Goal 3

Well we have met our third goal...20K.  I thought it was more than it is, but oh well.  I guess we'll get there some day.  We actually reached it a little earlier than we thought, so we won't be going to our next city until the end of October.  We're headed to Minneapolis.  Can't wait.  We're going to set our next goal as 32K or 20 miles.  With winter coming up, I know that will be tough, but maybe it will be an inside goal.  Oh well.  Just checking in.  Will let you know where we decide to eat pizza and how it goes. 

Ok...so it's been awhile. :{

I can't believe I let this lapse.  Anyway, we went for pizza in Chicago last November.  A place named Piece located on North Ave. in Chicago (www.piecechicago.com).  We took the family and it was a thumbs up from all.  One of the nice things about this place was the fact we could all get individual pizzas and everyone was able to pick what they like...even the non-pizza eater.  The place was quite busy when we went (Saturday afternoon) but our wait was fairly short.  The seating was quite crowded, but the atmosphere was nice.  If I am remembering correctly, there was a lot of wood decoration which made the place feel cozy.  Unfortunately, all of the pictures I took inside got deleted when I had to reboot my phone.  But here we are standing out front. 

The next big thing that has happened since last year is the purchase of our new road bikes.  They were our Christmas presents to each other, but we got them in October.  I think we both got to ride them once or twice before the season ended.  Hubs did the research, and since we didn't want to spend too much (just in case this was a passing fancy) we purchased lower end road bikes.  I went with the Giordano, solely because I liked the way it looked. Hubs chose the Tommaso.   I was going to match him, with the woman's version,  but I liked the pink on the Giordano.  Hubs says he chose the bikes from their reviews.  I don't know if that is the best way, but that's what we did.  Here we are....

 The first time I got on the bike, it was ROUGH!  I thought I was going to crash.  I had trouble steering, and I DID NOT LIKE how far I had to lean down.  It felt awkward, and my neck hurt because I did not know how to hold my head.  I was so worried that we had made a huge mistake in going with the road bikes instead of something else.  However, my worries are gone, and my neck pain has gotten much better, but my back still does not like me to lean down as much as I do.  I also do not like the seat.  I have been looking for a better one, but have not purchased one yet. Not only does my rear end hurt, it leaves my inner thigh and groin area in pain for a few days.  Almost making it too painful to ride at times.  Since researching, I have learned that the seat is not right for my "sit point."  I am hoping to figure this out, as it really affects my attitude towards riding.  Hubs also had difficulty getting used to his seat at first, but has not complained since  the first few rides.  We bought better padded biking shorts, which may have also helped. 

We are currently working towards our 3rd reward which is a trip to Minneapolis.  We're hoping to go at the end of October.  Our goal is a 20K ride.  That should be easily met if we keep up our progress.  We should have had this trip in May, but winter cold, injuries, and lack of motivation (on my part) stopped us.  (Winter really shouldn't have been an excuse since we also bought one of those indoor contraptions to put our bikes on to ride inside.  Hubs did that more than I did.  I typically used my elliptical instead.)  However, we are now back on track and doing well.  We ride every other day, except when Hubs has to work very late.  Marching band season is upon us again, too, so I have to work around that, as well.  We got up to 14K the other day, and it felt great...so I'm hoping 20K is next.  One our problems is the dogs that live in our area.  They chase us when we ride by, and it freaks me out (people around here do not always lock their dogs up).   We need to find a better route, that hopefully does not include as many dogs. 

Well, that is enough for now.  Thanks for sticking with us. 

Accomplishment

Oh Yeah!  Hubs and I made it around our local State Park and back!  Only two more times, and we've already met the next goal!  Unbelievable!  Now, for transparency, around the lake and back to our house is 13km (a little over 8 miles).  Not the longest ride in history, but far enough for me!  I remember when a friend of ours told me I was the worlds biggest wimp when I told him I didn't think I could make it around the park and back.  He kept telling me how easy it was and he was flabbergasted that I thought it was hard.  Well, now, I know I can!  I can't wait to go farther!

The last hill was a killer!  I thought I was about to die!  I know I have mentioned what a big wimp I am.  I felt bad for Hubs ( we were barely moving at one point :D).  The worst part of the hill, was that about half way up, a dog, which looked a lot like a pit bull (before a dog lover screams at me, I know they are not all bad dogs), came running at us, barking.  It came at us for a little while, getting closer and closer, but finally gave up.  I am not a huge dog fan anyway, but when one who looks scary is barking at you and you don't have anyway to protect yourself...the anxiety kicks in.  I think that made my heart beat faster and made the ride uphill a little harder. 

On the other hand, what an accomplishment for us!  Now...I'm going to go look at Chicago pizza places! :D

Reminder

Note to self:  Don't forget to wear padded cycling shorts....OUCH! :-)

Za! #1

YAY!  Pizza.  Here's our day/review.  So, yesterday we went to Pi in St. Louis.  We looked on several top pizza ratings and saw Pi was the best on some and at least at the top on others.  It was fairly easy to find and while it was a small building but we decided to go during lunch for a smaller crowd.  The waitress told us that they were famous for their deep dish pizza, but unfortunately, none of the family wanted the "Chicago style" pizza.  So, we ordered a thin crust half sausage, half cheese....because I'm the only one in the family who is ambitious and would like to get more on it. 

 I suppose that helped taste the flavor of the sauce.  Hubs said the sauce was more like a marinara than a pizza sauce.  I thought it was pretty tangy.  The sausage was just a little spicy for me, but probably okay for everyone else.  The crust was a cornmeal crust and it was pretty good.  In fact, I think that was the best part.  We got a large and that fed 4 of us, no problem.  Hubs ordered a brown ale, and I ordered their signature sangria.  I've had better sangria's but it had a nice fruity flavor and went down smoothly.  Our youngest doesn't eat pizza, so we ordered her garlic bread with mozzarella cheese on top.  This was interesting, as they brought a small loaf of bread, cut, with cheese melted on top.  They then provided garlic butter to place on the bread.  I had never seen garlic bread served like this.  She thought the bread was great and enjoyed spreading the garlic butter on it.  

After the pizza we spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the Japanese Festival.  It was nice to add a little exercise to our day, since that what this is all about.  Speaking of our goals, we came up with a new one.  Our next goal is to ride around our local state park and back home.  It is about 14km (9mi.).  Maybe not much for some, but it is a big step for us.  Today we rode 8.5km.  Our next city is Chicago, and I am looking to get this goal accomplished before it gets too cold to be outside for long.  

Solo

Ok.  So I thought I would post a picture from my recent solo ride.  Hubs goes on solo rides more than me.  I am too anxious about being on a country road by myself.  I mentioned I was a wimp, right?  Speaking of wimp, I noticed that the ride was less stressful, because I could ride how I wanted and not worry about Hubs thinking I was too far behind or riding too slow or generally that I am a wimp.  However, it was harder.  I like riding with him because he does push me (even if he thinks I am going to slow or not far enough).  He also talks to me and keeps my mind off the pain in my legs or in my bum (man, bike riding is not kind to the nether regions).    He keeps me reminded of my goal, which is to get fit and ride like the wind :).  All in all, I know that it is my own insecurities that stress me out when I am riding with him.  I just want to be “good enough” for him and to make him proud.  I don’t want him to see that I am a wimp (we’ve been married for 21 years, I am sure he KNOWS I am).  I hope that he will put up with me, even when I am trying to give up or seem less than motivated.  And in reality, he IS my motivation to do better and become a better person.  Sure, it’s for me too, but he (and I guess I should mention my kids) is the reason I am on this journey.  They are “the reason” I want to be strong and around for a long time.

Just for kicks…here is another picture…my tattoo that (hopefully) says “the reason.”  I got it several years ago to remind me of them and why I need to stay fit.  

Well tomorrow is our first ZA day.  I'll post pictures and a review when we're back....or maybe Hubs can :)

Motivation

Proud to announce we have finished our 4th week!  Yay!  We have earned our "Za"...we will be going to St. Louis next Friday!  :) 

This last week was tougher.  I think the start of school and trying to find time after working all day, has been tough for me.  I barely made the week, but found it interesting that last night, when I was trying to get that last workout out in, I chose to go the tough route on the bike.  It hit me as I was riding home.  I was so unmotivated, but think I chose a route that I had not ridden, but knew was tougher as a personal motivator...even though it was totally subconscious.  I hope that stays.  I like that my mind is acting in my behalf, even when my body isn't have any of it. 

Now, we have to decide our next challenge.  We are still working on this one this week, before the "za" and new goal.