Breakfast Muffins

So far the commuting thing has been going well (minus the car run-in). In order to improve my ability to break my fasting in the morning, I decided to bake breakfast muffins. This would ideally shorten the amount of time it takes in the morning to ingest sustenance. I found a recipe that piqued my interest and set off on tracking down the ingredients. My culinary crusade to make fig and goat cheese muffins was more arduous than I anticipated. The elusive figs were the final puzzle piece that I found on Sunday and made a 12 muffin batch that night. I tried one piping hot out of the oven and it was delicious... but I restrained myself from eating them all at once.

The next morning the ready-made muffin did the trick! I ate one and then headed out the door in a timely fashion. I don't think I'll get sick of them for the rest of the week. Might change up the recipe for next week. Perhaps baked oatmeal....

End of Week Two

Day 8,9,10

The weather has been warmer and there was a slight drizzle on Friday but otherwise I've avoided dealing with rain. I was early 5 out of 5 days this week! Looking forward to riding into work tomorrow. I think I'll finally crack down and have to bring a backpack with clothes to change into. The longer ride on Wednesday has been peachy keen since the bike path is so nice. I'm still a little skittish around cars at stoplights near dry cleaners, but overall things are going well.

45.62 miles logged this week on mapmyrun.com

Bruised but not Beaten

Day 6: Mostly Cloudy/Windy High 73° Low 49°
The madness of driving to Pittsburgh on Friday AND Saturday made Sunday my "down" day, which I spent painting up in the attic. So by the time I wound down it was just about time to rise and shine on Monday morning. The bike ride in was pleasant. I've noticed I downshift the gears less while riding up hills. 

On the way back from work I even caught myself wishing the ride was longer since it was such a nice day out. The bruise on the inside of my leg is almost as big as my hand, but it doesn't bother me much. Neither do the bruises on my forearms.

After making a veggie lunch, I darted off to West Liberty to teach and then drove into Pittsburgh for an Italian lesson and Laser Cutter class at TechShop. Didn't get home until after 11 pm. Good thing I incorporated 40+ minutes of exercise into my commuting routing!

Bike miles: 7.2 Car miles: 130*

*at least it was all high-efficiency driving
Day 7: Partly Cloudy High 74° Low 61°
No jacket today! It was almost 60 when I left the house. I've been listening to Marina and the Diamonds while riding this week. The Ohio part of the ride is the trickiest, but I'm a more defensive cyclist now. When I was laughing in response to one of Jon Stewart's quippy one-liners on the Daily Show the other day I noticed that my abs are kind of sore. I haven't been doing any additional exercises (no time!) but I guess that's a side effect? I can't complain.

I'm determined to go to the ceramics open studio this afternoon to work on the wheel. Then it's off to do a presentation at the City of Wheeling Arts and Cultural Commission board meeting in the evening. Another long day!

The Kitten Whispers and Tickle Fights Stop Here

Day 3: Partly Cloudy/Windy High 42° Low 25°
I definitely did not leap out of bed, but finally got up and packed a breakfast in the zippered pocket of my windbreaker. The "I'm so awake I don't need coffee!" honeymoon phase has officially ended...now I'm just tired from actually exerting myself. The weather has been chilly, but with gloves and wool socks, I'm doing just fine. After the one mile mark my body generates enough heat to keep me pretty comfortable.

Today was the first day I biked an additional 7.9 miles to take a pottery class at the Stifel Fine Arts Center right after my shift in downtown Wheeling. The ride to the class is mostly on the Heritage Wheeling Bike Trail, which is really nice, flat, and stress free since it's car-free. There were times when biking past joggers that my speed was only slightly faster than theirs. The wind was really tough to bike into, plus I've been feeling really tired. Getting to sleep before 11 is not a problem...it's the waking up at 7 part that's difficult. Still, so far I've arrived early to work every day this week!
Day 4: Mostly Cloudy High 54° Low 34°
This morning actually felt colder than the previous mornings. It was in the 20s when I biked to work. That's going to be a tricky part of the commute in the coming weeks: leaving when it's chilly and coming back during the heat of the day. So far I have just been biking in my work clothes to avoid having to bring a backpack with clothes to change into. My back and neck were initially sore from hunching over on the bike, I'm not really sore except for my legs. I've actually been surprised by the lack of muscle soreness, but I'm sure I'll live to regret that statement.**
I started logging my rides on Map My Ride to better keep track of mileage just for the sake of science. I got to work early again today and I even managed to eat breakfast before I left. (baby steps)

**Ohhhh the irony. On my way back home I stopped to take this picture on the Aetnaville Bridge

and then 1/2 mile later I had the misfortune to get hit by a car that bent my front wheel and pushed me into the pavement landing squarely on my right side, which in turn is really sore now. The driver accelerated after stopping at a stop sign and hit me at the edge of an intersection where I had the right of way but she didn't see me. She stopped and tried to help, but I just had some scrapes on my hand and a really sore leg. I was wearing a helmet. The police showed up to file a report and then gave me a ride home.

The bike is a goner, but luckily there was another one for me to ride to work on Friday.

Day 5: Mostly Sunny High 52° Low 29°
Today felt warmer, but I rolled out a little late and ruined by perfect attendance streak this week. I've been doing really well at going to bed early, but yesterday's excitement/adrenaline (not to mention an English Toffee Cappuccino in the evening) threw off my body clock. The "new" bike is more comfortable and easier to ride. (Thanks Jake for getting it ready!) The sorest part of me is halfway up both forearms; it stings whenever I go over a bump. Overall, getting hit by a car was a good reality check. I'll be more aware and cautious when riding.

Bike to Work April

I'm resurrecting this blog from almost three years ago when I spent an active summer in St Louis with only a bicycle and a light rail pass to my name. I currently live in the Ohio Valley where there are buses, but I never use them. My frantic lifestyle and multiple jobs keeps me strapped to a car almost every single day. I've noticed a decline in my physical health over the past year and a half since I moved here so I'm working on incremental lifestyle changes. Since my schedule is jam-packed the leisure of exercise eludes me. Many of my friends and relatives have epic commutes to work, but I am lucky enough to live only 3.5 miles away from one of my part time job locations.

I went to a local gym for three months (December-February) doing cardio at least three times a week, but noticed hardly any difference in my physical or emotional health. The three month membership broke down into $58/month plus I was paying $25/month for a parking permit plus miscellaneous change for parking meters. With 7 miles a day roundtrip I drive 35 miles a week just commuting to one job, which equates to about 2 gallons of gas/week and 8 gallons per month. With gas at almost $4/gallon that's $32/month for gas. So about $120/month for me to get to work and move my body artificially with machines. Without a gym membership my commuting cost is $60/month

This is just one of many commutes for me. I also drive 30 miles roundtrip to teach at West Liberty University twice a week and I just started teaching at TechShop in Pittsburgh a few times a month, which is over 110 miles roundtrip. Part of why I started Bike to Work April is because it's one small step to reclaim my health and also save some money since I'm making more trips to Pittsburgh.

Coming in slightly late has become a chronic issue for me so I started off April by setting my alarm earlier and giving myself more time to get ready. Driving to work takes 15 minutes and biking takes 20. My plan is to wake up at 7, leave the house by 8 am, and arrive early at work before my shift starts at 8:30.

Goals:
Bike to work Monday through Friday during the entire month of April
Arrive early/on time
Take note of changes (physical, emotional, mental)
Learn basic bike maintenance

Challenges:
Being out of shape/fatigue
Rain - April is known for showers after all
Hillier than St Louis
Biking's not really my "thing"

Today is day two since it is April 2nd. A small part of me thought posting yesterday would have created a mental block, but here I sit: 10.5 miles into the 154 miles* I'll bike during the month of April.
*154 is the base number. I'll build on it for additional trips such as biking 4 miles from work to a ceramics class once a week.
Things I noticed on Day 1: Partly Cloudy High 48° Low 28°
I really wanted to drink a lot of water. Normally I'll go for coffee in the morning because I like the aroma and I think it helps me be more alert, but yesterday I felt very alert and kept throwing back water during the day. My double jacket layer was really warm on the ride back so I tied both around my waist for a double-cool look. I had to walk my bike up the last big hill going to my house. I've biked it before so I know I can do it, but my body is in shock from exerting itself so I'll ease into it.
Things I noticed on Day 2: Mostly Sunny High 42° Low 26°
My neck is sore and so is my bottom. Getting out of bed was less immediate than yesterday, but I ate an egg breakfast and bundled up for the ride. I wasn't uncomfortable temperature-wise and I made it early again. I'll be getting some physical baselines today so I can more accurately assess any changes. Tomorrow will be 16 miles but in four 4 mile chunks. I need to sync some better playlists asap. Tricking myself with upbeat music boosts my speed up hills/not flat stretches.

Metabolic Morning

I love writing a letter or reading a book right when I wake up. Before my tummy signals in its tawdry toddler way that breakfast time has arrived. It feels like mental exercise that kicks my mental metabolism into gear. Does that mean I burn mental calories stored from the day before? Maybe this metaphor isn't actually appropriate, but anyhoo, last night I started Eat Pray Love and then finished No Impact Man and then kept reading Eat Pray Love late into the night. I woke up this morning to the veiled mausoleum sky preparing for a downpour. Perfect. Nothing like reading a book in a rocking chair on a rainy morning. The light was pretty dim, but I wanted to avoid using unnecessary electricity. I just pretended I was Bach writing sonatas by moonlight (without the part of going blind, of course...)

Then, after a breakfast omelette interlude, I continued working on a letter to a dear friend. Some people write their dreams down right when they wake up, but since I hardly ever remember my dreams I feel like my stream of consciousness is especially unbridled early in the morning. Writing without thinking can surprise you. I suppose any letter I've ever written has been free-writing about whatever is on my mind. It's like a diary that you give away. It's quite liberating. Entrusting someone with your momentary epiphanies. The giving-away is the most important part for me. Sharing myself is something I have done more of recently. It's scary, but also very rewarding. I'm so glad I've had encouragement and the courage to be more outgoing and pursue the things that interest me.

Soccer this past Thursday was pretty great. It's nice to feel wanted even if it's just by a group of jumbled soccer-enthusiasts that think my presence on the field isn't an embarrassment to the sport. They asked if I'll be back next week, and I'm looking forward to showing up with my new boots :)

small victories

1st victory: I bought soccer cleats from Play It Again Sports on Saturday morning in a 3 hour trip via public transportation while reading No Impact Man.

2nd victory: I didn't turn on my computer for over 36 hours starting two days ago.

3rd victory: I started brewing my first batch of kombucha two days ago!!