Today I rode my bike home from work. I did not ride my bike TO work and then back home, I only rode home. A nice, easy 12.63 miles according to MapMyRun.com.
I will admit....I have been remiss in my activities. I can't remember the last time I did a "real" mountain bike ride. One that required climbing or legs. But this was mostly pavement. How hard could it be? Besides, I did run 3 miles a few times in the last month. It hasn't been
that long. I am not
that out of shape. Am I?
When you ride your bike home from work, people notice. Especially when you are such a bike snob that you park your bike in the IT office and not outside, on the bike rack, with the "other" bikes. No, not MY bike. Co-workers would say, "wow, you rode your bike to work". "No" I would say, "just home from work". "Oh" they would say "how far IS that". "Just 16 miles" I would say......"anyone can do it." Most of them looked at me doubtfully.
Now, about those 16 miles. 16 miles was when I worked at GBI. 16 miles was LOOKING for dirt. 16 miles was when McMansions didn't dominate Murietta (where my fun trails USED to be). 16 miles was when I WAS IN SHAPE and WANTED to take the adventurous route home. 16 miles was not today.
Today my legs were screaming by the time I hit Winchester (what's that, 2 miles? maybe less? OMG!! 10 more to go). Today I was happy for full tires and flat pavement. PAVEMENT!?!?! How can I call myself mtn_bkr_jen? Was I really this far gone?
Today, I was happy to know I had friends along the way home. I realized I could stop and ask them to take me home. Or maybe to the hospital, which is by the way, also on the way home. Today I fought the wind. I felt every mile was uphill. Chills licked at the back of my neck, the top of my thighs. I started to wonder if I was having heat stroke. It was over 90 degrees F. I did make a pit stop.
I stopped at Big Joe's** house. About half way. I called him. "Dude, are you home?" I didn't see his car, I kinda knew the answer already. "Noooo.....why?" "Ummm...because I am outside your house and I need SUGAR". Big Joe and I used to work out a lot. He knows my need for sugar! He gave me the garage code and there on his pool table was the most beautiful bottle of pink Strawberry Kiwi Propel Fitness Water (did they really come up with that in a marketing meeting!?). I closed his garage, drank down the yummy Kiwi Strawberry and headed towards home. Surely sugar was all I needed.
About a mile later, I pulled over in the shade of a moving van. I was just resting, reading the label of this Fitness Water, I realized it's only 10 calories per serving. TEN CALORIES! I am convinced I might die on the way home.
All this time, however, I notice that my lungs and heart feel fine. I am not totally out of breathe or struggling. It's just my legs.
I resolve to eat more brocolli and less Thai food.
I take off for the last push for home. Uphill of course. I pass an old, discarded sofa plastered with confessions of love. No doubt from "those" kids. The ones dresses in all black, flying down George on their skateboards dodging traffic. Good thing it was an old, dirty sofa.
I granny gear it up the last long "hill". Really, its not THAT much of a hill. When was the last time I granny geared on pavement? Ugg.
Cars and trucks pass me. I must look like a bright red balloon about to pop. I swear one or two old ladies looped back to make sure the vultures didn't get me.
Finally.....I pulled into our driveway. I can't wait to drink a Coke (if you know me...I don't really even like Coke!). A sugar shot straight to the blood stream. Ahhhhh.
After collapsing into a dogpile and once I regained some mental capacity....I started thinking. Hmm...remember that time Mr. America (BBD) went riding with us to some baby easy ride. He was struggling and huffing and puffing. I was worried and irritated all at the same time. WHY couldn't he keep up!?!? Well, you know why!? His back brake was stuck. It was dragging, pulling on the wheel so hard that it took super human strength to climb the tiniest of hills....AHA!!!!!
I ran to the living room, where I dumped my bike. I picked it up and spun the wheels. The back wheel flowed freely. BUT...the front barely made a revolution!!!!!!!
THANK God! I am not out of shape afterall.....or am I?
**Names changed to protect the innocent.
Posing for pics
Uh...that is a pig..."eez a peeg"...
Ahhhh.... (After I showed this to Mike he said "Now we get satellite radio"!!!!!)
For one second...Jeets and Kona were laying CALMLY next to each other! Gotta love Doggie Day Care!
Chewing on his ball.....
Check out his double decker tooth! We are hoping that is a residual baby tooth. It's like that on both sides.....weird.
Random playing. Can you believe it!?!?!
Here is a current (sort of, it last few weeks) size comparison, and it's totally cute that he is "hugging" Lucy's legs. Kona is 32.6 lbs today!
After Rusty left on Saturday, this is what Kona looked like!
And a random silly sleeping shot. He was sucking on his tongue!!!! Silly boy!
Giving Steph kisses!
Kona's best friend, Rusty
Kona is ready for my favorite holiday!
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