Moving Along

I've ridden a couple of times since I last posted.

It's getting easier, though during the week when I'm working out and riding the bike I find it hard, especially in my arms and wrists. My butt is no longer sore and I feel more at ease.

But now that I am more comfortable on a bike, I'm comfortable enough to know I won't be commuting up Finlayson any time soon and that riding in traffic makes me really anxious.

This morning I rode up to the switch bridge and back. It took all of 15 minutes and I found that the first bit, before I hit the switch bridge was really hard, I felt like I was slogging through mud. I was convinced there was something wrong with my bike, because for the life of me I could't get any speed. It was weird. I was pedaling as hard as I could and I was sure I was going too slow. Then I pedaled like a demon up the slope of the bridge. I was determined to stay on my bike the entire time and even if I had to grind my way up, I would. Unfortunately, at the pinnacle of the slope that's exactly what I did, grind my way up. But once on the other side I was proud and I realized that I have been improving with slopes and inclines.

On the ride back I got a couple of good for you smiles. I hate good for you smiles. Luckily at my gym no one ever gives me the good for you look or smile. But for some reason, seeing me on a bike ellicites that response. Good for you - for being fat and trying. It used to mortify me. Because I was so busy pretending I wasn't fat that anyone who cheered me on for trying to be active despite being fat totally burst my bubble. Maybe bike people, (now my people), are just more cheery by nature than gym people and want to make me feel welcome.

Sounds like a good theory.