I went for about an hour-long ride this morning for my cardio. It's incredible how much easier it is to spin your legs for an hour on a real bike than on an exercise bike. While I rode I thought about freedom and peace of mind
Later, Peter and I rode to the Asian grocery store that is just across the way from the bike trail I love to ride. We picked kim-chi, sriracha mayo, shrimp crackers, wasabi peas, and sushi rice. I can't wait to try all them out.
Today we just did a short 45-minute fitness ride. It was raining just a little bit so our glasses were all covered in rain drops. Peter led the way most of the time. I wore my sneakers and my right sock got covered in bike grease from the chain. I'm not sure if it will ever get clean.
It's so nice to ride so much of the way on a bike path without cars. I used to dream that I could have a bike path so close to home that I could just hop on with very little traffic in between and ride fitness rides on. This is really a dream come true.
Sometimes you just need a rest day. This morning I went to the gym and did some upper body weights. Then I went for a long walk around the city. I figured I'd hop on Peter's bike afterwards and do 45 minutes of riding. But when I got out there, my legs just felt so tired. So I turned back after not too long and came home. I think the gym and walking is enough for today.
I've learned more about taking time to rest as I've gotten older. Peter used to say that I was always either moving and sleeping. But now I have time where I just relax and watch YouTube videos or write in my diaries. I also take the time to meditate twice a day. In Belgium, I've taken up the hobby of watching road cycling. There is a lot of it on the TV during cycling season (spring, summer, fall) and I find it to be very relaxing. I'm even getting to know a few of the top athletes like Wout Van Aert.
Yesterday we both really felt the effect that riding can have on your appetite. I went to the store and picked up some chocolate milk - which is a great recovery drink - and we downed a little bottle of that. Peter also had some muesli right away when we got home from our ride. I ended up having some yogurt and granola at night. The thing is that you have to balance it just right - you don't want to be overly hungry but you also don't want to eat too much.
Today we rode a smaller ride - just about 45 minutes - in the rain. By the time we got home my jeans were pretty wet and I had to re-dry my hair. It's Christmas so it's a good day to rest and recover.
We saw a cormorant come in for a nice landing on the river. There were also many seagulls and doves. No hawks today.
Today I took Bruno out because Peter wanted to ride too. We went down the same bike path but went much further. I think it might have been an hour and fifteen total.
Along the way we saw a hawk, lots of ducks and moorhens, two horses, some chickens and a rooster. The bike path wasn't too busy, though we did get passed several times. Cars mostly stopped to let us cross at the few crossings we had.
On my way back I got to see the gorgeous sunrise above and I remembered to snap a picture of it. In my old riding days, taking my camera along always helped me see more beauty in my rides.
This afternoon I went on a ride in the little bit warmer weather. I had to turn around because there was a logging truck on the trail. I think it was picking up the trees that I saw yesterday.
This morning I waited for the sun to almost rise - which wasn't until 8:38 because today is the winter solstice - and set out for a ride along the river again. It was cold and dry and there was frost on all the bridges.
As I rode along, the moon was almost 3/4 full and I thought about the path the moon travels along in the sky. I lived in a small cabin for the first year my husband and I were in Wyoming and there was no artificial light. Some nights the moon would be so bright that you could almost read by it. I love to remember that the moon looks the same to my parents in North Carolina as it does to me here in Belgium. (I think it's upside down in the southern hemisphere.)
This afternoon I went to the rental place called Velo and picked out a bike for myself. It's a real beater: I think I'll call it Bruno. It's not as nice as Peter's bike because they save the really nice bikes for students. So I think I'll still ride Peter's bike when I'm alone. But if we want to ride together, I'll take out Bruno.
I've been reading through this bicycling blog lately and realizing how much I missed the thoughts-soothing nature of riding. So much has happened since I last blogged. My husband and I lost all of our possessions, including our five bicycles, to mold. We moved to Laramie, Wyoming where my husband went back to school for four years to get a Computer Science degree. And now we are living in Belgium where my husband is pursing a master's degree in Statistics.
I actually don't own a bike right now because we sold or gave away almost everything we owned in order to move to Belgium. But my husband has a rental bike that I took out for a 45-minute ride along the river today. His bike is very comfortable and has fenders and a chain guard which I love. It's great to be able to cycle in jeans.
Right away when I started riding today I noticed that my mind became so much calmer. This is why I loved this so much, I thought. I rode over to the marina area which is quite close to our apartment. Then I hopped on a great little bike path that runs along the river. It was pretty quiet traffic-wise as it is most of the time in our small town of Leuven, Belgium.
As I rode I passed geese and ducks and got passed at least three times by bicyclists going much faster than me. I also passed a bunch of recently chopped-down trees which made me a little sad. But, boy did my mind feel good. Bicycling is really special in that way. You have to pay attention to what you are doing so it slows your mind down and focuses it.
After 22 minutes I turned around right about at the time that I had reached the next town over: Remy. I cycled to a new town on my first bike ride in Belgium! How fun! I rode back feeling a little sluggish for a bit, but I got a second wind. All-in-all it was a great ride for my first time riding in over a year.
