tried out my new bike

A friend gave me one of his many bikes to replace the one that got trashed by the van that hit me - went for a short ride. Only 20 miles, but boy, did I feel it. They say you lose 2 days fitness for every day you miss - it felt like 3 to me! My legs were burning and I was huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf. Tomorrow's another day.

water bottle to beat the heat

With the stifling heat throughout the country, here's a couple tips - drink plenty of water, exercise in the morning or evening after the heat has dissippated, and, best tip of all, take an empty water bottle, fill about 3/4 full, and stick in the freezer. You'll enjoy cold water as the ice melts.

Make biking part of your life

This was the key for me - making biking part of my life. Don't take the car to pick up the gallon of milk you forgot - take the bike. Figure out if you can bike to work one or two days a week, or more. Bike to yard sales in your area - this also limits you to how much you can buy!

I went a little overboard - I was up to 250 miles a week before a van hit me. Wasn't that careful about what I ate, although I did try to eat more salads, drank plenty of water, and lost 50 pounds in a year - and it's stayed off for more than a year. The last month I've backtracked about 8 pounds recovering from the accident since I couldn't bike.

I got a ridealong so my 7 year old can bike too. He can pedal if he wants, but doesn't have to. This makes it perfect for longer rides. We've covered as much as 25 miles in one day. Trek makes the one I use - they run about $200-$250 new, sometimes you can find one on Craigslist.com.

Cast still on, but am getting a new bike

Cast is staying on my thumb for another week- damn. But I got a lead on a used Trek that needs work - but they're only asking $10. I got a brand new helmet for only $5 - lady didn't like the way it fit her, so she sold it. Next Thursday can't come soon enough!