Snowday Schmoday

I have a feeling that my #everdayonabike posts for the remainder of February are going to be pretty sparse. After experiencing a very mild winter so far, we were hit with a snowstorm on Thursday and another one today. We were able to take a family bike ride to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science on Saturday afternoon and enjoyed a gorgeous sunset before heading home.

Side note: Thanks so much to Casey at Life with Roozle for featuring #everdayonabike on her site this weekend! I've been "meeting" so many cool people through this challenge and I'm not even through the second month. Once the weather is more bike friendly, I hope to meet many more.

The snow started on Saturday evening and hasn't let up yet. It's the closest we've experienced to blizzard conditions all winter, but we still attempted some sledding. Lila made it down the hill three times and was ready to call it quits. Benny would have stayed much longer, but we bribed him with hot cocoa. No kid can resist hot cocoa.

After some much needed naps, Benny and I ventured out on his new snowshoes. He only made it to the end of the block, but seemed to catch onto the process pretty quickly. I walked back home with him and then set off on my own hike. The city was so peaceful this afternoon and it was a rare treat to be out by myself, save for a few people shoveling their sidewalks.

We finished the weekend with butternut squash (from the garden!) pizza. I'm a pizza purest (tomatoes, basil, mozzarella), so it was a little out of my comfort zone, but everyone else seemed to love it. Thanks to {never} homemaker for the recipe! Benny and Lila helped me make homemade brownies for dessert.

Typically we don't spend the entire weekend together as a family, but this weekend was a nice change of pace. Although I've been busy with work, I was able to clean the house and make a few decent meals. I was also motivated to finish preparing two lectures, which is something I typically can't get completed over the weekend.

It seems that a snowday was just what we all needed to slow down and recharge.

Hike Dates

For the past two years and change, Nate and I have been bad about going on dates and focusing on our relationship. I'll blame it on the two-kid syndrome. We didn't always feel comfortable leaving a young baby/toddler with a sitter. Compound that with little energy and a "dating" rut, and we haven't made many romantic overtures over the past two years.

Beginning this year, we are committed to going on a date at least once a month (more if possible). In January, we took a hike date. This month, we were planning a night out and then got a last-minute offer for a sitter during the day yesterday. We grabbed that offer and we drove up to the mountains and snowshoed damn near close to the Continental Divide. It reminded me of the days pre-kid when we hiked and went out to dinner and played cards and generally spent quality time together.

On Friday we're taking advantage of a parents' night out event at Benny's daycare to celebrate Valentine's Day at one of our favorite restaurants in Denver. I'm already salivating!

Winter Riding

It's not really fair to say that I've been "winter riding." The weather in Denver has been far too nice for that.

I don't mind riding in the cold. The lowest temperature I've ridden in so far this winter is 25. I won't ride in temperatures lower than that with the kids. No, my biggest problem with winter riding is precipitation. I'm a wuss about riding with any kind of precipitation on the road - particularly ice. I know there are things I can do to have a better winter biking experience, but I'm not willing to buy a new bike with fat tires (yet) or other accouterments for winter biking. (I'm so amazed by Miss Sarah at Girls and Bicycles who rides nearly all year in Edmonton, Alberta and Dottie of Let's Go Ride a Bike who commutes year-round in Chicago!) So, I'm crossing my fingers that the weather will continue to be mild and what ice and snow that we do have melts quickly.

With that said, it's snowing now and it's supposed to be 15 degrees all weekend. The Everyday on a Bike Challenge continues and someone has posted a picture for every single day of this month: A huge feat in the winter months. I'm hoping that the contributors in warm climates are able to keep it up this weekend, because I really doubt I'll be on the bike for the next three days!

I have run across some interesting articles about making it easier to ride - wherever and whoever you are.

• Winter riding
• 5 Barriers to Women Riding More

What's keeping you from riding this winter? Schedule? Weather? Equipment? Or, are you powering through the cold temperatures in anticipation of spring-time rides? If you are powering through, don't forget to document it, post it on Instagram with the tag of #everydayonabike. Happy (cold) riding!

Winter Running

I was all but ready to give up running a few months ago. My legs were sore and my motivation was low. Then November rolled around and the days were gorgeous. I figured I better get out and run because I never know when the weather will take a turn. I ran or walked every day that month. December proved to be pretty similar - out of character warm, dry weather. So, I kept running. I also increased my "base" run from 3 miles to 4 miles. In all of my running life, 3 miles have been the absolute minimum I will run. Lately, I haven't run anything less than 4 miles.

In late December the weather did turn. But, I just kept at it. Turns out that dressing appropriately helps with winter running. And it turns out that keeping active over the winter months helps with extra pounds over the holidays (shocking, I know). It's been very helpful to run without any particular goal. I'm not registered for any races. My only goal is to keep running. And so far it's working.

Bad. Ass.

One way to feel like a badass ... Ride to a meeting downtown on December 6. I know, I know, some people do this every day. Just let me feel like a badass for this fleeting moment.

New Habits

As I get older (or as I mature, I guess), I've noticed that I have to change many of my long-established habits. Some of it is health-related, like brushing with a Sonicare toothbrush because my gums are "thin." Some of it is appearance-related, like applying lotion like it's my job if I don't want my skin to look like an elephant's. Much of it is kid-related. And some of it is sheer willpower to positively change my life and my impact in this world.

I've written about my return to biking before. I was inspired by several people last spring to start commuting by bike again, including a former student, a former co-worker and a friend who are all committed to driving less and riding more. However, my biggest motivator was Benny. It's hard to say no to a four and a half year old begging to go for a bike ride - every day.

When Benny was two, Nate and I took a vacation to Sonoma. We spent a day biking to various wineries. That was in 2009. I didn't hop back on a bike until 2012 (seriously).

 

It's taken nearly nine months, but I have finally reprogrammed my brain to commute by bike rather than by car. For example, a friend and I were going to see an author speak last week. She was driving to south Denver and I was meeting her at her house - a mile away. Despite the chill in the air and early darkness, I traveled by bike.

Last week, on a sunny, gorgeous day, I opted to run errands on my lunch break. Six miles and four stops later, I was back home and ready to work. Not long ago, I would have happily hopped in the car to run those errands.

Old habits die hard. But new habits aren't impossible to cultivate either.

Biking to a Baby Brunch

Fall has been spectacular this year. Today was no exception. With a high in the mid-60s, I couldn't help but bike to a baby brunch this morning. The only thing that would have made the ride better was a partner. But, I'm not going to complain.

The brunch was in honor of Jamie, the cutest pregnant woman I know! I prefer baby brunches to baby showers very much. Case in point: mimosas!

Congrats to Jamie!

Weekend Outtakes

We kicked off the weekend with soccer practice!

Earlier this week, Nate mentioned that he wanted to go camping before the nights are too cold. I wasn't very excited. My stomach has been acting weird for the past week or so (gassy and crampy - could it be a bug?) so I wasn't feeling up to being miserable all night in a tent. Plus, we've had a busy schedule the past couple of weeks and I wanted to get some stuff done around the house.

The three musketeers took off yesterday afternoon, leaving me to a rare night off. I weighed my options - hang out, stay out late, stay at home... I'm not one for staying out and partying much any more. And many of my friends are mothers too, so finding someone who could drop everything and grab a nice dinner would be difficult. In the end, I had dinner with a friend and her family. It was a rare treat to hang out with them without my own family and with half of the interruptions we normally experience when we spend time together.

I left early to have some time alone at home. As I was riding my bike home, I decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and go for a bit of a ride. Not far from home, I ran into two friends, who happen to be neighbors, who were outside for a block party. They offered me a beer, so I stayed awhile. Such a cool random accident that never would have occurred had I not been on my bike.

The campers returned relatively early this morning. Nate and Benny put together our new composter!

Lila discovered the joy of markers and stickers - all over herself.

Finally, we capped off the weekend with one of what will probably one of our final feasts from the garden (until the squash are ready, that is), including hamburgers stuffed with jalenpeno peppers, beer battered eggplant and fresh tomatoes. Not recipe worthy, but certainly delicious! Fresh from the garden: jalenpeno peppers, eggplant and tomatoes.

Eight Is Enough

I was all set to run another half marathon on September 22. My legs were feeling pretty good. My motivation was high. Then I ventured online to register for the race. $115!?! (The same thing happened last year, so I'm not sure why I was so surprised.) So, after running a long run of 8.5 miles last week, I'm hanging up my shoes, figuratively, for now. The registration fee coupled with the time to train are major inhibitors to my psyche.

Instead, I'm going to use the registration money to pay for some yoga classes. At this point in my life, running just isn't enough to keep the extra flab and pounds off any more. I need a more varied and aggressive approach! My body seems to be used to running. So while my legs and butt are getting a workout, my upper body is neglected. It's probably about time I give them some love as well.

It's not that I'll stop running. Rather, I'll run shorter distances and focus on my speed. I've been cutting time off each run. And I'll run for fun - not because I HAVE to.

So, I'm wondering, has anyone else bailed on training over halfway through a training plan? I'm sure many have bailed on training due to injuries and whatnot, but what about money? And time?

P.S. I also bought a pair of new boots. I couldn't justify both a registration fee and boots. It was a tough call, obviously.

An End of Summer First

Benny, Lila and I took our final summer trip to the library this morning. We've enjoyed a nice routine of heading to the library on our bikes after we get home from grocery shopping on Fridays. It never occurred to me to get Benny his very own library card until I saw this picture. And I'm not sure why: I can still remember the thrill and the awesome sense of responsibility of getting my very own library card.

Lila and I will miss Benny on Fridays when he starts school next week.

For the record, Benny picked the pink card out of choices of blue, green and pink. Makes me proud :).

And, somewhat related, Benny picked out a book called Chocolate Me, a story about a black little boy who is trying to understand why his friends make comments about his skin and hair. Benny just came out of the bathroom and said he was going to call himself Vanilla Me because people come in all different flavors. I never know what's going to sink into that little brain and take hold.

Lessons from the Road

Just completed my longest bike commute yet: 5 miles on the nose! As I'm still getting used to this bike commuting thing, I've instituted a 5-mile bubble. I will ride, without question (or without much question) up to 5 miles to a meeting. Until I'm in better bike riding shape, I think 5 miles is my max. It did take me 30 minutes each way.

I'm also learning some lessons:

1. I'm not as familiar with this city as I thought I was. Although my meeting today was only 5 miles away, I had NEVER spent any significant amount of time in this area, just south of downtown.
2. When in doubt, ALWAYS trust Google Maps. On the way to the restaurant, I thought I'd try to cut through some neighborhoods. Not a good idea. I ended up riding on some sidewalks due to inopportune one ways. Also, it turns out that having a bike lane is really helpful.
3. Wear a helmet. I wore one today and was able to shrug off my fear of a head injury.

And that's just a sampling of the many lessons I learned today. Overall, a very pleasant commute for a very pleasant lunch with these fine ladies!

Time Off

My legs are finally feeling back to normal a week after the half-marathon. I've been taking it easy over the past week - only running a couple of days and biking or walking to keep my legs moving. Working all of that lactic acid out has been a challenge.

I'm taking some time off from running over the next month to focus on other active endeavors, like biking and yoga. Then I'm hoping to pick it back up for a fall half-marathon.

Speaking of time off, Lila has decided to go on a hunger strike over the past few months. She rarely eats more than five bites at each meal. I've stopped giving her many snacks in the hopes that she'll be hungry enough for a meal when the time comes. The results of that experiment have been mixed. I know that kids slow their eating way down after their first birthday, but this seems rather extreme. Lila used to consistently eat more than Benny at meal times.

I'm trying hard not to be a short order cook. I refuse to give her only what she wants (which is typically just sweets anyway). In the long run, I think this approach is better for meal times. We have never given in to Benny's eating whims and he eats what we eat for every meal - no arguments. But I do want to make sure that Lila is getting everything her growing body needs.

Has anyone else in bloggerland witnessed such a drastic change in eating habits in your kids? If so, what did you do during the phase of no eating?

In a Local State of Mind

Happy belated Bike to Work Day! Did anyone bike to work yesterday? Yeah, I didn't either. Then again, I didn't really go to work yesterday. I did feel a tinge of guilt when I didn't bike with Benny to school. To be fair, the heat here is nearly unbearable in the afternoon, so I didn't want to be stuck riding to get Benny in 100 degree weather. Lila and I did walk to pick Benny up, however, since a storm moved in and cooled the temperature down. We even had to use a sheet last night to cover up! Brrrr.

So, I this afternoon I pretended that today was yesterday and I could bike to my heart's content (it's only 90 degrees today!). Lila, Benny and I rode to school. I had some errands to run this afternoon. Lo and behold, they were all to businesses in the neighborhood. I rode to the bike store for a bike lock and helmet. I only walked out with a bike lock, but it's a start (now Benny and I won't have to share). I rode to the new outdoor store to find a messenger bag. I walked out empty handed (not too much selection at the neighborhood outdoor store - go figure). And then I rode to the bank to deposit a check.

It occurred to me (again) that Nate and I were very smart when we chose where to buy a house. Not only are we in a good school district, but we are close to so many fun and cool things in addition to many businesses that we need day-to-day, like the bank, the dry cleaner, the grocery store, etc. Many of these businesses are walkable and all of them are bikeable. It makes me love my neighborhood more and more every day.

Oh, and I left my bike and the trailer out in the backyard today. The clouds are looking ominous and I'm hoping that, by leaving the bike and trailer out, the weather gods will unleash some much needed rain in this area. Not only is the temperature too hot to handle, but these wildfires are scary!

Heat Wave

Fair warning: I'm going to be complaining about the heat for the next 60 days or so - or until we get a break from it. It's been in the 90s for the past few weeks. And it's not going to get any better.

I ran the Slacker Half Marathon near Georgetown this weekend. Even in the mountains, the heat was nearly unbearable. Couple that with running 13.1 miles, and it didn't make for a spectacular race. I did manage to run it in 2 hours 50 seconds, which isn't too bad. I was hoping for -2 hours. What with the heat and having to walk the first half mile, I'm pretty happy with my time. Plus, I wasn't training for time, so I didn't do any timed runs. The highlight of the entire race? Seeing the kids and Nate at mile 12.5, cheering me on with big smiles of their faces and giving me high fives. Benny yelled after me "Mom, are you tired?" Yes, Benny. I was very tired :).

After the race and post-race festivities (Benny and Lila eating my post-race goodies), we headed to the mountains by Winter Park and set up camp. It was hot there too. And sunny. With no shade in the camp ground. We tried, and failed, to give the kids a nap in our tent. The fire ban prevented us from grilling brats and corn on the cob. Instead, we opted for burgers in town. The kids were amazing - and all sorts of tired. We caught a band across the street from the restaurant for a few songs. Back at the campground, we wrestled Lila to bed (literally having to hold the wild child down to get her to slow down). Benny, on the other hand, is a camping pro. He crawled into the tent and passed out in his "cocoon." Nate and I enjoyed a beer and each other for an hour before we both fell asleep.

All the complaints about the heat aside, we had a fantastic time. The kids had their moments, but they were consistently fun. Great campers. And we beat the heat in our house for 24 hours or so.

In the Bike Lane

I'm going to be 35 in a few short months. Officially mid-thirties. What surprises me most about this birthday isn't how thirtysomething that sounds, but how much I've been changing - for the good - over the past few months. I think working full-time, in a cubicle may have curbed my creativity and willingness to try new things a bit.

First case in point: I attended my very first networking happy hour last night. For an organization I didn't know much about. By myself. I've been to networking functions before, but they were usually associated with a conference or a job and I ALWAYS knew people. Last night I did invite my new friend from the Denver VOICE and she joined me. But, we've only met once. And you know what, I talked to people, gathered business cards and generally enjoyed myself. Way to go, me!

Second case in point: I commuted by bike for the first time since moving to Denver. I scheduled a lunch about four miles from my house today. I've been scheduling all of my meetings within biking distance, but I've always had an excuse not to ride my bike. Mostly I was just uncomfortable with the new situation and biking outside of my 'hood. Today I nearly backed out again. Here's my inner dialogue - convincing me to drive, convincing me to bike:

DRIVE: Well, crap, you gave your shoulder bag to Goodwill. How will you ever transport your wallet and phone?

BIKE: You have pockets.

DRIVE: Yeah, but they're shallow and stuff will fall out. And it's hot out.

BIKE: Ridiculous. Find that free nap sack from the Sierra Club. Yes, the same one you ridiculed when it came in the mail. And it's not that hot outside.

My biking voice won out in the end and I'm so glad it did. I had a GREAT bike ride. It felt so good to get on the road and to park for free. I even felt a small (OK, maybe relatively large) superiority to my fellow car commuters. Mostly because I was getting a workout while commuting.

However, I've decided that I need a few things to make my future bike commuting trips successful. A cute helmet (safety first - I didn't wear a helmet today GASP) and a cute bike bag. Yes, it's petty, but I don't feel very cute or hip or stylish with my nap sack. I just don't.

My goal throughout the summer is to schedule meetings within a four or five mile radius so I can ride my bike AND to ride my bike to the next networking happy hour. Here's to aging, making friends and riding bikes!

Run on, Slacker!

This morning I woke up at 6:30 to run my final LONG run (11 miles!) for my training for the Slacker Half-Marathon in two weeks. Next week I'll be tapering and run a manageable six miles. I'd like to say that I'm ready, but judging from today's run, it's going to be a challenge. Although I finished the 11 miles, it wasn't easy. Sometimes I can run longer distances and lose myself in the sights and sounds of a run. I don't run with music because I prefer to take everything in. However, music would have been a nice distraction today.

I did run around two beautiful city parks, through uptown, and through several gorgeous neighborhoods. It helped that the air was chilly and traffic was light. It didn't help that I was up until 12:30 a.m. because the church next to our house was holding a late night sing-along (long story).

The Slacker race is perfect because it's all downhill, it starts at 9 a.m. and we're going camping following the run. Post-race recap in two weeks!

Lucky No. 8

Eight miles down! And by myself. I'm pretty proud to have run eight miles on my own. I haven't run that far by myself since training for the Chicago Marathon six years ago. We'll see how my body (and mind) holds up next week for 10.

I haven't registered for any races ... yet. If I can run 10 without a problem, I'll be more confident.

In other running news, I volunteered for the Girls on the Run 5K last weekend. Girls on the Run is a great organization that is part mentor, part coach for young girls. It emphasizes healthy habits and self-esteem. I hope to be able to coach next year!

Go Fly a Kite

Breaking the Five-Mile Barrier

For nearly two years, I haven't been able to bring myself to run more than five miles. It was a mental barrier more than a physical one (although being out of shape didn't help). Well, I broke the barrier today and ran six miles for the first time since... well, I don't remember when. On to seven next week!

As I was walking to start my run, a neighbor said hello and then said, "Every time I see you, I can't believe you had two babies." It was a nice, albeit awkward, compliment. I'm assuming that he meant: "Way to go! You're staying active even with two kids at home!" Whatever, I'll take it.

I  broke another "barrier" this weekend. It was more of a self-imposed cardinal rule - also completely mental. I rarely visit Target alone. Either the kids are with me or Nate is with all of us and we're stocking up on supplies like diapers, cleaning supplies, tampons. You know, the stuff that makes you feel really attractive. I have had a rule that I will not shop for clothes at Target - and not because I don't like Target clothes. It's more of a slippery slope: Once you start, you can't stop. Somehow I found myself at Target ALONE on Friday afternoon. And I figured a quick trip through the women's section couldn't hurt. Three shirts and one cardigan later, I emerged. I'm only about $30 lighter, but that's not the point. I broke the rule. Will I be able to stay strong the next time I go to Target? I suppose it depends on whether or not tampons are on the list and kids are in tow.

So long as the clothes make me look like I haven't had two babies, I guess I'll keep it up...

Hello, Love

After a five-year hiatus from riding a bike (FIVE YEARS!), I'm back.

I bought my first bike when I was a freshman in college: A blue Trek mountain bike. Of course I had bikes previous to that when I was growing up. But this was the first form of transportation that I actually purchased with my own money. Baby Blue and I had many, many good years together. I can remember riding her back and forth to class. And on Tuesday nights, when I had to stay on campus super late to edit the newspaper, she always got me home safely.

When I moved to Des Moines, I lived about three miles from work - the perfect bike commute. And bike I did. Nate and I have very fond memories of biking down to the farmers' market on Saturday mornings, picking up our greens for the week, and riding home for a nap. We rode in a pack of friends to see music downtown. It was a glorious two years with Baby Blue.

Moving to Austin cramped my biking style, but only briefly. When we first moved there, biking to campus was a bit challenging because of a massive hill. Since I had a flexible schedule and I like to walk, I usually just walked to campus. Baby Blue continued to wait for me. Then we moved to a different area of town, with fewer hills, and biking was BACK for nearly two years.

Then I got pregnant and was uncomfortable riding as my belly expanded. So, I stored my bike in our carport. I usually kept it locked, but sometimes forgot. One day I didn't lock it. Since I wasn't riding it regularly, I didn't check on it every day. Nate came home from work asked where my bike was. Baby Blue was missing. She was gone forever. I still miss her.

Then I had Benny, we moved to Denver and I was bike-less. I bought a BOB stroller and focused on running. Nate bought me a new bike for my birthday, but without a bike trailer for Benny, I rarely rode it. When I got a job, the bike got moved to the back of the garage and didn't see any light until Sunday.

We found an inexpensive used Burley earlier this spring. Benny is getting really good at riding his bike. On Sunday we decided he was ready for a longer ride on the road. We hooked the Burley up to my bike, strapped Lila in and off we went.

In less than a week, Benny and I have been on six bike rides together! On my 101 Things List, I had a goal to go on 10 bike rides with Benny by May. Looks like we'll reach that goal and then some!

Hello, bike. I think I'm in love.