Back in the Saddle

I've actually been riding my bike quite a bit lately.  In fact, last week I rode every day to work and then on Saturday rode in to Union Station (in the rain no less) and parked my bike in long-term storage while I took the Via train to Ottawa.*  This week I'll probably not ride tomorrow (Wed.) due to the rain, but I will probably ride the rest of the week.  This may seem pretty incredible to anyone who remembers my bad biking accident from last September.  But the truth is I just don't remember the crash, so I don't get all anxious about riding.  I'm probably a slightly more cautious rider than I was, but you pretty much have to be somewhat aggressive or you simply can't bike downtown.

In any event, I meant this a bit more metaphorically in terms of going back to the gym.  I had one thing after another come up to prevent me from going (I think the last time I went was last Thurs, but it might actually have been Wednesday), and then Sunday I really was just too weary after replacing the ceiling fan.  While I had a bit of adrenaline left after biking home on Monday, I basically just wanted to lie down on the couch.  However, I forced myself to go to the gym.  Once I am at the gym, it isn't so bad after I actually start working out, and I do feel a sense of accomplishment afterwards.  I had wanted to free up Tuesday evening in case I went to the Shakespeare in the Ruff at Withrow Park, but in the end, I decided I was again a bit too tired and there was a 40% chance of rain.  At this point, I'll aim to see Shakespeare on Thurs.

The good news is that I have been able to lose (and keep off!) 30 pounds.  That's a solid achievement, though I really ought to lose another 20-30 pounds.  However, to do that (and keep it off), I need to make more lifestyle changes.  I would need to add in another form of exercise (like jogging on days I am not at the gym -- or swimming laps and so far that has not gone well at all!), go to sleep sooner (and not stay up half the night reading) and change my diet even more.  I have to be honest that this is probably not going to happen, so I am trying to focus more on maintaining the original weight loss.  I really shudder to think what kind of shape I would be in if I hadn't done so much biking over the years...


* As it happens, I dithered around for a week or two before finally booking my Via tickets and the price went up by $30 dollars, which was extremely annoying.  However, at over $3 a ride on the TTC (even with Presto), I actually saved myself over $30 with all this biking.  At least that is one way to think about it.