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.
