A Prologue to the Next

A few weeks ago, my folks lent me their car so I could house-sit for them and still run back and forth between my house and theirs, and so on.

A while ago I admittedly had some issue with driving. It wasn't that I couldn't drive; it was more that I went a little, well, stir-crazy while doing so. I explained this to a friend the other day who also rides her bicycle enough to understand the following: that there is the potential for experiencing slight shock when going from riding one's bicycle for a long time to driving a car. Any change can cause slight waves, no matter how miniscule, this being no exception.

When riding my bicycle, I've found how easy it is to feel an incline or wind applying pressure from either side. You can feel your body pushing limits and getting stronger. You can smell such things as night-blooming jasmine, freshly cut grass and orange blossoms. You can't really experience those things when driving. (Not fully, anyway.) Going from powering a machine with my whole body to powering a machine with the touch of my foot took all the challenge out of it and did a quick number on my psyche, I'll tell you that much. But as usual, I digress.

Considering it's been about two or so years since that happened and that I have driven much more since then, I obviously didn't have that issue this time (although the difference in activity and energy level becomes apparent within a few days). Rather, the ability to drive offered me the opportunity to observe others' driving styles that end up being dangerous not only to themselves, but to others. (Also, happily, it helped me personally see that being an active member of the road - on my bicycle, at least - has made me much more assertive and cautious in general.)

In the last post, I focused on cycling and how important it is to not just consider oneself when on the road, but rather, by having the mindset that what one does can directly effect the other, the road can be a safer place to be for everyone. Along that same vein, the following post will basically make similar points towards drivers who could probably benefit from exercising more caution.

Health Matters

I am so, so tired... oh, how the night-bleeding-into-morning look clashes with my drive.

Two weeks from now is the 10th Annual Los Angeles River Ride, and as stated numerous times already, I will be riding my bicycle 70 miles. No sweat. That said, I haven't been really keeping up with good nutrition, hydration, and sleeping habits. Working and playing hard should be no excuse, but even with it being completely lame it is still a reason.

Up until about two weeks ago I was the average Jill's model of fitness and nutrition, if not sleep (trust me, if I could program my brain to let me sleep past 7:00 am after being up until 5:00 am, I would - and I'd likely look to profit off of the idea). What can I say; life got the better of me. It happens sometimes. Now that I've noticed the detour, it's time to get back on track. Get in the saddle. Set aside the time. Eat well despite any stress. Don't work through meals. Go grocery shopping. Drink water; get electrolytes. Adhere to a schedule and make it work... because the last thing I need two weeks from now is to have a embarrassing spill en route to the city of Long Beach before I hit the water station.

You Are What You Eat

How many times since elementary school have we been told to eat five a day, get 30-60 minutes of exercise a day, and drink at least eight glasses of water? By now it should be part of our lives as breathing and wearing clothes, but national health reports will tell you differently.

I used to weigh 170 pounds, none of it being muscle. The fifteen-year-old I was then wouldn't have ever imagined to be a slightly muscular just-above-120 with no real obligation to the scale anymore. But like most every woman in Los Angeles, I am preoccupied to some degree by the circumference of my thighs. It just is what it is. However, as an active person trying to maintain performance ability, I can't think too much on looks alone. In an effort to balance the scales (figuratively speaking) I've decided to take on The Daily Plate at Livestrong.com again.

Livestrong.com is a [free!] community resource on all things nutrition, fitness, and health. Last year a few friends and I tried it out with different goals - some of us wanted to eat better, others wanted to lose weight - but of course we all were faced with the potential mistake of not looking at it as a lifestyle change. Realistically, if you're aiming for a clean-running engine or to modify your body outside of subdermal implants and enlarged lobes, that's the way you have to look at it.

In anticipation of warmer weather activities, I've started and modified a number of new workout plans. What I wasn't expecting was for my body to respond in ways that I wasn't previously used to (retaining uncomfortable amounts of water the biggest one). Despite the hard work, I can't say for sure that I've lost weight or inches thus far, although I feel and look more solid. But like last year, I'm going in with the goal to be more in tune with my body and make good nutritional decisions. It's not like I eat crap to begin with. I eat organically, with complex carbs thrown in, every 2-3 hours, minimum 64 ounces of water. It's just that I've just been a fan of the occasional kamikaze and slice of tiramisu in recent weeks (and as we learned yesterday, I could probably stand to sleep a little more).

So starting today I'll be keeping myself in check by entering foods, supplements and drinks, etc., into the application - from gold star achievements to caloric indiscretions. I hope to do a top-notch job athletically in coming months as a result, whether running or cycling. And if I get a better-looking body out of it, even better. Goodness knows I don't have the money for elective surgery.

Feel free to join me and several others!

Photo via extension.unh.edu