Anyone else feel this way?

[Denise223]

Hi Ladies!!

Originally posted by STACIE: This year my attitude changed. I realized, my rides had no purpose. Now I leave the house with a goal each ride. I have my long ride which I keep slow and steady, a medium tempo ride, and an interval ride. Goal setting has made such a difference for me. I have to say there is something very empowering about riding alone and taking care of yourself. Sometimes it's still hard to get out by myself, but once on my bike, I couldn't be happier. I love the confidence and solitude. I've ridden 150 miles by myself this week and loved every minute of it. good luck!

I was quite inspired reading your post. Congrat's for riding 150 miles solo last week . Like you stated, "there is something very empowering about riding alone and taking care of yourself."
I have not stepped out of my "comfort zone" as of yet.....but, as I read posts that are similar to yours -- I feel as if I am MUCH CLOSER TO IT! "Going it alone" seems much less "scary" to me, and that's great.

I am so much more comfortable on my bike, I can ride longer distances, and I do feel a LOT more confident, too.
I don't feel "as awkward" as I did in the beginning.

I have weekdays free to ride, and, the days are just flying by and I know I should be out there riding!

I don't want to waste anymore days in which I could be out riding .
The only person I have to count on is MYSELF -- I know I can do that !

Ben and I will go riding this afternoon, and we're planning for Sunday & Monday, too. I enjoy the quietness, the serenity, the beautiful scenery so much !!

Regarding bike shorts I think that we all look good in them. Sure, for me, it definitely was all new and it took some getting used to. I'm happy that I got used to wearing them fast.
There's A LOT TO BE SAID FOR "wicking fabrics"

I highly recommend bike shorts to everyone...... Even if you're riding 10 miles, shorts that are made for cycling make all the difference in the world!

When I WAS wearing my cotton shirt & cotton shorts, a lot of excess material would be "flapping in the breeze", and even though "cotton may breathe"..........it also hangs on to all of that sweat, and it can be terribly uncomfortable !

Originally posted by Cassandra_Cain: I'll skip the long rant, but simply put, we don't have buy into this media and societal crap about having to look like air-brushed models! We are real people, real women, and our bodies should be a source of pride. After all, at least we are out there, working and using our bodies for healthy and fun pursuits like riding

I will DITTO everything that you said, Cassandra ! Biking is wonderful for our health. And, when riding and using my body, I feel incredibly STRONG! It's the best feeling -- I'm having a blast!

Oh, here's a link to check out --

http://www.questoutfitters.com/wicking_fabrics.htm

Because shorts CAN cost a small fortune, I thought, "it would be nice to attempt to make them ", so I googled & found that site. I don't sew well, but....it might be a nice thing to try doing in the winter. We'll see.

Well Ladies, I hope that you all have a FANTASTIC beautiful weekend.... We are having awesome weather out here in MA....the heatwave is gone!

Peace & Love,

Denise