dreaming of walking

Bicycling is kicking my ass. That's good, I'm sure -- a different set of muscles, an opportunity to develop more heart and lung capacity, and a twice daily exercise in humility.

I met up with M. for dinner last night. We went to a popular Lebanese restaurant, completely full, elbow to elbow, of bohemians, punk rockers, and office folk -- an unusual mix. It was great to just hang with her and talk about training (or lack thereof this week), about the marathon (17 days away), about sport drink options, and about the Race for the Cure, which is Sunday. We're both doing the 5K Coed run, and then doing the 5K womens' walk afterwards. It was very cute -- she asked me if I wanted to run at the beginning with her. Someday, someday, I'll be ready for that -- but not now. Walking it will be enough for me this time.

Portland Marathon has changed its course sport drink -- we trained on Powerade, as they've been the sport drink in recent memory -- but now it's Ultima. M. gave me a packet to mix up -- she really did not care for it. Oh, I can't wait to try it (not).

As we were eating a meal that seemed to almost entirely consist of pita bread, we started chatting about the fact that we're supposed to taper food-wise as well as exercise-wise. Yeah, right! I think that in honor of the taper, I will give up my favorite carbohydrate of all -- beer. It's gonna hurt, I know it.

This morning, I was a slow starter. The time ticked by and I was still on the couch, no closer to riding the bike to work. By the time I finished my morning chores, I could have easily made an excuse not to ride in. But then, before I knew it, me and the bike were out in the street.

I'm coordinating my office's Bike Commute Challenge (BCC) so I feel I need to set a good example. But the way the Challenge page is set up, the people with the most rides are at the top, the people with the least, down at the bottom. In that sense, it really is a competition.

One of the folks who rides regularly to work asked to be removed from the BCC yesterday. He was feeling like it was all about competition, and he didn't want to play. Mind you, he has made a miraculous transformation in the last six months or so -- going from non-athlete to someone who bike commutes over Mt. Tabor, and regularly rides half-centuries on the weekends. He carries himself differently, more powerfully. I was disappointed that he wanted out.

For me, part of it is logging that trip in the morning. I love stats. But the challenge of it, for me, is actually doing the ride. It's physically a challenge. I'm sure I look labored and outrageously slow and fat, because I am. I should hate the time I'm on the bike -- particularly, the time that I'm going home over one little tiny completely-humiliating hill after another-- but for some reason, I don't.

Still, I can't wait for the weekend -- when I can walk! Seven miles Saturday, then a fast, and then a slow 5K on Sunday. Wuhoo!