On the Upswing

Wow, I'm feeling human again! It has been a tough month, but I feel like things are back on the upswing. I had a fun afternoon with a friend yesterday, going to the Seattle Art Museum and having sushi for lunch. I went with my highly attractive and very flattering friend, J, who always makes me feel good and happy.

More importantly, though, yesterday I went for a ten-mile bike ride! I cannot remember the last time I rode a bike. Well, that's not exactly true: last year after we moved into this house, I remember riding the bike around the block with my youngest son a couple times.

So, here's how it happened. (You can tell this was a monumental event, because I can't just say "I went for a bike ride" and leave it at that, hahaha.) I was planning to go to the Y, but my daughter couldn't come (her dad was picking her up). It was a gorgeous sunny afternoon. I have been wanting to try my hand at running again, but I am still babying my knee. I really, really, really want to be a runner. So I'm trying to take my knee back to Square One, where I was running happily and it didn't hurt at all. I'll get there - it's just muscle, not my joint at all.

I decided to go for a bike ride. I live in one of the most supremely beautiful parts of the country, and there is a big lake right outside my door (well, very close). There's all sorts of bike trails around. Problem is, to get to the lake, it's all downhill. Which means it's all uphill to get back from the lake, haha. As I was getting ready for the ride, my daughter Alli pointed this out. "You're going to be tired at the end of your ride, but you'll still have to ride up all those hills to get home." She's the voice of reason, and I've already decided I should just listen to her, haha. When G dumped me by text? She was OVER him, just like that. "By TEXT?" she said. "What kind of jerk does that?" No excuses allowed for him, nuh-uh, she liked him but he pulled that stunt and she was *done.*

Okay, so Alli says I'll be tired. I know I will be, too, but I don't want to talk myself out of my new adventure. I live at the top of a hill - if I am going to bike ride, I'm going to ride uphill. Or just circle my block endlessly. :)

It felt AWESOME! It's true, you never forget how to ride a bike. You do get a little shaky riding between bollards at trail heads, or passing runners on the trail, but you keep the overall logistics. I rode down to a lakefront park, then turned around and began the long ascent home.

I google mapped it when I got home, and round-trip, the ride was exactly ten miles. Not a long ride, but a good starter ride! And very hilly! I had such a blast. I was tired when I got home, but not overly so. A little shaky-legged. Not sore this morning: I was almost expecting I would be. I can't wait to get out there again! I'm already thinking about what kind of bike I need to buy, haha. Mine is one of those cruiser-types that has seen better days. We'll see. :)

Awesome.

I had some actual thoughts for this post besides nattering on and on about my bike ride, but I'll have to come back another time. I'm happy to be so happy about the ride...it's just one more of those NSVs (non-scale victories) that I'm discovering along the way. I had the *best* time riding along - you remember my grinning like a goofball half-marathon picture...well, I am sure I was grinning like a goofball while I rode along, too. :)

Happy goofball.