Biking Day 7 et al

I almost missed my 7th day of biking.  I needed achy, stuffy head, fever, chest cough, medicine today but didn't have any.  After school I came home, declared every man for himself night, and went to bed (5 pm). Occasionally tossing and turning, I thought about the bike ride I didn't take today.  At 9 pm, my sweet babies came in to kiss me goodnight; if I don't ride my bike now, the 30 day challenge ends I told myself. After Jake fell asleep, I drug myself down to the garage, jumped on my faithful cruiser and set out for my starlit spin.  First I noticed the smell of the marsh, fresh and cool, not the mucky odor of the hot day.  Then I noticed the sky, the reflection on water, and the light on in a lone dining room up the street.  The breeze was better than any cold medicine money could buy.  I shivered, either from fever or exhilaration.  Nevertheless, I rode my bike, watered my banana peppers and remain committed to the challenge.

Last night when we got home from the mountains, Abbey, Jake and I cruised the neighborhood.  It felt good to be home.  The mountain bike experience this weekend clarified one very important thing for me - I'm a beach cruiser kind of girl.  While I am certainly capable of an adventure on the Trek - I am not in shape for it.  The two bike rides in the mountains went like this:  I stayed in a cabin 2 hundred yards up a 90 degree hill from John's family cabin.  I rode my bike down the hill, past John's cabin and back up the other side (in a U shape), then back down and back up the 200 yards to my cabin.   My legs hurt, I struggled to breathe through my already belabored lungs (allergies) and I parked the bike next to the porch.

I hope the next 23 days of biking bring a little more distance for me.

Biking Days 2 & 3

My Electra Amsterdam rewarded me again on day 2.  Yesterday, after lunch at the most delightful holistic soul food restaurant, Alluette's on Reid Street, the cafes namesake, Alluette, made lima bean soup with bits of spicy red pepper that infused me with a nutritious joy that made the tips of my fingers tingle.  The almond toast overflowed with crispy air.  The food alone would have been enough to make this place my home kitchen, but the company trumped the taste buds.  Alluette's smart, witty bantering conversation entranced me.  John and Aluette's brother witnessed a serious energy transfer, and I left, invigorated.

Not needing a reason to, but having one, I then rode my bike from school, up Queen Street, through Harleston Village, around Colonial Lake, across Colonial Avenue and down Tradd Street, cutting over to Gibbes, then back down the Lane to Meeting.  The slow leisurely cruise centered me.

Tonight the bike called, but allergies weighed my head down.  After eating pizza at Andolini's at the breezy outside table, I decided a spin around the island would have to do for day 3, and then I would rest my achy neck, but one spin is never enough.  I rode around a second time, weaving through the breezy stars, my light didn't work and a car was coming down the causeway or I think I would have made three loops.

I'll leave the cruiser behind and ride the mountain bike this weekend.  Whether a quick spin, or a little trail, the Trek is coming down off the wall.

http://30daysofbiking.com

Today I began the 30 days of biking.  I biked from school to EarthFare to have lunch with John.  Going down Lockwood to the Ashley River Bridge was a little stressful with the ghost bike parked at the bend @ Mason Prep.  The only other tough spot was coming off the bridge where the lane splits.  I needed to cross 2 lanes, and ride with traffic to the light.  The way back was intense.  There is no bike lane on the 4 lane bridge going back into town and the center of the bridge is a metal grate.  Visions of the River Street Railroad Tracks in Savannah crash make me blue knuckle focus as I ride across.  The lane that goes under the bridge on Lockwood back to the Marina is pretty cool (it might be a sidewalk, but I think it's for bikes.)  The trip down Broad, over to Tradd, all the way to Meeting is a breeze, a hot and beautiful breeze.
The real challenge will be this weekend.  I'll need to take my bike to the mountains and squeeze in a few minutes.