Things been going ok. Work’s keeping my occupied and my bike is fixed now and I’ve been doing a fair bit of riding. Been logging all my rides and might start posting them on here. Lost a little bit more weight too and I am getting closer to my preliminary goal of 80kg, yay!

I’ve also decided to take an indefinite break from WoW. The time offline while I’ve been covering most of the on-call over the last month has been rather refreshing and I think it will be good for me to have time to focus on other things. Will miss the social aspect of it, but I think it’s worth it.

I have spent a small fortune on getting some more gear for my camera. It won’t make me insta-pro, but I certainly will have a lot of fun with it.

Here’s a pic I took today. This little fellow has a nest out the back of our unit and struts around the field like he owns the place.

And finally, I am getting my car next weekend. Afta’s folks are taking a few days to drive it up from Sydney and are making a bit of a trip of it. I am super excited

Here’s some things that I have reflected on and learnt since my initial ride:

1. Lycra, lycra, lycra! That is all.
2. Always keep striving to go faster, harder and longer. That bitch arse ride will soon become ez-mode.
3. Never rely on anyone else to have a pump suitable for Presta valves.
4. You can achieve anything with warm hands and protected eyes.
5. Super short laces are a far more cost effective than brand new shoes.
6. Fluoro hoodies are both cute and functional for late afternoon rides.
7. Suck it up and take the hill. The easy route is full of pot holes anyway.
8. Cookies are most definitely better post-ride.
9. If you are going to push to break the pain barrier, be prepared for the agony after the endorphins wear off.
10. More lycra!

I just had some more stuff arrive today. Really looking forward to installing it and going out for another ride this afternoon. Now that I have my cycle computer/heart rate monitor, I can finally start logging my rides too, yay \o/

P.S. – Need to think of a name for her.

1. I have a looooong way to go before I can achieve my goal of being able to ride 100km.
2. I need it invest in:
   • a backpack – shoulder bags are a nuiscense
   • a few pairs of longs – bare legs in winter are not fun
   • sunglasses – later afternoon sun and chilly winds are also un-fun
   • gloves -  unprotected hands are susceptible to Raynaud’s phenomenon
   • lights – it gets dark early here
   • bike lock – was too scared to drop by the shops, out of fear of having my bike stolen
   • shoes without laces – a must!
   • cyclometer – so i can log my rides
3. Sneaky hills are a sneaky. Must make better use of gears.
4. Some road users are cunts. Always be alert.
5. Longer warm ups are necessary to avoid burnout.
6. Heaters left on by housemates make the living areas unpleasant when trying to cool down.
7. Endorphin-induced highs are the greatest!
8. Pineapple pieces are a most delicious post-ride snack.

I would say that it is nice to see your hard work paying off, but that’s not exactly the case. I haven’t really put that much effort in so far. I mean, I’ve made some lifestyle changes, especially with regards to my diet. That didn’t have anything to do with losing weight, my tastes have just changed and I don’t find myself emotional/boredom eating that much anymore. I think this has been the biggest help. But essentially, it’s all about the choices you make. I choose not to snack anymore. I choose to opt for healthier alternatives in my diet. I don’t even remember the last time I had a chocolate!

Looking at myself and the results I have managed to achieve with minimal effort, it actually motivates me to do more. I am very excited, actually – I get my brand new bike this weekend. One of my goals (I might talk about these another time) is to get fit but I’ve always found it difficult to exercise with my dodgy hips and knees. Having already lost some weight, I think it’s going to be a bit gentler on them and riding doesn’t put as much strain on them as other things, especially with more gentle long distance riding (as opposed to sprinting). I’d eventually like to be able to ride 100 km but I know this is going to take a long time to get to that level, so I’ve set myself up a training program so I can gradually build up to it.

Here’s hoping I stick to it *cross fingers*