Sunshine and decadence

 Bliss Chick note: My wholehearted thanks to K for wrangling my boys along with hers to make this post possible.

This is one of those weeks when I can really, truly tell that spring is on its way. The sunshine is strong, the sky is clear blue, and my lungs don't freeze when I inhale. Guess you could say it's the little things. After a week of grey skies and another few days to come, a couple of days of sunshine have really hit the spot.

Yesterday, I was able to get out and cross-country ski on a walking trail not far from a friend's house. Not groomed, and far from ideal conditions, so I was pretty skeptical as I stepped out of the car and saw I'd be sharing the trail with dog walkers, but I just decided to go ahead.

Yet another lesson in "just do it." No, conditions weren't ideal, but they were more than acceptable, and it just felt so good to move. I was outside under clear skies, gliding next to a creek amidst sparkling snow and dark trees' shadows. My brain got off its hamster wheel of "to-dos" and just flowed.

It's been a long week already. Hot Husband's been working long hours, putting me on duty with the boys 24/7. They're fantastic, but I'm one of those folks who needs some quiet time to recharge, and I ain't gettin' much. Military spouses, you have my deepest admiration. Fortunately, a friend offered to spell me for a couple of hours, so I was able to ski AND then head to a coffee shop where I sat in the sunshine with a latte and a book. Alone. Ahhh . . .

I'm a cheater, I've discovered, but this experience has taught me a valuable lesson. I always like to have my dessert first, so to speak, just in case I don't get it at all. In other words, I tend to sit down with my computer before I pop a load of laundry in the washer or get a short workout in because I'm afraid that if I don't do it now, I'll get distracted and never get my precious little break.

What I got to see yesterday was that the free time was all the sweeter because I had done a workout, gotten my heart pumping, and woke up a few endorphins. Now I'm ready to try some of Natalie's post-workout training program. Bubble bath. Hot toddie. Great jammies. I'm soooo there.


P.S. Sorry about the lack of pictures. I really have to get in the habit of having my camera everywhere with me. I know that some of you are just here for the mountain shots.

Back in the game!

It just feels better to feel better.

After a week of trying to peel myself off the couch or bed and find the place where I wanted to exercise, I finally just did it. I put my running shoes on and got out for a 25-minute run at a near-glacial pace. It's all I could fit in yesterday, but it did the trick.

I wasn't looking at my heart rate monitor for my optimal zone or trying to make a certain time. It was just me, the sunshine, and the road. It was beautiful.

That buzz gave me the oomph to get out of bed this morning to do a yoga workout and then register for a 10k race in mid-March. Funny how a step in one direction, either toward slugdom or action, leads to a spiral up or down, at least for me. I wonder how many times I'm going to have to learn this?

Winter biking with style

Here's a post on Copenhagen Cycle Chic about how Copenhageners handle biking in winter. Looking good, naturally, even during a very snowy winter. An estimated 500,000 Cogenhagen residents bike each day as their main mode of transportation. Amazing.

I'm fascinated by biking as a normal mode of transportation. I live in America, where Car is King and where you need Special Gear to participate in any activity, and maybe several outfits of Special Gear for different situations.

Here we have folks biking to work year-round wearing exactly what they'd already be wearing to work or school, plus a layer or two added for warmth, and looking great. I can't imagine Americans going in for this, if only because a hat or helmet would ruin their carefully styled hair.

I'll keep watching so I can figure out how to do it myself. I have the biking part down, it's the style part where I'm lacking.

Gorgeous.

Oooh, baby! Here's a new sleeveless bike jersey from Terry that's actually feminine! Imagine--bike clothes for women make you feel pretty. Nicely done.

Dem low-down, soul-suckin', good for nothin', can't get off my backside winter blues

Sing it, Billie.

Yeah, it's that time again. Those doldrums of February where I just cannot get motivated to do nothin'. Even with everything I know about what exercise does for me, I've had a helluva time peeling myself out of bed in the morning or staying up after the kids go to bed in order to get a short workout in. Even the 5- to 15-minute ones I swear by.

I could give you the laundry list of reasons why it's been tough, but that's just whining. Like I tell my kids when I'm nagging at them (rarely, of course), "You don't want to hear it and I don't want to say it."

Fortunately, age brings perspective as well as wrinkles. I've battled bouts of depression since I was in 6th grade, and after all of those go-arounds, I have learned a thing or two, which makes this year's low spot a bit more manageable, both for me and my family. Here are my reflections on the winter blues, in no particular order.

• I always have this slump in February, and I know this. Rather than mindlessly giving into it, I can just watch it go by and take better care of myself in the meantime. I give myself a few small treats that I love rather than doing a face-plant into a pint of ice cream. Or a bag of Oreos. I'll stop now.

• I'm able to identify the blues pretty quickly now. Instead of sliding into self-loathing, which is oh-so productive, I was able to catch it in a couple of days and distract myself with a book I'd been wanting to finish.

• Once I saw I was slipping, I was able to stop the negative chatter in my head for a minute to ask myself, "What would it look like if I was doing well?"  I made a mental list, and worked with that. 

         By suppertime, I had taken a shower, made supper, had bread baking in the oven, cleared the table, run a couple of loads of laundry, and gotten a few dishes done. I was even able to encourage the kids to make their beds and do their usual vacuuming chores. Much of the house was still a wreck, but there was progress. And that was waaay better than looking at the mess and feeling like a failure.
        This one question works wonders for me. There's no blame, no "shoulds," no grinding perfectionism. There's just imagination for what I could do to lift a tiny bit of the weight of helplessness off my shoulders.

• Getting out with other people also makes a huge difference, but there's a catch for me, at least. If I sit around with a friend and blather about the same issues I've been running in my head, I end up feeling more depleted. If I get out and move or do something that gets me out of my head, like playing hockey, watching a funny movie or trying a new, easy recipe, then I feel better. It's like I had a mini-vacation from the blahs, and that reminds me that they're only temporary.

Hmmm . . . maybe I could manage a short spin on my bike trainer now.

Any other great antidotes for the winter blues? I'd love to hear 'em!

Winter getaway without a plane ticket

Elle on a perfect winter day

Like most folks, we scaled back our traveling plans this year due to the recession, but that doesn't mean we're feeling sorry for ourselves. Hot Husband has an amazing ability to finagle a way out of no way, so not only did we get a two-day trip, but we also had a blast with friends.

Hot Husband has the travel lust. While I definitely enjoy getting a break from the usual routine, it takes a crowbar and dynamite to get me out of the house most of the time. The task of packing and taking care of every little detail makes me want to scream, hibernate, and/or drink. But I digress.

It's no secret that Montana is a winter paradise, and we grabbed it by the snowballs. On Saturday, we drove to West Yellowstone to ski on their hometown trails, called Rendezvous. Lord have mercy. This was absolutely glorious. For almost two hours, Elle and I glided along amongst the trees under a clear blue sky with just a few other skiers along the way.

The men graciously took the boys for a bit so we could get in some girl-only time. This means we cranked for a while, played on a hill for a while, and hung out for a while. We went our speed. And we got so warm that we considered stripping down to our sports bras. I can feel your gratitude that I didn't post a shot of that.

The boys had a blast, too. I'm amazed at how good they are on their cross-country skis this year. We thought we'd worn them out with this adventure, but once we finished up and they met their buddies at a house in Big Sky that we were lucky enough to borrow for the night (Thanks, J & L!), they whooped it up, watched the Olympics, and played games.

The next morning, we skied Moonlight Basin, one of the downhill ski resorts in Big Sky. A few items of note:
1. I suck at downhill skiing. Really and truly.
2. I had a good time anyway.

I was raised in suburban Illinois, and my family wasn't one that had the coin to travel east or west to take advantage of the slopes. Suffice it to say that my parents are also risk averse, so sliding down a mountain on thin strips of wood and plastic didn't really work for them, either. I didn't start skiing until I was in college, and I've never gone more than one or twice a year since, if that.

But now I live in big-time ski country! My boys know how to ski, so I should too, right? Ulp. Getting myself down the mountain each time takes a great deal of faith (that's code for sheer panic), and given how infrequently I ski, I'm not sure if I'm ever going to get beyond that place.

While I was doing my awkward imitation of skiing that day, I realized that I was doing one thing that scared me, a goal for my 40s, and that if I wanted to get better at downhill skiing, I could. It would just take more time on the skis, and at this point, I'm not sure that's where I want to invest my time, energy and money.

See, I used to think that people who were good at something were just naturally gifted. Now I realize that's hooey. Most of them put in the time in areas that gave them joy or that they were curious about, and I can do that too, anytime or anywhere. The hard part now is deciding which of the many, many cool things this world has to offer are the things I want to spend my time doing.

One of them is enjoying my wonderful husband and three amazing boys. Another is spending time with my smart, hilarious friends. Last weekend, I got to do both. How lucky is that?

 

The girls at Rendezvous

The boys at Rendezvous: L-R Dragon Boy, Elle's son, Tiger Boy and Monkey Boy

Beautiful snow sculpture

Boys in pjs playing "Killer Bunnies," one of the most random games I've ever encountered.

No pics of downhill skiing. My hands were clenched around my poles, so I couldn't operate the camera.

Nuthin' to do with biking

 

Monkey Boy, Tiger Boy and Dragon Boy each holding a newborn goat

I promise I won't do this often, but it was such a fun, wacky day that I had to share. Today, two of my milk goats gave birth, so now I have three newborn goats living in my house. Yes, I knew the moms were gonna give any day now, but not on the same day!

Every time I went down to check on the moms, there was another baby getting cleaned off by its mom. I actually got to catch one of the babies and hold her while her mom nuzzled her. 

Just FYI, I have goats to provide milk for my family, and we also have chickens year-round for the eggs. In the summer, we raise a couple of pigs that reside in the freezer during the rest of the year.

The ride that almost wasn't

 

Morning: low clouds in the mountains

I've always been one of those "color inside the lines" kinda girls. Always did well in school, never in the principal's office, no risky behavior as a teen, that sort of thing. Life seemed easier if it was nice and safe.

I'm still pretty tame. It's not as if I'm closing down bars and ending up on the police reports these days, but for me, I'm moving beyond my former comfort zone.

Take yesterday morning, for example. Hot Husband didn't have to clock in screamingly early, and since we have more daylight, I've been fantasizing about getting back to my habit of fitting in an early morning ride before he goes to work. I could do it! Clothes on, walk out the door and  . . .

Flat tire. Right. Noticed that when I came home from my weekend ride and hadn't taken the time to change it. (Note to self: Take care of bike repairs ASAP. Duh.)

So there I was, all dressed and ready, staring a a flat tire on the only bike that has studded tires. Do I stay or do I go?

I know some of you are rolling your eyes right now, but this was big for me. In the past, I would have given up, taken it as a sign that I shouldn't go, or worried that if I didn't have exactly the right stuff, the trip would end up in disaster. I would have given in to excuses and settled in with a cup of tea. I mean, me and exercise? Really.

I went. I grabbed my husband's mountain bike with its slick tires (Yikes!) and took off. The first short stretch was icy, but then I hit clear roads and took off--no problem. In fact, it was glorious. The clouds were misty, clinging low in the hills, and I found a piece of road that was just mine.

After 20 minutes or so, I was back home in time for Hot Husband to get to work, but only after he'd handed me a latte and a smooch. Love that man.

This morning I woke up to my bike with the studded tires in the house, flat fixed. Really love that man.

Pretty much says it all . . .

 

New T-shirt out from Terry. Can't say it any better. I love biking.

Biking in monochrome

More beautiful winter biking shots on Amsterdamize. I'm just fascinated by this guy's work.

Backhanded liberation

Sometimes, it's really interesting to get a glimpse of yourself from the outside.

I was standing around talking with a couple of my foodie friends the other day (I geek out over local food and bikes these days!) and one was offering me a bit of liver pate that he'd made. He's Hungarian and is always talking about the great traditional foods he's making. I wanted to try it, I said, because of the awful memories I had of being forced to eat poorly cooked liver as a child, and his version sounded like something far better. I love having my stereotypes challenged.

When I joked about my mom's cooking, he said, "I can tell your mother didn't feed you enough. You're too skinny. I like a woman who's  . . . "

He put his hands out in front of him.

"More substantial?" I offered.

"Yes, more substantial. I like a woman with some meat on her bones."

"I completely respect that," I replied, laughing. I also love frank admissions.

What hit me later was that in the midst of feeling great about dumping extra weight, I never considered that someone else might think it was a bad thing. This someone else wasn't trying to minimize my success; he's a guy who appreciates the female form, and my body type wasn't on his "ideal" list.

What a relief. It was real-life, real-time confirmation that our commercial culture's obsession with the perfect female body is such a load of pucky, even though I knew it already. What matters is that I love my new lean, strong body. I didn't get it by trying to force my body to be something it's not, trying to please someone else or by agonizing over the fact that this part or that part isn't perfect. 'Cause honey, after 40 years and three babies, perfect ain't what I got.

Snow ride!

Finally, after almost a month of not getting in a ride, I got on my bike and took a trip downtown. Not a leisurely little jaunt, but a slippin' and slidin', fishtailin', snow-covered adventure.

Without a doubt, I loved it. True story.

Yes, that's me preparing to leave. We woke up to snow, and at 9 a.m. the plows hadn't even gotten close to plowing our street, which is about 2 miles off of Main Street. I almost didn't make it up my driveway, so I walked a bit and then set off, not knowing how far I'd really get. The next mile was dicey, to say the least, but studded snow tires make all the difference. 

It was snowing hard enough to obscure the mountains, but the soft, powdery flakes were nothing short of magical.

Once I got to Main Street, there was mostly slop instead of snow, so it was a great day to test the new fenders Hot Husband installed last month. Result: amazing! The backpack carrying my laptop was completely unscathed. I'll do another test run in a few days to really make sure they're catching all of the splatter.

The trip home an hour later was no easier, since the plows were still busting to take care of other side roads. I actually had to walk part of the way up the last hill before my street.

Crazy? Hardly. It was really exhilarating and amazing to know that I was powering myself through this gorgeous snowfall. There were times I was worried that another car might lose it and slam into me, but the drivers overall were pretty respectful, and I was very cautious on the hills and curves.

Also had a few minutes to pop into my favorite LBS (local bike shop) to talk about the spring line that's coming. Watch for cruiser beauty shots in the coming weeks. Loving this winter, but it will be fun to zip along on dry roads in the sunshine!

The gear? I was wearing my usual biking jacket and pants on top. These are soft shell pieces that do a great job of repelling water and snow and keeping in heat while being breathable. Underneath, I had on an Icebreaker merino wool base layer, a grey cashmere turtleneck sweater (thrifty eBay purchase), Ibex wool leggings (second-hand score!) and my Bogs. I was sweating when I got to my destination, so I'll definitely need to pare down for the next trip.

Commuting stats: round trip was 5 miles and it took me 20 minutes each way.

At home before I left.

This is the road. No really--it's there. You're supposed to be looking at mountains straight ahead, but they're almost totally obscured by the snow coming down.

Wadin' through the deep stuff!

 Street scene in front of Chalet Sports, my fave bike shop.

No. Way.

And I thought winter biking was a feat. Check out these Chinese bicycle acrobats.

Cycling and weight loss

A week ago, Veloria, author of the gorgeous blog Lovely Bicycle!, wrote a post asking the pointed question, "Does biking really keep your weight down?" Her answer: yes and no. It certainly touched off a large round of comments, which echoed her findings.

An unspoken question within this topic is, "Why do you bike?" For fun? To stay in shape? As a cheap way to get from place to place? To reduce fossil-fuel dependency? To live more simply? All of the bikers I know have different answers, but they all admit that getting a shot of exercise is part of the motivation.

Here's what I know from my own biking and weight loss adventures. If you're looking for the most efficient calorie burn per minute, biking ain't it, unless you're talking about racing or high-intensity mountain biking, which aren't really entry-level activities.

Commuter biking is a whole different game. You're biking at slower speeds in order to negotiate traffic and stop signs (fewer calories burned), but you're also usually hauling a heavier bike (more calories burned). There's no denying that this kind of biking still raises your heart rate and makes your muscles work. Most commuter bikers talk about having to adjust their layers so they stay warm, but don't end up in a puddle of sweat when they reach their destination.  There's also no denying that biking expends far more calories than sitting behind a steering wheel.

I think the key to biking fitness on the entry or commuter level is to change up your route. Our amazing bodies adapt so quickly to any fitness routine, so if it never varies, the body doesn't see it as exercise anymore--it's just part of everyday life. Even adding a hill a couple of times a week is enough to keep the body in "burn calories" mode instead of ho-hum complacency.

I started biking after a running (um, more like moseying) injury put me on the sidelines, and I needed a workout that didn't subject my knees to pounding. I had a basic bike and a friend who liked to bike, so I started with that. Soon after, I was totally hooked. The calories burned really didn't matter to me because I was having such a great time and I wanted push my body so I could fly.

Since I'm home with my three dudes, my biking tends to be more for working out than for commuting, though I do get to run some errands by myself on two wheels on occasion. Yes, even in winter. I was really hesitant to try, but once I stated reading Dottie and Tricia's blog, Let's Go Ride a Bike, I decided that I really didn't have an excuse not to try. Dottie was biking in Chicago, for crying out loud, and I know what those winters can be like.

What I can say after months of trying different types of exercise is that I think biking is a fantastic activity for the average person. It's easy on the body, simple to do, doesn't require a lot of complicated equipment (really and truly), and is undeniably fun. Because I'm more fit from biking, it makes the rest of my life that much more sweet.

"Almost" 20 pounds?

 

No, this isn't my current weight. Please.

Stick around here for a few minutes, and you'll probably pick up on the fact that I dropped almost 20 pounds in 2009. Yeah, that's right, you goal-oriented hotshots.  I didn't quite make it. Why?

I was smart enough to quit.

When I started on my adventure to do more than just think about exercise in February of 2009, I honestly and truly didn't have a weight goal in mind. Given my personality and the culture of weight loss in America, I knew that I didn't want my goal to be tied to a number on a scale or a clothing tag. I wanted to feel better in my own body, period.

I must admit that I had no idea how much weight I "should" lose. I knew my backside was too big and  my midsection muffin top was increasingly obvious, but I was completely clueless about what it would take to shrink them.

I was also afraid I would fail. What if I sweated and strained and the weight wouldn't come off, which was the story of some women I talked to? What if my body simply wouldn't unload the excess cargo, no matter how many hands were on deck? What if, at almost 40, this is what my body had decided to be?

My mission, then, was a coward's: get in at least two cardio workouts lasting 30 minutes long and two strength workouts a week. That's it. No specific outcomes or benchmarks. I expected to sit back, see some results and be serene and content with my progress. Yes, I was going to be Zen Mama, at peace with her flesh.

As if.

Like my five-year-old son waiting for cookies out of the oven (Oooh, bad analogy!),  I checked my weight daily, especially during those weeks when I was training for a race or I felt skinny. Initially, I was rewarded. The first five or six pounds came off in a rush, like they were just waiting for me to do something more than breathing and spending time on the Internet.

And then, nothing. For weeks.

I was keeping up with my workouts, pounding the trails, sneaking in exercise when I could, and my weight mysteriously remained the same. I asked Hot Husband, "Is my butt smaller?" (Men, take note: always say yes. It's just safer.) I asked him to put on his exercise science major hat and give it to me straight: what the @%$& was going on?!

The answers left me cold, but I continued anyway. My legs and abs were getting toned, my running times were going from the "glacial" category to "pokey," I was having a blast riding on my new road bike, and I was feeling stronger. I had lost 10-ish pounds, and I was content with that.

Then my friend Elle and her husband Jay started talking. He was in terrific shape from training for cyclocross season, and was winning races in his age group. Elle had lost about 20 pounds and was going for 30 by the end of 2009. Well, who was I to stand around and watch these two pass me by? It was time to get my game on!

For the last three months of the year, I was focused. I was diligent about my workouts, careful about what I ate, and I made sure that the weight I'd lost was NOT going back on, even if I was in the throes of the holidays! I peeled off another 8 pounds--even through Christmas--and then . . .

It was me and the last two pounds. (Cue suspenseful music.)

One day, just before New Year's, I stood on the scale and stared at the same damn number. I was edgy. I had that gnawing feeling in my stomach from days of not eating quite enough. I could feel a low hum of a headache, like when a caffeine buzz has gone just a little too far. This was not working.

Right there and then, I realized that this goal had put me at war with my body. I had gone from having a lot of fun getting in shape, especially biking, and traded it for a contest where I saw my body as something to be conquered or beaten into submission. As a woman who's spent too many years not feeling nice enough, smart enough, pretty enough or happy enough, I knew this was not a place I wanted to be.

So I quit.

I'm happy to report that a month later, I'm still only a pound or two from the 20-pound loss mark, and I'm really OK with it. I'm feeling great, having a lot of fun doing all sorts of outdoor activities with my kids that would have wiped me out a year ago. Now I only check the scale once a week, just to see if how I'm feeling in my body connects relates with the number on the scale.

It's a much happier place to live. And you know, I'm all about the bliss.

Welcome to Bike Bliss!

image by Janet Bike Girl

It's official opening day here at Bike Bliss!

I created this blog a couple of months ago to share an astounding discovery: exercise feels great. I know, I was pretty shocked myself.

Growing up, I'd always understood that exercise was one of those deals like castor oil. It's really good for you, but it's also mostly unpleasant. The way adults presented it, exercise wasn't about feeling good, it was about doing what the doctor said, winning a competition or looking a certain way.

All that bad press faded away when I got on my bike again for the first time in a long time. The sensation of power and freedom was so amazing, I wanted to get out again and again.

I want to inspire you find that place for yourself, and Bike Bliss is my way of doing just that.

Here's a short overview of the blog:
--If you want to know more about Bike Bliss, go here.
--For more about my journey to getting healthier and a few pounds lighter, go here, here and here.
--I love biking, and I love to laugh. Expect funny stuff. Well, at least sarcasm.
--It's not about fancy gear or high-tech gadgets. I try to keep things simple and fun.
--Biking has given me the confidence to try new activities, so I'll be writing about those too, especially when the snow is flying.
--I have an amazing husband and we're raising three dudes. Expect to hear about them.
--All reviews are my honest opinion.
--If I think something's great, I'll tell you, and if it's not, you either won't hear about it or I'll tell you exactly what I think. I don't like wasting time or money.

Find your bliss!

They make it look so easy

If you need a little shot of winter biking inspiration, or just a breath of Euro style, head on over to Amsterdamize for another glorious photo series on regular people in regular clothes who are making biking part of their daily lives. In winter. Really.

Take a look at the bikes these folks are riding. By and large, they're beater utility bikes that are meant to withstand hard use with little maintenance. I love seeing all of the customized little touches people have made to create a more functional or unique bike.

Grab a cup of your favorite hot beverage and enjoy a few quiet moments watching these bikers go by.