Did It - Baptism by Fire

6/13/14 - 252 Pounds, 56 pounds lost since 8/30/11
37 minute ride today

Earlier today I posted that, whether I liked it or not, I was making the decision to go car-light. The reason, briefly, is I need to do something radical to maintain my health as I'm starting to go through my 60s. Using my bicycle as my primary transportation has been very effective for me in the past, and I'm ready to dance with her again. The health benefits are immense, and once you get into the groove it is a lot of fun. Imagine - Whenever you want to run over to the Circle Kay you just hop aboard the trusty steed and get an instant 20 minutes of exercise, save gas and avoid spewing nasty contaminants into the atmosphere. There's nothing easier or that makes more sense. Instead of using the car to go to work, you sing with the birds every morning out on the bike. The last time I did this was in the summer of 2011, and it started a series of events that ended in me losing over 50 pounds since that time.

So, today, after the post and the commitment, I needed to run over to the ATM and down to Walgreens to get a "personal item". The thing standing in the way of using the bike for these mundane tasks was horrible weather and wind! It would have been so easy to just hop in the car and do it - but I made the decision to bike.

But the wind and thunderstorm activity was vicious. It could have started raining any time. Dust was in the air. My little GMC Jimmy was calling out: "Use me . . . . use me . . . . use me . . . . "

But I chose the Baptism by Fire route and rode my bike!! It was difficult in the wind, especially when going west straight into it. I made the ATM, did my deed there, then rode down to the new Walgreen's in the "Fountains by Farah" to make my purchase. One of the things I like about Walgreen's is they always have bike racks to lock up.

When I made it home, I was pretty stoked. It felt good to have made the ride instead of firing up the gas guzzler, especially in the wind and weather. It will make future rides easier.

So, quickly, the rules:

• Whenever a destination is within a reasonable distance, and I am transporting just myself, use the bicycle instead of the car.
• The exceptions are when I need to carry heavy stuff, like my equipment (guitars etc.) to music practice or church, or when it's more than just me traveling.
• Commute to work on the bicycle (7-1/2 miles each direction, 15 miles round trip)

I think I got a great start today.