miscellaneous bike thoughts

[topaz]

I noticed a long time ago that when I have the option of riding my bike to work or taking the T, I always prefer biking.  Always.  Every single day that I chose to take the train, I found myself wishing I'd biked, and on the days that I biked, I never regretted making that choice.  Even in the pouring rain and the freezing cold.

(Okay, I think there was one day that I decided I shouldn't have taken the bike.  When it was 40 degrees outside, and icy cold pounding rain, in a hurricane, and I got a flat tire, and I was attacked by rabid lemurs.  Both ways.  But seriously, that was the only time I felt like I would have been happier not biking.)

• Last Friday I rode from Bedford to Kendall Square, about 13.5 miles, to see if I could still do it.  I could.  (I hurt, though.)
• My average speed from Bedford to Kendall was 15 point something miles an hour.  Average speed on the return trip was 13 point something.  My goal this year is to bring that up by 2mph each way (a 12-15% speed increase).
• Achieving that is going to require losing a bit of weight.  It'll be a lot easier to improve my speed by 12% if I can reduce my weight by 12%.  Less wear and tear on the bike, too.
• I have fallen into this pattern: when I'm biking heavily, I let myself eat pretty much whatever I feel like.  Riding for two hours a day means I can get away with that, but it also means I'm not losing weight.  Problem.
  
• Discussing this with moominmolly over lunch last week led me to a revelation.  When she's actively biking she's motivated to eat things like salads and veggie wraps, because she associates biking with taking care of her body.  It's all about the framing, baby.  I should keep myself in a "taking care of your body" mindset when I'm riding, and see if I find it any easier to resist the siren call of the double cheeseburger with fries.

I really needed to get back in the game.  I knew I missed riding, but I didn't realize how much I missed it.  I forgot how much better I feel when I get to ride every day.