I've been riding have you??

[Barb]

I confess, I have not been riding! It seems every time I get a chance to ride, something else comes up. Either it's raining, or it's sunny but I am at work, I'm at an after school thing for my son or, Help! I'm being buried by housework!!!!

I have got to get into a groove with this. I cannot commute to work (traffic, dress code etc.). Sometimes I even talk myself out of a ride cuz there aren't places at home that are very inspiring. I can go miles and miles on very flat, high traffic pavement with tons of stop lights. If I want anything more interesting, I have to pack up my bike and drive 30 to 40 minutes to get there. I guess need to just pick two days and say, I ride before anything else. Anyone else run into this problem?
I also ride alone. The bike clubs near me ride too far and too fast for me at this point. whine, whine whine! ok I'm done.

[goddess1222]

i don't ride with a club either because i like to go at my own pace. in most cases, club rides are great, but you get dropped. i hate that. just because i am not as fast, doesn't mean i am not working hard.

this is how i see it: you have to feed yourself and take care of yourself before you can take care of others. go for your ride. no one is saying your son isn't important, but the fact is, you are his caretaker, and you are the most important. RIDE, RIDE, RIDE. and then ride some more.

[MightyMitre]

Hi Goddess 1222 - yes, I've been very busy but it's nice to be back.

Sorry to hear you haven't been out much lately Barb, sounds like you've got a lot going on. I know just what you mean when you say you need to get back into the groove. This time last year I was talking myself out of rides with the most stupid excuses and then feeling bad for not going. But now I seem to be on a roll - if I miss a weekend ride it feels strange.

I think that's a great idea to set a side a day or two and put cycling first. Choose your days then go for it - and let us know how you get on.

Alternatively, how old is your son? Is he old enough to ride with you? A friend of mine has a 10 year old girl and she just goes and goes! She loves it. It takes them a long time with plenty of rests, but they often do 30 mile rides together.

[Irulan]

my comment, being mom of two sons, ( and not knowing the age of yours) is a) you can get in a lot of riding done inbetween pick up and drop off b) get in a rotating carpool so you get some time off c)they can walk or ride a bike to thier activity or home from school... you do not have to be there for everything or drive them everywhere.

I think taking them with you is great too... my 13 year old did 12 miles of mountain biking with 2000' of climbing with us yesterday.

Irulan.

[Dogmama]

I echo - you need to make time for yourself! Two days a week is modest. Make a "date" with yourself and do it because you're worth it! Even if it's only 30-60 minutes, at least you got on the bike.

I'm in AZ (so is somebody else here?) in Tucson and you have to be in by 8AM because it's already getting up to 95 degrees. If you go skin-side-down-rubber-side-up, the pavement can cause serious burns! So, I get up at the crack of dawn & ride. Go to bed at 8PM and my life hasn't suffered from (1) missing evening TV or (2) not reading the morning newspaper.

Also, I tend to ride alone because I like to drink in the cool fresh air - it's very fleeting in the summer - and be with my thoughts. Especially Saturday mornings - I have a little route that takes me through some low lands that are cool, with little ranchettes and I can feel the tension just drain.

That's enough from me!

Kim

[Barb]

Irulan

I hear what you are saying, unfortunately, there is no opportunity for carpool. No one in my city attends his school and it is too far for him to walk. He really is not the biggest problem. Mostly it is either rain or putting housework and caretaking ahead of riding. Summer is coming and it will all get easy again. I just miss the good cool spring riding times.

I rode yesterday, even found a safer, faster place to ride. I have chosen Mondays to ride by myself and Thursdays to ride with my son. If it stops raining today, I might even get 10 to 15 miles in after work! Man, I cannot stand spring for all the rain!!!

[Irulan]

oh, forget the housework!!!

;-)

Irulan

[annie]

Barb,

I think we must all have a difference tolerance for messy houses...... mine is pretty high! ;-) I usually pick the bike over the broom, dust cloth, etc. And I must admit my house looks like it. But over the years, it gets easier to ignore some of that stuff and I am a much happier and nicer person to for my family to be around after I've gotten in a ride. If I am grouchy, they will tell me, "Mom, would you please go for a bike ride??!!" I guess we each have to do the best we can. Good luck in making more time for yourself.

I've been out a lot, rain or not. (My bike gets cleaned even if my house doesn't.) Tons of road miles and, finally, my first time off-road for the year this past weekend. It was great, once I got the hang of it again. I love riding in the woods, it's such a great feeling to be out and away.

[Dogmama]

Don't worry about dust bunnies until they get bigger than the cat.

Tell your family they can write their names in the dust, but not the date.

Go ride!

[MightyMitre]

My boyfriend and I moved into our flat 2 years ago and have we done any decorating? No chance - as both of us are avid cyclists the house seems to come 2nd, 3rd or even 4th place to most other things.

We have 8 bikes in the flat because we don't have any outdoor space, spare sets of wheels here and there, a mountain of wheel bags. Not to mention the inner tube, the track pump and the nine-speed cassette that's been sitting in bits behind the door in the sitting room for the last 2 months.

We have small oil marks on the carpet in the hall ( another reason why we haven't bothered to decorate yet), next to where the tool box lives and about 10 waterbottles that scattered themselves around the kitchen. If the weather's wet there'll also be shorts and jersey's literally hanging round the place drying.

I must admit there are days when all the crap really gets me down and I'll have a rant, but there's other days when I feel our place really could give a small bike shop a run for it's money!!

PS - What's a dust bunny and do you think we get them in England?

[Veronica]

Fluffy lives in our living room. My "excuse" is I commute to work and it's easier to load and unload the saddlebag if he's in the house - not the garage. Thom bought a stand for him and his home is right next to the piano.

Veronica

[Barb]

What's a dust bunny and do you think we get them in England? [/B][/QUOTE]

If you don't know what they are, don't even worry about them!!! Mine are about the size of a softball and live under...well most everything. I think thwn the dust and the dog hair join forces, you either have to do battle or feed them!!!!!!!!!

I put them on ignore yesterday and hit the road. It was cold and wet but I got in 10 miles. I have karate tonight then tomorrow I push for a 20 miler.

Thanks for all your good words, it got me back out there!

[MightyMitre]

Eek - don't like the sound of dust bunnies, but congratulations for going out in the cold and wet.

If you can get yourself out there when the weathers rotten then sounds like you'll be raking in the miles before you know it and the dust bunnies will have to fend for themselves!

[Terry]

Dust bunnie live everywhere! The ones at my house like to live around my shoes and purses in the closet. I just shake'm off.
I keep seeing those commercials with those Swifter thingies that are supposed to rid the home of dust bunnies. The problem is, YOU have to guide that Swifter thing around chasing the dust bunnies! The nerve of those advertisers; first they tell you they have a way for you to get rid of dust bunnies and then, you find out you still have to chase them down. The nerve.

As I mentioned in a prior post, our seasons have changed and we have to go north to ride, so, the only time we ride is on weekends. Here was my ride:

Yesterday we drove to the east side of the Mogollon Rim (it's pronounce Moe-ghee-own) outside of Payson AZ. The trail is called "Highline Trail" and is at 6200 elevation. It was gorgous!
However, our local oracle of mountain trails, Cosmic Ray (seriously--check out his book, "Fat Tire") calls this trail
"tough/advanced". It was.

We were frazzled and had injuries after the first 4 miles.
The Park Service has not cleared out LARGE dead trees that you had to climb/lift bikes over, constant hair-rasing downhill hairpins and switchbacks...it was rough! The Park Service also failed to mark/clear the 20 yard trail leading to the creek THAT IS ON THE MAP that you are supposed to take or go on; the trail goes on another 51 miles!!! We missed the cut off. There was no marker.

We had only went out about a mile and realized there were no other bike tracks and, we were going up again. We turned back. We had to stand on rocks to survey, beat the bushes, back track all along, close to the creek. Suddenly, while standing and riding, 2 of us saw an area that looked like a camp sight. We walked in a few yards and there was the trail. We went across the creek (had to carry the bikes--hugh boulders) and up on the other side was a parking lot and ranger station. We couldn't believe it! We could not see that 50 yards across the creek to the parking lot because of all the foliage/trees. By then, the sun was blazing and we still had a 4.7 up-hill highway ride back to the trail head. The UV index wound up to be 100+10 up there. I'm a lovely shade of rouge along the outline of my Camelback. That was the hardest 12 miles I've ever ridden!
However, I must say, it has made me tougher, more focused and determined to become a better rider. Also, it was so beautiful and enchanted...thought I was in the land of Hobbits. We took pictures...I'll see if I can attach one for you all.
Terry

[Irulan]

gives a whole new meaning to the word "epic" eh?

Irulan