Mountain Fire, meet Road Cutie.
Yes I got my first ever road bike and I love it especially because I got a very good deal on it. I do not know how to bargain; I could be car dealers' best friend paying over the sticker price. This time I decided to give bargaining a try. It took a lot of smiles, a lot of trips to talk to the store owner, a lot of creative arguments but it was worth it. I got a great price on an already discounted last year (like I really care) model bike. Sure, there was an even cuter bike, candy apple red, because you all know how much color matters, but it cost over 1k more and I did not think the paint was worth this much. :) I still think the bike I got is cute hence Road Cutie name.
So what am I going to do with this bike? Well, one of my virtual friends, who just a few days ago changed into a real friend, is going to be training a group of women for a 90 mile ride. I know I can easy train to ride 90 mi as long as they are FLAT but no such luck; the ride is supposed to be very hilly. No wonder they call it a Challenge Ride. So I hoped on my bike to see how well I would do on one of my local hills and... I failed miserably. I can run this hill but I cannot bike it without stopping. My confidence that I can train to do the challenge ride in March dropped to zero. JoLynn, who is wonderfully supportive, and I are still talking. I don't want to slow the group down but I am very tempted to do that distance. Whether I do it with the group or not, I will train for a 100mi, and if it ends up that I train by myself, it is just going to be a slower and less hilly course, but I will do it.
And what about my Mountain Fire bike? Oh, it will still be serving me. New Leaf grocery store with good organic produce mostly from local farmers is opening only 3mi (plus some nasty hills) from my house. Mountain Fire is going to be employed full time hauling groceries.
I have a half marathon scheduled for April so I am still running (every day) and hiking (whenever I can), lifting weights (2-3 times a week), rowing (I will learn to like it), and inspired by Andrea, maybe I will be adding swimming to my fitness menu. Isn't it great that I wake up at insanely early hours and have nothing better to do?
Other news is that I am finally, I hope, over my cold. OK, I was not writing about it. I mentioned it once of Facebook, I think. It started just before Xmas with a 102 fever. Then cough, then sore throat, then cough again, then stuffy nose. Somehow it all seemed backwards to me. This thing kept bugging me till today. Today was the first day when I woke up without coughing. Cold morning run, then bike ride beautifully cleared my sinuses. I am still coughing a bit but I can live with that. Hopefully I am done with that nonsense for the rest of the year.
Other news is that I am finally, I hope, over my cold. OK, I was not writing about it. I mentioned it once of Facebook, I think. It started just before Xmas with a 102 fever. Then cough, then sore throat, then cough again, then stuffy nose. Somehow it all seemed backwards to me. This thing kept bugging me till today. Today was the first day when I woke up without coughing. Cold morning run, then bike ride beautifully cleared my sinuses. I am still coughing a bit but I can live with that. Hopefully I am done with that nonsense for the rest of the year.
