Get Fit Fridays: #1

Since the weather started improving and it actually started to feel like spring/summer here in Calgary I have been itching to get on my bike and ride. GeoDad and I are a 1 car household in a very car dependant city which makes life a little more difficult some days (and kept us at home most of the winter). But now that I am working days and kids are child care we are finding lots more time to get out and be active.

I have been walking the kids to their dayhome and then catching the bus, and transfering to the c-train, then walking up to the store where I work. My morning commute is over an hour including drop-off time. Getting home is generally takes an hour with transit, unless I just miss the bus connection, then it is 1:15. Lame right.

Driving is not better if I do have the car for the day. Traffic has mostly eased up by the time I need to go, but at the end of my shift it can take 40 minutes for me to drive the 11km to get home. Lame again.

Over the last few weeks I have been cutting out the bus portion of the commute by riding by bike down to the train station. It is all downhill. 5km. 12 minutes. Easy. Then after work I got to do the sweat inducing ride back home. 5km. All uphill. 23-29 minutes depending on weather. The uphill direction is also into the dominant wind direction. Lame. But it is way nicer than being on the bus.

So last Saturday, a crazy little voice inside my head thought I should find out how long it takes to bike home. I started the day by doing the easy ride down the hill to train. Riding the train with my bike to work and then at the end of the day setting out for a bike ride home. It was a great ride, other than I had no idea how steep the hill coming out of the park would be. It was brutal - 4% grade brutal. I walked my bike up the hill then biked the last 3 km to get home. So it is a 15km ride home, one big uphill, but generally not a lot of topography. And I get to go through a gorgeous provincial park.

I got home in one piece and was amazed at how much nicer it was to get home without the busy transit experience.  No waiting for the train then bus. Not squeezing on to a hot train with grumpy/sweaty/smelly/tired/etc transit users.

Since last Saturday I have biked home twice more. It has been great. Other than I probably wasn't ready to do it back to back days.

So although 2 weeks ago I thought I would not be blogging about exercise/fitness/etc anytime soon. I want to share this and encourage others to get active between sessions on the computer/sewingmachine/tv etc..

So quick stats for the week.
Biked 65km total.
3 rides - 15 km each.
And I went to the gym once.

Oh, and GeoDad and I are getting married in 274 days, so this is probably a good time to start thinking about how I want to look in my wedding dress (which is already picked). I am getting back on the fitness and exercise bandwagon and I am going to lose my baby weight before the wedding.

I would love to say that I am off to exercise more, but tonight it is raining and I have a quilt back to getting sewing.

Have a great weekend.
GeoMama