Many changes have occurred in the past weeks.  School has started.  Despite all my worrying, Frick is adapting well to middle school.  Frack is back in the mode of school, friends and soccer.  The husband and I both have new jobs.  The husband now works from home. So another big change is that we no longer have a babysitter for the boys.  And I’ve starting riding my bike to work again.  Not every day yet but I am slowly working my way to five days a week.  I did ride my bike to work at my old job every so often but with having to be home by a certain time to relieve the babysitter, I felt it was easier to take the bus.  Also, there wasn’t an accessible gym and/or shower room to change in.  And the bike parking was a hassle. Or at least, that’s what I told myself. It’s so easy to talk your way out of exercising.  And as a working mom, exercise is something that is never a priority although it should be, like getting a good night’s sleep (fodder for another blog.)

Now that I am riding again, I remember why I love it and am reminded of how much I missed it.  Biking has always meant freedom to me. When I was a girl, my bike was the horse that I couldn’t have. When I was a teenager, my bike was my transportation to friends’ houses and my first places of employment. In fact, I bought a yellow Schwinn ten speed with my first check from my first full time summer job. When we lived near the beach, my husband and I got bikes and took long bike rides along the coast (pre-kids, of course.)  We even house hunted on our bikes and were lucky enough to find one where we could commute to work on our bikes, a rarity at the time in So Cal.  Now we are lucky enough to live a bike friendly community.

Every day that I ride, I have a chance to have some quiet time to myself before and after work.  Some time to think. Some days I have so much on my mind that the ride goes very quickly.  However, there are days when I just enjoy the ride.  Of course, I am still becoming accustomed to riding.  Slowly, it is becoming easier.  My knees hurt, some days more than others (oh the joy of being over 50).  But last week, I found my high gear (which I always thought was my low gear because it’s harder to pedal – thank you Google.).  I’d been using the middle to low gears up until then.  Now I am even pedaling downhill (not just coasting, although I still coast on occasion.)

My goal is to work up to five days a week by the end of the month.  And I am hoping to ride through the winter (fingers crossed.) Now that I am getting the exercise that I sorely need, I really don’t want to give it up.