I ride for several different reasons really...

For the past 4 hellish years, I have been sick with Chron's (an autoimmune disease) and was not doing well physically at all. I threw everything up as anything that went down-no matter how small-would come right back up so my muscles and body was deteriorating from throwing up for 4 years. Finally, by the grace of God, I was granted my health back and as of Feb. 6 of this year, I finally stopped throwing up. I was exahsted but oh so relieved; been 5 months now sinced I last hurled....WooHoo!!!!!

Well in the last few months that I was sick, I had started riding with a best friend as he had an extra bike. But when I'd go with him, he'd always have to wait for me because I was so slow and outta shape, (pluss having bad health at the time didn't help! :P) So I figured I'd better get a good bike to start getting into shape now that I'm getting better. I had a bike but my old mountain bike was too small and was too freakin' heavy to even think about messing with; I needed a new one.

Well I had been walking everyday after I stopped throwing up to try and get back into shape (and because it was helping my stomach digest and my intestines to work as they really hadn't for the past 4 years-and still are iffy) but I found that that was no longer going to work as it was just too hard of an impact on my knees going up and down hills (loved walking up hill). So I knew at that point I was going to have to get myself a bike as I had to keep exercising for my health, and because it was so low impact on my knees. So for the time being my girlfriend gave me her mountain bike to ride while she out of the goodness of her heart, worked to put one together for me-bless her!!!

So for a while I rode her bike and then after my "new" mountain bike was put together I rode it quite proudly! ^^ It's so ornery...just like me! My knees were feeling a lot better since I started to ride again (I used to a few years back but got out of the habbit-glad I picked it up again :P) and I realized that I was loosing the ugly fat on my legs and butt........Riding for me then became a hot motive to loose the extra pounds that I had never been able to loos over the years (didn't even loose it while throwing up, :P stupid fat! ~grumbles~)

So now I ride to keep my health in check and to keep my body looking somewhat decent. It keeps my mind in better shape as it truly is exhilerating to be out on the roads and mountain trails on a bike. I've come to love it so!!!


~Liz