My First Ride

[Diggles]

so.........

i'm in the process of a divorce...we split time w/ our daughter. (there is a reason i'm telling you this, i promise) well, he was out of town all week & i was staying at his place taking care of our daughter. she was extremely ill & as much as i love her & felt bad that she felt bad...she was a hand full. there is a orchestra of other events going on in my life right now as well & i'm a smidge on the stressed side. i was in full blown panic attack mode by wednesday b/c i hadn't gotten a bit of physical activity (or work done) all week.

by thursday she was well enough to go back to school & boy did i take her!!!

i then...went home, suited up & went on a full fledged hill hunt. i was gone a long time. ok, not that long, but i did end up doing 15 miles. my legs were burning, but butt was aching, my thighs shook...but i have to say it was the best feeling. i was so proud of myself when i got home...soaked to the bone from sweat. after that ride...i understood. and even better...i didn't want to lock myself in the bathroom to hide from my daughter. the stress melted away & i felt human again.

then yesterday...i ran my fastest 5k ever. now i wish i could just do a marathon in under 5 hours.

so the point is this...god i loved that ride. even compared to my best 5k i just loved that ride. that burn in your thighs...you don't get that from running. i felt like i could bust walnuts with my butt-cheeks after i got done. ::heehee::

so that's pretty much my first experience on a bike. a good one, i'd say.

i'm curious if anyone else uses exercise to help retain their sanity?

[tulip]

oh yeah, 2 14-mile commutes per day. Where would I be without my commute? I hate to speculate.

[Brandy]

so.........
i'm curious if anyone else uses exercise to help retain their sanity?

Congratulations on your first ride Diggles! To answer your question...YES!!! Working out at the gym and cycling outside is the only reason that I'm halfway sane right now. My husband works six days a week, 10-15 hour shifts and commutes at least an hour each way. The days that he works we see him for 15-20 minutes before he leaves and the kids are all fighting for his attention during those minutes, so we usually communicate via text message while he's working. With all of these kids, if I didn't have exercise as an outlet, I'd be in the looney bin for sure by now!

ETA: I love your avatar. You and your little flower are so cute!

[BikeMomma]

Oh gawd yea! All the time, constantly. I'd go crazy without my bike.

Until I started riding again, I felt like I was melting away into nothingness, always doing for others but never for myself. Finally I got really tired of being taken for granted by everyone in my household and just decided to start riding again, whenever and wherever (lunchtime, trainer rides at home, early morning on the weekends, etc etc). That was a couple years ago. Now this year, I've started racing again like I used to as a teen and I'm lovin' it. It also gives my three kids an example of how much work, dedication, and perseverance it takes to realize your dreams and KEEP AT IT, no matter how much the odds are stacked against you. I actually think that philosophy is catching on to my almost 9-year-old, who is a gifted basketball player already at this young age.

Short answer -- yep, Diggles, I'm completely in understanding with how you're feeling.

Keep your chin up and the feet on the pedals....congrats on the run!!
~BikeMomma