biking

I made a vow to myself (and Lowell and Kitten baby) that I would be more active and continue to try to eat well. This week, I decided to get back on my bike after weeks (okay, months) of not riding. Check out the picture of my beautiful first "real" non-Craigslist bike that Lowell pretty much bought me last year. (I was supposed to pay him back but I don't remember if I ever did.... oops.)

I've always been absolutely petrified of biking in busy downtown Toronto traffic and apparently, being pregnant has made me even more petrified. Obviously, I always wear a helmet... but wiping out and breaking my limbs is still going to hurt a hell of a lot even if my skull doesn't explode! I refused to go fast as Lowell kept zipping off on his zippy roadbike every time we stopped at a light together. I cruised along but still felt WIPED from the adrenaline rush of biking on Richmond St during rush hour. Blargh! I think I was more exhausted mentally than I was physically from dodging parked delivery trucks, scary pedestrians standing way too far out on the curb, aggressive cyclists zooming by without dinging their bells and unpredictable INSANE drivers.

Biking just over 10 km may not seem like a lot to some people. But when you're slothful and haven't done anything more active than say, walk up a few flights of stairs at your friends 5th floor condo in weeks, 10km is intense! We rode to see an apartment and then to Exhibition Place for my annual trip to The CNE (every year since I was 2 years old!) and home, with tons of aimless walking about all over the CNE grounds in between. My already constantly achey back and gummy out of shape legs were a mess by the time we got home. I had numerous meltdowns throughout the day and had to stop twice to rest (and complain) on the trip home. Shockingly, my legs weren't sore this morning. A christmas miracle!