I rode - but puffingly!

So, I rode to the gym today again, as par my challenge. It’s getting a little easier each time, as I figure out the best ways to tackle each specific evil hill! However, I realised a few things today..

Firstly, riding home is harder! This is for a few reasons - first, of course, because I’ve already ridden there, done a workout, and I’m getting pretty worn out by this stage! Second, I’m riding against the traffic, which creates a hell of a wind that ends up pushing against me as I ride. Third, there’s more up than down on the way home!

The other concern I have is for my health… I realised today, as I puffed, how bad the air smelt/tasted. I think that riding beside the highway is not the best for my lungs and heart. After doing a bit of research, all of which strongly warned against exercising near heavy traffic, I may go back to driving at least half of the time after this week is out, in order to reduce my exposure to carbon monoxide.

Well, I rode to the gym

And boy, was it evil. It took me 22 minutes to get there, and 26 minutes to get back. Now, there were some nasty hills on the way there, but even nastier ones on the way back! I spent about 25 minutes at the gym in the middle - so it was a good mornings work out. Mentally, I feel good for having done it, but it certainly took all the willpower I had to get to the top of some of those hills! Even though I’m reasonably fit, I certainly felt cranky at all the lycra-clad ’serious’ cyclists with their ultra-light racing bikes as they whizzed by me on my heavy old mountain bike!

However, I shall do my challenge! One week, riding to the gym every time I go.

The Riding to the Gym Challenge

For a few months now, I’ve been going to the gym four or five days per week. I’ve found that I really enjoy it, and I’d hazard to say that I has even become a habit. Why do I go to a gym? Well, it has many different cardio machines, a pool, more weights machines than I can ever possibly use, and classes. When I go there, I know that I’m there to exercise, and I put my whole self into it. Having a place to go to helps keep me motivated and focussed. I want to be an old lady who can still cart around bags of potting mix, not stuck inside because my body’s given up on me.

However, while I’m doing something great for my health, I feel guilty about my journeys to and from the gym. Why? Because I drive there. This morning I timed my drive - 8 minutes there, 6 minutes back. Now, that’s not a lot, but it still makes me feel a bit uncomfortable.

But today, a possible solution finally popped into my head. Now, I happen to live next to a freeway, and my gym is a few kilometres down the same freeway. And next to the freeway is a fantastic bike path. Last time I rode that way it almost killed me, as there are some heinous hills. However, I’ve decided that tomorrow morning I’m going to ride my bike to the gym and see how long it takes me, and how exhausted it makes me! So, this is the pre-challenge test… and if it’s viable, I’m going to ride my bike to the gym for a week. Wish me luck!