I remembered how to bike!  Whew!

I honestly have been freaking myself out about biking and whether I’d remember how and whether I’d fall again etc.  Happy to report that after a little assistance getting the tires filled with air (uggggg; not sure what the heck I was doing wrong that they wouldn’t fill!), the derailer (is that what that thing is called?) adjusted and my pedal clip thingys (I clearly don’t know bike terminology) loosened, I was ready to roll.  Did a few circles around the neighborhood working on remembering how to clip in and out without falling (remember this disaster – my maiden bike voyage?).  And then was off for 17 sort of slow and sort of hilly miles.  And I didn’t fall!  Woot!

Random thoughts about cycling:

• It IS fun!
• It is amazing that I consider myself to be very fit – I could go out tomorrow and run for 3 – 4 hours without stopping (granted, at a relatively easy pace, but still . . .)  But put me on a bike and make me go up some hills and I feel like a couch potato!  My legs were all jello-y and I was huffing and puffing at the top of the hills.  Funny  how working out in a different way really mixes things up!
• I’m excited to keep cycling and get in better shape and have the legs feel as strong and good as they did last summer.
• I need to work on getting comfortable with the rules of the road and road biking in general.  Left turns freak me out.  Stopping and starting still need help.  I also need to master drinking while riding.
• While I like biking and have fun with it, it’s DEFINITELY not relaxing in the same way that running is for me.  With running I can put on my shoes and just GO and lose myself forever.  With biking I need to concentrate on fueling (I feel much weaker, and therefore unsafe, when I don’t eat enough before and during riding).  It’s also necessary to be alert – to hazards in the road (pot holes, loose sand, glass, uneven pavement, etc.) and to drivers.  So while it gives me a great supplemental workout – it will never replace running for me because I run not just for exercise,  but also to lose myself and sort through my thoughts and figure life out!