Captain's Log

It's been about two and half months, and usually when I am silent for so long it means that I have fallen off the wagon. I am very happy to say that is not the case. You see, instead of writing about exercising, I have actually been doing it.

When my focus was running, I used to have to psych myself up for the endeavor. I am not a natural runner. My calves tighten up, I get incredibly tired and sore, and even the best experiences are akin to the joy one feels from successfully preparing vegetables. So blogging was a way to give myself a little pep talk.

I don't need a pep talk anymore! I really love biking, especially with the little push that I get from having the Bionx. It never sucks. Let me repeat that: it never sucks. (Unless, for instance, I forget to bring the Bionx controller and so I have to bike uphill with an additional 20 pounds in battery and motor weight. But even then it doesn't suck nearly as much as running used to suck.)

So I have not been writing, but I have been biking. Here are my logs to prove it:

Date	Distance	Time	Ele. Gain
September 2012	127.1 mi	07:07:59	+5,710 ft
August 2012	142.0 mi	10:12:56	+4,974 ft
July 2012	212.0 mi	13:59:26	+9,933 ft
June 2012	178.5 mi	12:22:15	+8,652 ft

Although my mileage has been lower recently than it was when I started, I chalk most of that up to being extra busy at work -- morning press conferences mean I don't get to ride my bike in to work as often as I'd like. (There was also a bikeless vacation in the beginning of September, a bit of under-the-weather, and some relationship drama sucking up much of my time.) But I've still managed to average over 30 miles a week this month - and the month isn't over yet! I expect to do another 13 miles or so tomorrow, bringing the total in line with August. And I have no intentions of stopping.

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That said, I feel somewhat guilty about not posting recently, because I do have an awfully high number of (mis)adventures on my two wheels. So let me now briefly highlight what you might have missed:

Downed trees blocked the Capital Crescent Trail!

I got stung by a bee at 20 mph!

Another ride to Old Town Alexandria turned into a
late night ride past the beautiful Lincoln Memorial!