Back in the Saddle Again

I haven't kept exact count, but it's been longer than a month since I've exercised -- until tonight, that is.

Before this little hiatus, my only form of exercise was riding my bike to work.

There and Back

The best thing about biking to work is that I'm killing two birds with one stone (note: no birds were harmed in the writing of this post, nor on any of my bike rides). I'm getting my exercise, AND I'm getting to work. I love multi-tasking (though I hate that word).

The worst thing about biking to work, is that I then have to bike home from work. Up hill.

I'd been riding for several months on a pretty regular basis, and it was only towards the end that I was getting to where I could commute by bike on back-to-back days.

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It's about an 8 mile ride in city traffic the whole way. While it includes a decent amount of starting and stopping, there are stretches where I can go for a good while, and there's plenthy of adrenaline pumping when you find yourself sandwiched between a Metro bus and an SUV cruising down 14th Street from Columbia Heights. I don't drink coffee, but I'm willing to guess that this provides just as much of an eye-opening jolt as even the strongest Columbian brew.

November and December were mild enough that I was able to bike 2 or 3 days a week. I bought some cold weather gear to keep me riding through the winter as long as possible, but it seems the one-two punch of a week's vacation around the holidays followed by a two week cold sent my exercise schedule into hibernation.

Once I got out of the habit, I simply didn't have the motivation to face the cold weather we've been having. I think the coldest day I biked in to work in December was just around the freezing mark. So when the thermometer in my bathroom tells me it's 18 degrees outside, I gladly jump in the shower and warm up rather than giving a bike ride even the briefest of second thoughts.

I finally couldn't stand the lack of exercise any longer. Last night I went out to REI and bought myself a bike trainer.

I set it up when I got home from work this evening (after a rather stressful and unproductive day (though not for lack of trying)). It was nice. I set it up in the basement by the exposed stairs. I had my water bottle on one step, my Mp3 player on the next step, and my glucometer, a Nutrigrain bar, and a tube of glucose tabs on the next step -- all within an arm's reach and not stashed in my backpack as usual.

I don't know how long I was on there for (about as long as "Apologies to the Queen Mary"

Highly Recommended

Although officially released in 2005, "Apologies to the Queen Mary" was one of my favorites in 2006 (I'm usually a year behind on the music curve -- I presume this will get worse as I get older).

There were a few weeks where I'd wake up in the middle of the night with lyrics from "Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts" and/or "I'll Believe in Anything" running through my head. If you like catchy indie pop, this is well worth a listen.

And I must say "This Heart's on Fire", the last song on the album, is a great song to finish a workout to. Not only did I literally feel as if my heart was on fire, but the song has a great set of upbeat crescendos to push your way through.

Yet another great release out of Canada, too...

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by Wolf Parade lasts (except I skipped the song "Dinner Bells" -- I'm not all that fond of it)). But I gave myself a hell of a work-over. Kind of punishing myself for all those missed days and weeks of exercise.

Afterwards, I mixed up a batch of guacamole

Recipe (approximately)

• an avocado,
• a quarter of a red-onion,
• 3 cloves of garlic,
• a clump of chopped cilantro,
• a dollop of salsa (Oddly, I'm partial to Chi-chi's Hot Salsa. I usually use fresh tomato, but we didn't have any),
• and some Kosher salt

I'm kind of new to guacamole. I would eat it ocassionaly before, but ever since I had it hand-prepared at some restuarant down in San Antonio 2 years ago and got to see the preperation up-close, I've been making it and eating it regularly.

Mmmmmm....So much fat... but the good kind...

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and ate the entire thing.

Good music, a solid bike ride, a bowl of guacamole... Ahhh it doesn't get much better than that.