Girls on Wheels: 2 Kinds of Biking

I admit straight off, I’m a faker. I neither own nor ride, but this photo op was too good to resist. My brother came thru from GA last week, en route to Bike Week in Laconia. He stayed with us a few nights to break up the trip. His Harley Davidson, but hey, at least I have my own leather jacket, HA!

I did enjoy sitting behind a prior boyfriend on a motorcycle, long ago. I think I liked it because of my connection with the outdoors during the rides. It’s why I choose road-running over a treadmill. I just prefer being outside. Traveling in open air like that, it’s so much more sensory than riding in a car. You can see more, smell things more keenly, feel the weather, be more a part of your environment as you travel. I really did love it… but not enough to ever learn how to ride on my own. I know women who did learn. They are not fakers, they do own & ride. My hat’s off to favorite biker-chick pals Heather, Robin & Mary. Ride on, girls!

Alas, the only 2-wheeled bike I ever mastered was my bicycle — an old Specialized Rockhopper. It’s still hanging on. Took it out for a quick spin today. First time this summer, after a few weeks of diddling everything from tires to chain to brakes. Even bought a new odometer battery. I only went for 6 mi., mostly to test the odometer recalibration & deliver a birthday gift to Carrie’s house, HA! I learned the following:

• My running & strength training has made me a better rider. The hills seemed not as bad as I’d remembered?
• My gearing needs some serious attention. Had trouble upshifting to largest gear (“if you can’t find it, grind it”). Thank God downshifting to medium & small works fine!
• Find my padded bike shorts before next ride. Only 6 mi., yet my hoo-hoo is feelin’ it, ow.

I was desperate to add biking as a cross-training option. I don’t want to get bored with my 10K plan, which I’m still tweaking to fit my preferences. I did have a good week of exercise thus far: SUN, ran 4 mi. – MON, ran 4 mi. – TUE, rest – WED, power-walked 5 mi. – THU, biked 6 mi. & tomorrow (FRI) I plan to run 4 mi. again. Then Sat. I might do weights & yoga for an hour. So I am getting the “every day” thing down pat, but my run-distances need to be integrated not static (add 10% distance each week). I’m supposed to be following an organized plan, but I get easily swayed by weather issues & my time-of-day choices for certain activities. I hope to nail down a more regimented training routine soon.

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Tags: 10K training, biker chicks, cross training, cycling, fitness over 40, Harley, old boyfriends, tender hoo hoo