ride 50 miles on my bike before the end of May

3.7 miles around the park with my sister, before it got blazing hot out.

3.7/23.4

I did not get halfway to my goal for this month! So, I have changed it to just ride 50 miles, no deadline. I wonder how long it will take me, now that it is a thousand degrees out! October?!!! hahaha!

around the ‘hood

2.3/19.7

Got some pedaling to do before end of next week!

was warmer than the way in but not intolerable. Was 3 min shorter than first time. Surprised it only took 2 minutes longer to get home, with all that uphill, slow spinning. Also surprised how much more energy I had all day long! After all that I felt like a strenuous hike… but had mercy on the soreness of my future self, and decided for a low-key 3.5 mile walk instead :)

4.3/17.4

It was unusually cool for May in Texas. A day with no forecast storms! Made it in about 29 minutes, including stop signs and lights. All downhill, of course… will be a longer, trafficky-er ride home!

4.3/13.1

This goal is in serious jeopardy o_O

There are some days I can’t bike to work because I have a distant errand afterward. Some days I woke up late :/ .......... And the other days I woke up thinking “it would be perfect to bike today” have had severe storms in the forecast! This morning I thought, yesssss indeedy I’ll be biking today, only to discover again a 24-hour flash flood warning.

Clearly, if I’d made this goal much sooner, Texas would not have been suffering from drought for so long :D

in one piece, one exhausted, sweaty piece :) The ride home was 4.3 miles. Mostly uphill, wind in my face, almost 15 degrees hotter, in 35 minutes. For comparison, the downhill ride was just under 30 minutes, not bad. Hopefully my times improve with practice. Mostly I am satisfied that I did not puke or have to walk the bike :D

4.3/8.8

This has been on my mind since… February! My roommate jests me over the months-old declaration to ride my bike to work that has never come to fruition. Now that it’s getting freaking hot outside, and I’ve melted to a sweatpuddle after 4.5 miles of downhill coasting, the goal is official and progress has been made.

My car may as well be the inspiration… as the brakes need a serious look! None of my motivations were grand enough to get me past the fears of traffic, big hills, and my cardiovascular-unfitness, but when my friend explained exactly what could go wrong (brake pads shattering? yikes!), traffic on a bike had to be the safer option!

The weekend camping jaunt prompted a bike dallying. We noticing the front brakes (yeah, someone is telling me to slow down) needed adjustment and the front wheel was out of true from hanging alone in the closet, so she took a visit to the bike shop Monday.

Today my roommate dropped me there. The bike shop guys mocked me 0% for having a great bike, but having a ding-bell on it and being out of shape. They very kindly took me around the block and assured me I could make it up any hill in Austin (O! the lies!) and off I pedaled to work.

_{As I coasted joyously all the way to the river, all I could think was ”#*$x%x I’m gonna have to pedal all this uphill tonight!”}

4.5/4.5