30 Days of Biking: Final Week

Three chilly rides this week. With the warmer weather right around the corner, I think we'll be out enjoying the evenings by bike more often.

This may be one of the sweetest pictures I've taken of my girls. We decided to ride our bikes to the library and I was trailing behind them. Bridget's getting very confident in her riding skills, but I still like Meg to take the lead, then I protect from the rear. I was listening to their conversation - Bridget was asking Megan if, when Megan went away to college, they could Facetime every day because she was going to miss her. Awww - I was seriously holding back tears from that conversation.

It was Saturday night, we had just gotten back from dinner (think full belly here), and Bridget reminded me that we hadn't gone for our bike ride yet. Are you kidding me?! I started this thing, so I had an obligation to see it through. Off we went for a ride around the block. As you can see from her hat, it was chilly!

I didn't snap a picture, but Meg rode alongside me while I ran 6-miles on Sunday. So Meg gets credit for Sunday's ride during this wonderful 30 Days of Biking.

Challenge completed!

Total miles this week: 9 miles

Total April cycling miles: 51.5 miles

30 Days of Biking: Week 3

This 30 days of Biking thing is still fun and exciting, but 30 days in cold Cleveland with work commitments, dinner to fix, and night falling within 2 hours of me getting home has made biking EVERY day not exactly easy. But we're still hanging in there!

Late night, 6-mile ride just as dusk was falling. It was such a cool picture to take of the traffic lights and overhead road lights.

I kind of cheated on Day 18 by taking a quick spin around the block after fixing dinner. I was too tired to take a long ride and knew it would be dark soon, so I hopped on the bike while Meg took this picture as proof. I'm wearing my new Terry Cycling dress that I bought as part of their Terry Mondays special. Love the comfort of the dress!

Day 20 was probably my favorite long ride so far - although, I only biked 9 miles. I took a ride during my lunch through the Metroparks and wandered along a new path/direction toward the Toboggan Chutes. I came across this great scene of Canadian Geese nesting. My picture doesn't do the scene justice as there were at least 20 ducks nesting throughout the large grassy area. Great stress relief to take a midday ride!


Total week 3 miles: 15.5 miles

Total April cycling miles: 42.5 miles

30 Days of Biking - Week Two

Week 2 is working out nicely. Started off Monday with Bridget asking me where we'll be biking today. I love it. She asked if we'd be going around the neighborhood or in the Metroparks. I think I'm doing something right as a parent when my kid wants to have mommy time by riding with me. Swoon!

Day 9 was another chilly ride. It sure didn't feel like 52 degrees! Bridget tackled a full mile - Yay, Bridget!

Day 13 was spent riding 12 miles around Fort Collins on a fixie! So proud of Bridget for riding like a champ on her first time on a tag-a-long and kudos for Greg for towing the extra weight on a fixie!

Got home from the airport kind of late so we had to settle for one mile bike ride around the neighborhood at dusk.

Didn't bike everyday this week due to a couple long days of traveling during the week, but will be more consistent during week three!

30 Days of Biking - Week One

The first week of 30 Days of Biking ended on a good note. Between April 1-8 (Easter), I managed to get in 5 days of riding - interrupted only by working till dark one night and a meltdown by a nap-deprived 5-year-old on the other day. Not bad. And best of all, I've had so much fun becoming friends with my hybrid again. So here's my first week of this 30 Days of Biking challenge in pictures. As you can see, I co-opted the whole family into this challenge. One point to Robin!

Day 1 and it was chilly at 36 degrees. I had to bundle up with gloves and a down jacket for a quick ride down the street. Where did those summer temps go from last week?!

Day 2 didn't feel any warmer, but I managed to at least increase my mileage to a full mile. Watch out Schleck brothers, with training like this, I'm sure to win any race!

Day 3 included a trip to Starbucks with Megan for a piping hot green tea. She would never admit that she's enjoying this and voluntarily wanted to be a part of the challenge. 2 miles completed. I can feel the burn, wait...that's just me getting acclimated to the seat!

Skipped Day 4 due to work commitments, but managed to get the youngest daughter to join me on Day 5 for a nightime ride around the block.

Day 6 was the best riding day yet. I had the day off and managed to work in a 3 mile run AND a 6 mile bike ride. Very cold and windy on the ride, but just look at how blue the sky was - I just HAD to be out there!

Didn't get in a ride on Day 7, but Greg powered up the old Trek with the trailer attached and I joined on my Giant hybrid for Day 8 (Easter Sunday) and we tooled around the town, checking out houses and just enjoying the spring temps while knocking out 3 miles.

13 miles completed during week one. It's not too late to join in the challenge!

30 Days of Biking Begins April 1

Tonight, Century Cycles posted about the 30 Days of Biking. I remembered reading about this last year, but was late to the party. So this time, I signed up right away and committed to riding my bike every day in April.

Go check out the challenge. It's not strenuous and could include a half mile ride around the block. This is the description on their page:

30 Days of Biking, whose third year begins April 1, 2012, has one rule: Bike somewhere every day for 30 days—around the block, 20 miles to work, whatever suits you—then share your adventures online. We advocate daily bicycling because we believe it enriches lives and preserves the Earth. A worldwide, thousands-strong community of joyful cyclists has been forming around that idea since April 2010—and will further amass in 2012. We ride our bikes every day!

Karen, this could be your perfect challenge for April!