Brick...sort of

Going to bed at after 1 am on Saturday after a long day at school, then waking up around 5:30 am to work-out just doesn't work for me. I’ll tell you more about why later...

I made it to the park by 6am for my run. I don't know why, but I decided to cut back this week and only do 5 strong miles. That's exactly what I did. It was hot, it was humid, it was summer in Houston. I'm not sure of each split, but my average pace was 11:08 min/mile. I started out a little too fast and ended up taking it slow toward the end. I think in the beginning, I was just excited about getting the run done and getting on to my 1st bike ride. I did see the speed-demon Jake (he and his crew passed me up!) and new friend, Alfonso, out there on the trail! Overall, I give the run 2 thumbs up. It was fun, even though it was short.

Next, I changed into my spiffy new bike shorts and took my sweaty, red-faced self to a nearby trail. This would be my 1st official bike ride since the summer of '96! I have to admit that the hardcore bikers at Memorial Park intimidate me, so for my 1st ride, I wanted to go somewhere where there wouldn't be quite as much biking traffic. I also wanted to be where I wouldn't have to ride on the street with any cars. I knew I wasn't quite ready for that yet. :-)

I set off for my ride. I was limited to about 40 minutes, because I had to hurry and get home to take the kiddo to her swim lesson. So, I did about 21 minutes out and the same back. Actually, I made it back to my car in more like 20 minutes, so I kept riding a little longer. I don’t have a cyclometer, so I don’t know for sure if my mileage is correct…I think I rode a tad bit over 8 miles. Not very far, but enough to realize that I do, in fact, remember how to ride a bike and that I think I am going to like it! Wooohoo! One thing I noticed is that the heat doesn't seem to affect me on the bike like it does when I run. When I run, I get really overheated, my face gets all red and I feel like I can't go any farther. With the bike, while I was sweating, the heat didn't seem as oppressive. I may have felt differently if I had had gone for a longer ride, though.

Anyway, I pretty much took it easy just so I could get the feel of the bike and learn the trail. Of course, I am sure I looked like a runner trying to bike. :-) There was one area where the cement trail was roped off and I had to go around. Apparently, I picked the wettest side of the path…when I rode through the grass and around the barrier, I made a big splash and got mud all over my legs and even on my shirt. You know what? It was fun! I’m beginning to think I should stick to the mountain bike and do some trails. I dunno, maybe I should take it one step at a time. ;-)

Later that night, after the swim lesson and after spending 5 hours at the library, I put the kiddo to bed. At one point, she asked me to sing a song to her. I don't remember what I was singing, but one minute I am singing and the next the kiddo is asking, "Mommy, why did you stop singing?" Um, yeah, I had fallen asleep mid-song! Sad. Just sad, I tell you! Needless to say, I did not work on anymore homework that night. Once the kiddo finally drifted off to sleep, I headed to bed too. It was 9:15 pm. Sad!