Back in the Saddle

From last Sunday until Thursday, I imposed a time-off period for myself. With the kids starting school and me settling into my school schedule, I thought it might not be a bad idea to take a few days to focus on just a couple of things rather than a bunch of things. I parked the bike and put the running shoes under the bed, giving myself a small training break. I even allowed myself to eat foods I haven't touched in months, like a quarter pounder with cheese, fries, and a cola. While they tasted good, I found I no longer feel the need to eat these foods let alone want these foods. I kind of like being in the position of taking or leaving.

So yesterday I got back in the saddle and rode 11 miles. I didn't go for speed. I just went to enjoy being out. The winds have found central Illinois again after being absent for quite a while, and I battled 20 mph winds for much of the ride. Along with the hills along the new route, the ride turned out to be tough. My hubby laughed at me at one point, saying the grin on my face was too funny. He doesn't get why I love the wind and the hills. Heck, neither do I other than both are a challenge. I want to face the challenge, get better at handling them.

Today we went almost 20 miles. Still windy, but no hills to contend with other than one long slight incline. I've ridden this hill many times, and today, even with the wind coming at me from an angle, I managed to maintain 17 mph going up. The first time I tackled that hill back in March I barely managed to keep 12 mph registered on the bike computer. No way was I not going to grin over this.

My last grin came after arriving home, showering, and pulling on a pair of jeans I haven't worn since May. I don't like to step on the scale, so I really don't know if I've lost weight. I just go by the way my clothes fit. The jeans are now a bit on the baggy side, especially through the hips and thighs. I was surprised with how much different they fit, pleasantly surprised, but I'm okay with it. Sort of helps alleviate the fear of the scale I have.

Being back in the saddle feels really good. I'm glad I took the five days off; those days helped me just be, helped my mind sort through matters and make sense of them. I feel refreshed, in a better position to take on work, family, and training.

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