before he had to head off to work. He's still a bit sore from Sunday, but I am hoping to convince him to ride tomorrow!

This morning's smoothie: Chunky Monkey.  
1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
1 cup almond milk
1 banana
2 tbsp peanut butter
30 seconds in the blender.
Deeeeelish.

I wish I could teleport one to my sister in-law. She probably could use one of these after all her work bringing baby Tyson into the world last night!



Cheers,
L

Look who's back!

Hi Friends & Fam,

It's been a while since I've posted and I fully admit I have been a total slacker with the bike riding. Going back to work full time really has worn me out and I was keeping up some ymca shifts, too so my time really has seemed to get away from me. I also was overwhelmed with a sense of guilt and fear about continuing my riding regimen solo and further widening the gap between my activity level and Rick's. The whole point of starting this whole adventure was so that we could have something to do together.

So, Rick has still been recovering from his February leg injury (although we still think something is not quite right) and he's been talking more about how he would try riding again if only he had a Terra Trike. We looked at them several months ago but decided that they were too expensive of an investment without knowing whether it would be a good match for him. He had not ridden again since the cemetery attempt back in April and I have been wanting so so so badly to get back to our bike riding, so I started looking on Craigslist for one. I found an ad for a used trike in Greenville, SC last week so I contacted the bike owner and asked if she'd hold it for a few days. Yesterday, at 5am, we set out on a long car tip to the small town of Traveler's Rest, SC to meet Andrea & Stan on the Swamp Rabbit Trail to check out the trike.

We met A&S at a cool local restaurant overlooking the trail that was converted from an old hardware store. They were the NICEST PEOPLE EVER and Stan was a total bike pro. They showed Rick how to use the bike and let him take it on the trail for a test drive. I brought my bike along too, so I could ride with him. He was totally in love. Until we had to get it in the car. The frustration and disappointment began to build quickly as we realized we did not know how or even have the tools to get it apart so it would fit in Rick's little Ford focus. Luckily, A&S plus another couple they were with came to our rescue. They thew the bike in their suburban and escorted us a few miles into town to TTR Bikes, a popular bike shop (right on another section of the Swamp Rabbit) that they knew could help us out. At TTR, they actually fitted Rick to his new bike so that the pedals and seat were at the proper length for his body and provided instructions on how to break it down and re-assemble it. They got it small enough to fit in the car for the trip home and we were so relieved! Everyone there was so nice and supportive. Andrea was so happy that Rick was getting her old bike and I got her email address so we could keep in touch with them. We grabbed some lunch at yet another awesome local spot, Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery,  because it was right beside TTR Bikes. Rick tried some San Pellegrino Limonata for the first time and has a new favorite drink. Also, their homemade Oatberry Shortbread bars were to die for! After that, we headed back home. We were totally wiped out when we got back and proceeded to take some long naps.

This morning we went for our first real ride. The weather was PERFECT here. We took a loop around the neighborhood and also rode around the park. It was no easy task, but Rick totally kicked butt riding his new bike. He looked great sporting his new green bike shirt, too :) I was so proud of him and I am really looking forward to more rides together in the coming week. I also hope that we'll be able to make another trip to Greenville/Traveler's Rest to do a nice weekend ride on the Swamp Rabbit. Maybe in the fall. It was a very lovely place and I'd be so excited to go back there.

And now, some pics:

 

 Bonus Video!!!

It's been a while...

I hate that I have not updated in so long.

I started a new job on April 1st, which totally cramped my bike riding style and has since been sucking up most of my energy. I went to take a ride on the 7th with RICK! (remember that guy?) and when we got to Rick's bike ride spot of choice, Pine Hill Cemetery, we found that my rear tire was totally flat. I threw a small tantrum. I think the nature trail may have been a bad idea. I was so disappointed, especially since he was finally ready to try riding again. Rick replaced my tire while I went to work that day and we tried again when I got done. Rick took a few laps, but his knee really wasn't ready for another bike ride. It was a cool spot though, and I think we'll try it again. I went another week without riding because of weather, fatigue, laundry... everything. And then I decided that the only time I really have to commit to it during the week would be in the mornings. So Rick and I went out and bought a sweet bike light set (mine is silver and white). I also got a new bike computer because I was oh so tired of MapMyRide and it's lack of ability to save/upload things. I love it because it does a bunch of different things, including keeping up with my total mileage, real-time speed, distance, etc. I took a great 5:30am ride yesterday morning and LOVED it. Many more early rides to come! My plan is to do at least 3 min rides in the mornings during the week (5 mi/30 min) and then do longer rides on the weekends at different places. I am itching to go ride on the American Tobacco Trail!

Free Air Tires

It was a chilly one today, but I set out on another bike adventure, not knowing where I would feel like going or how long I would feel like riding. I forgot to check my air pressure before leaving the house and did not get too far before I really started to feel like my back tire was low. Luckily, there's a Tienda de Llantas Usadas (used tire place) on every street corner in Graham and my Español  is decent enough to ask for air boost. This one place has a sign that Rick and I always make fun of because it says "Free Air Tires".  The tres amigos that worked at the place I stopped were more than happy assist me (maybe too happy?). Everything seemed fine after that.  Anywho, I ended up going a new way around the perimeter of our town (and crossed a bridge that goes over I40/85- trippy!). I rode by my mom's house but she was out. At Kohl's. Shocker. From her house to home was downhill at first, but turned into total torture when I got on Hwy54/Harden St and had to ride uphill forever. I pushed through it though, and was so happy when I saw the Greenway Park sign for my neighborhood. I almost collapsed in the driveway, and would have had no qualms about doing so, but the mailman was on our street and I did not want him to find me laying there and freak out. I laid on the porch with my dog instead. It was then that I finally decided to whip out the ole phone and see how I did. I was so freaking excited when I saw 9.63 miles (634 calories!) on my screen.

You do not even know.

Today's Ride

 Oh and guess what I found Old Navy?!

A BICYCLE SCARF! (which I wore on my ride)

-L-

sticks & stones

A day late and in a few words...

I went out for a  ride yesterday and realized it was much colder than I anticipated, so I decided to stay close to home. I did laps around the park behind our house yesterday afternoon, and on several of them I decided to take a detour into the woods and test my bike on the nature trail. There were a lot of ruts in the trail caused by water, some soft spots, several hills, a bunch of rocks and a few logs. I worried that it might have been a bad idea, but I found that with effective control over my brakes and gear shifter, I was able to  navigate well. I even did okay going around an older woman and her to loose dogs who were back there. I was satisfied with my ride after about 4.5 miles... it's not ALWAYS about the distance, sometimes it's about the workout itself, and I knew it had been a good one by the way my thighs were burning!

I have realized lately that one of my favorite pre-ride fuel foods is oatmeal with a little bit of honey or brown sugar and fresh fruit. I love it with blueberries and nectarines! I also love a couple of scrambled eggs afterward for the protein. I have realized that biking really makes me more conscious of what I put in my body.

Hello again! Went for another ride today. 6.6 Miles! WhoopWhoop!

One of my favorite things about living in a small town is riding by homes and businesses of people I know. It gives me a sense of security and a sense of belonging. Between members I know from the YMCA and people I attend church with at Pine Ridge, I swear I could stop to visit someone on every block. I really need to get some kind of bike bag (<--look how neat that is!) or basket. Sometimes I want to stop and by things from local shops on my way, just for fun and to feel like I am doing something. Maybe I can figure out how to sew one myself.

Here's a lovely house in the older part of town house that I passed on my ride yesterday and today:

Oh, and here was my lovely bike attire for today:

Rick update: leg is healing much faster now that he has been putting it up really high in the evenings and putting more ice on it. Swelling is definitely not so dramatic and the bruising has started to fade. Many plans to be back on the bike by Sunday!

Also, huge hugs for Caroline and Gregg over at togetherwehike! They are totally kicking ass up there in the mountains! They have some really awesome pics on their blog so far.


~L~

wow

Today it is AMAZING out.
Currently 68 degrees!!
I set off on my bike knowing that the neighborhood wasn't going to cut it today. I CAREFULLY made my way into downtown Graham and once there I rode mostly on the sidewalks. It was quite safe. Main street was a great straight ride, pretty flat. The sidewalk was a bit uneven at times and navigating the mini up-and-down ramps where the sidewalk intersected with side streets was new, but not really difficult. Everything was fine since I'm on a mountain bike instead of a road bike. The hardest part was making tight right angle turns on the corners of blocks. There really isn't enough room to ride the curve, so I had to stop and reposition my bike once or twice. Still worth it. I was having such a good time that I went a full five miles before I even bothered to check my tracker. I was still outside my neighborhood, so I knew I had a bit more to go yet. I took some extra streets to stretch out the ride further and was really proud to see that I had gone just shy of 6 miles when I pulled in the driveway!!

 I am definitely doing that route again soon.
 I can't wait for Rick to get better so he can come!

 MapMyRide Stats:

-L-

personal best

First let me say, I realize the past few posts have seemed more about me (Lena) than "us", but I feel like the reason I'm sticking with it despite Rick's injury IS for us. I have to keep going in order to keep the morale up... in order to stay inspired. Rick's leg is looking pretty ugly, but hopefully that means it's healing. He still can't stand to have anything touch it. Totally sucks. I am praying that he can get back on his bike in the coming week. At least the weather is improving slightly, which should make starting again more pleasant.

Today's victory was me going FIVE miles! and that was in addition to a 2 mile walk with the dogs earlier in the day. I am feeling really good and I am trying to continue eating healthier, too... and I've been taking vitamins!

amazing adventures

HUGE shout-out this morning to our friends Gregg and Caroline Oakley who are on their way to Georgia today to begin their five-month trek on the ENTIRE Appalachian Trail! What an amazing opportunity! They are going to try and keep their new blog updated as they go and can be followed on blogger as togetherwehike! Rick and I hope to meet up with them and maybe hike a bit when they get up to the NC area.

My well-wishes for them:

~ L ~

teenage drivers= fail

Yesterday evening I went out for a 2.5 mile ride in the neighborhood instead of the golf course. I did some investigating as well as sending Rick to scout out the location and we determined that we can't really ride there when they're open :( We're going to try and sneak in rides early in the morning once things warm up a bit... or maybe we'll invest in some bright headlights and go for night rides :)

Interesting event during my ride: 

I'm riding along our street, just having started, when I hear "Screeeeeeech...BAM!" coming from the next street over. I knew someone had just crashed their car. I rode as fast as I could to where the sound came from, expecting blood. I arrived on the scene to find three or four young African American females getting out of a Dodge Charger. They had smashed into a stop sign (flattened and disconnected the whole thing!) and ended up in someone's front lawn when carelessly trying to take a corner. They quickly inspected the car, which already had a donut on the back, then jumped back in to escape the scene. Their front wheels were all mis-aligned as they scooted away. I was so appalled, as was the homeowner and another witness. I did a quick memorization of their plate and called it in to the Graham police. I got home and told  Rick about it and he said he had spotted the same car driving recklessly about 30 minutes earlier when he was checking out the golf course :( I really hope the cops found those stupid girls and arrested the driver for leaving the scene of an accident and destruction of a traffic sign. 

Here's where it happened:

uphill both ways

I've been slacking on my posts. Today I will totally redeem myself.

Decided to go for another ride Sunday because the weather was totally perfect. Did not do as long a distance as Friday, but I took all the hard hills in the neighborhood. I was totally winded by the time I rolled back into the driveway (which is also a hill. ugh). I need to get a water bottle holder for my bike because I felt like I needed to drink a gallon of water when I got home. There are way too many choices though!  I had no place to put my phone for this ride and really want to bring it. I found my Vera Bradley wallet with the phone holder pocket to be a perfect replacement for the "other thing" so I could track my mileage.

In other news, Rick did not go with me again :( The reason is that he and a piece of rebar had a fight in a parking lot last week, resulting in a severely injured left shin. He was trying really hard to suck it up all last week and through the weekend but even the slightest touch is terrible. He went to the ARMC urgent care in Mebane first thing in morning  and got great service. He was happy to find it was nothing more than a bad bruise. I found him some pain relief/swelling reduction ointment at Walgreens yesterday, which he seems to like. I also bought him some Old Spice Wolfhorn cologne, because it smells amazing and I love him.

I was mapping out some routes in my neighborhood this morning to see what streets I needed to take to get up to 5 miles. I clicked the "bike" icon in google maps to see the bike time for my route and something magic happened. Google maps showed me all these great places to ride bikes in my town, including...*drumroll*...
Challenge Golf Club!! I am ALL OVER THAT. Today. Get excited.

Whew!

I just did a 3 mile solo ride and I feel like I got the best workout yet. I was really sweating it and I had a good heart rate going. I decided to be adventurous and go out on a main road *gasp* ... but it was only for like two minutes until I got into the adjoining neighborhood. I decided to go drop off a surprise at the home of one of my favorite YMCA members, Angela Conklin, of Conklin Propane during my round because she's been really nice and supportive of my and Rick's bike adventure. It may not be the last one, either :) I did a screen cap from google maps of my trip. Why? because this P.O.S. bike phone holder  that I mentioned a few posts back decided to fall off the mount on the handlebars with the phone still attached and go crashing onto the pavement as I rode along (thus my app could not function). Thankfully I was still on my own street. Thankfully my phone still works after I re-assembled it. I actually secretly wished that it would have been killed so I could get one of these :)

~ L ~

on the road again

This week has been terrible weather-wise (and kinda crummy life-wise, to be honest). Rain and cold and wind and ick. I went out in said weather though, in search of some bargains at the GAP outlet  for my nephew on the way and I ended up getting a really nice athletic/sporty jacket for bike riding. The baby section left something to be desired :(  So, I am pretty excited about the prospect of decent weather today and I hope to be out on the bikes as soon as Rick gets home from work!

This jacket reminds me sooo much of the Nike Sphere cartoon ad, which I love, so I decided to share it :)

Happy Friday!



~ L ~

woohoo!

We did FOUR MILES today! Go us! Yesterday turned out to be a bust, mainly because we had to juggle two different cars getting repaired and two different people coming to the house for landscaping consultations and it was much colder than the weather said it was going to be.  Today was perfect for a ride and I started out telling Rick that we had to do 3 miles to exceed the last ride, so I was pleasantly surprised when I checked my tracker app and it said 4.3 miles! I want to keep working toward beating our goals by at least 0.5 each time. I am sure we can do more though :)

I got to wear my new neon yellow bike clothes today and it made me happy :)
I also got my fruit-fearing husband to consume 3+ servings of fruit post-bike ride thanks to some delicious Bolthouse Farms smoothies I bought at Aldi this morning!

These things are so delicious! Rick wants me to get about six of them next time!

Super comfy. Never thought I would like wearing Highlighter yellow!

-L-

the road is calling.

Everyone said it was going to snow today, but it is awfully sunny out already and the forecast looks like it will be the perfect day for a bike ride!

I am also excited because my mom got me some new threads from Kohl's just for bike riding and the YMCA just got some new bright colored t-shirts in for summer. I snagged the neon pink one ;) I am thinking of going to Kohl's online and ordering a couple bright shirts for Rick too, because his wardrobe consists of grey, charcoal and black.

                                        (I had to get purple too because, well, it's purple!)

A+

So we did yet another ride in the park today. Rick adjusted his seat to a different angle and had one whole day of rest, so things did not seem quite as uncomfortable. This time, instead of going on the trail we rode around and around the different parking lot sections, all of which are on a slight incline, so it actually was a good workout. There were hardly any cars or people (except for some kids smoking weed in one car parked out in the middle of the lot all conspicuously *sigh*). This was much easier than having to worry about steering off a narrow path or worrying about traffic. We did not go much longer than the first time, mainly because SOMEONE thought wearing a muscle tee would be sufficient and got a bit chilly. 2.6 miles is still a record though. Our goal is to beat our time on each ride. Hopefully we will be doing 5 mile rides in no time!

-L-

Day 4

Day 4: Butt still sore from days 1 and 2 but looking forward to another few miles this evening in the park.

-R-

Woof!

When I decided to test out my bike this morning after Rick put the chain back on, I got an unexpected companion. Guinness decided that he needed to go too, and thus ran alongside my bike as I did laps on the street right in front of our house. He absolutely loved it and he is a great bike buddy. I would not ordinarily permit him to run untethered in the street and likely will not do so in the future, but there is little traffic in the middle of the day. It was very promising to think that he might be able to go to parks and stuff with us when we get our riding level up. I suspect we will need something like this. As for Turbo, I think we're going to have to go with some kind of wagon. He would pass out after about 2 minutes if he had to run.

-L-

Asking Around

One thing I love about working at the YMCA is that there are so many knowledgeable people, some of whom have lots of bike knowledge :) I just got a recommendation to check out Cycles De Oro in Greensboro, as they might have some cool ideas about increasing bike comfort and stability. They have a bike fit service that could potentially be helpful.

While on their website I found an announcement about a spring bike ride to benefit the National MS Society and I am all over that because one of my favorite people has MS and it is terrible beyond words. *Note to self: go visit her today with some FroYo.* I really like the idea of this turning into a hobby that can be used for great purposes other than my own health & well-being.

The bike ride is at Bur-Mil Park, which is on Lake Brandt in Greensboro. It looks like an amazing, fun place to ride bikes. There's even a trail that goes right over the lake! I wanna go this weekend!

Lastly, I bought Rick and I each a new bike toy this morning, hopefully this will hold my lovely Zune, too.

-L-

Need an Asspirin (pun intended).

We went out for another ride today, despite our butts protesting.  We made it 1 . 6 miles. Rick is feeling worse than yesterday after today's ride and will be walking like a cowboy tomorrow, bless his heart. I think we are going to look into some other seat options, such as this one on amazon.com.

We rode mostly in the neighborhood, which was less up and down hills but it required lots of navigating around cars parked in the street while watching for traffic coming both ways and trying not to ride in the gutter and fall over.

Then there was the cold. It never seems that cold out until you get going 5-10 mph on a bike and your ears and fingers and nose feel like they are going to fall off.

Oh, and my bike chain came off during the uphill pedal to our house.

Yay team!

-L-

The first step is the hardest.

So, we went on our first ride this afternoon.

We chose to start over at Bill Cooke Park, which is right behind our house in Graham. There is a one mile paved trail  there, so we figured it would be a good place to start. It's never fun getting used to riding am 18-speed bike again and having to worry about traffic at the same time. Mile one was okay, minus our butts being a little unhappy. Why are bike seats SO uncomfortable? We even had special Cloud 9 seats put on :/  Mile two was frustrating for Rick because the shifter that goes to the lowest gear went a little too low and threw the chain off the track when he was trying to go uphill. Yikes. There were some four letter words and some "why the ---- did we even think this was a good idea?!"  But we got things back together enough to ride home and cool off. Gonna take his bike back to the shop and have it looked at tomorrow, hopefully.      

I am sure it will be an easy fix. It's too soon to get frustrated!


-L-

"Try not. Do or do not! There is no try."

We have decided to start a blog to document our new adventure in bike riding! We both are wanting to get healthier, and so far the traditional routes haven't stuck. This has a little to do with busy schedules and a lot to do with differing physical abilities. Lena suffered a totally torn ACL in the summer of 2010 and Rick has some compressed nerves in has back and old football injuries that can limit his range of activities. A trainer suggested bicycles as a great option for the two of us... so here we go! We bought some used (but awesomely reconditioned) mountain bikes at the Elon Bike Shop yesterday. Mike, the owner, was super nice and helpful. We also got ourselves some sweet helmets and a new bike rack in hopes of venturing out of our neighborhood, once we get the hang of this.

We have a few goals for this blog, and they are as follows:
-share our experiences with others
-maintain accountability 
-generate a support system (we're going to need a lot)
-track our progress

Today it is supposed to be almost 60 degrees out, after a wet and gross few days in the 30's. We are looking forward to taking our first official ride together!

- R & L-