I can't believe I forgot to post...

Yeah... somehow I managed to overlook posting the ride that did before I went on vacation with the boys while wifey was off at girl's camp. (It was posted over on www.dailymile.com, but not here.)

I was a little too eager to get the summer started, and went for a ride the day after school finished. I was ready and eager for a nice long ride! Unfortunately, my body had other plans....

After a mere 2 miles, I started coughing like a smoker, and early into mile #3 I had to stop in order to "throw up." At that point I turned around and got home as quickly as I could. I was just too sick with the sinus infection to put forth that much effort. Fortunately, the rest that I got in South Carolina seemed to be all that I needed. I got home just in time to close on the house I'm purchasing.

Since Sunday is my day of rest, there will be no rides, but I am eyeballing Monday before we start moving into our new home. It's only 20 miles away and we have the time to make a "shoebox" move rather than doing it all in one day.

Soon I will start exploring new routes and roads for riding!

Family Vacation Week = No Rides

This week we took a trip to visit family in South Carolina. It was a nice trip, and my offspring was surprisingly well-behaved. So much so that I actually stopped at South of the Border to let them have an ice cream. Now, if you are not familiar with this place, check it out. It is doubtful that you can be on I-95 between Georgia and Virginia without seeing billboards for this place. It's the bane of every traveling parent's existence, but I digress...

The only real bad part of the trip was the weather. I have come to be spoiled by the relative lack of humidity in Virginia compared to that of south Georgia, where I started cycling. Nonetheless, I knew that the 100+ degree weather combined with humidity would make cycling while there on vacation a little too miserable. Therefore I left the bike at home. I actually feel a little guilty about that. If nothing else, it did give me time to completely get over my sinus infection, so I will be ready to start next week in the saddle!!

Okay, to be brutally honest, there was one more bad thing about the trip, but it was completely my fault. I broke Rule #1 of Traveling for men. I didn't take my own toiletries.  I don't know why my family doesn't use soap. I mean, normal, everyday soap. Instead, they have all the fancy shower gels. So I had my choices of Chamomile-Vanilla, Green Apple, and Mixed Berry. If it wasn't for the first one, I'd think I was cleaning myself with Crystal Light. The Chamomile option now makes it sound like tea. If it was a hot shower, I could have just let myself steep. Moral of the story (once again): Men folk need to make sure and take your own soap on vacation.

Now, as per usual, I will take Sunday off from cycling, but I will be back in business soon. Stay tuned for more details of the many adventures in cycling.

Summer is finally here!

I have been waiting for this!

Summer is finally here again, which means that this semester has finally come to a close. I couldn't be any happier about that. This has been one of the hardest semesters I have ever had. Over the past few months:

1. taught at the high school,
2. taught two classes at the community college
3. coached high school soccer, 
4. took two graduate classes as a student, AND
5. proctored the SAT and ACT two weekends a month. 

All in all, I am ready for the break. Granted, it is only 8 weeks, but I have committed to ride at least 500 miles this summer on my bike. I know that is not too much for 8 weeks, but I have already seen how hard it is for me to do 100/week, although it is doable. I didn't help that during spring break I was fixing my bikes as well. Now they should be good to go, BUT other issues ensue.

Next week my bride is off to girls camp with the teenage girls from church, which leaves me alone with the boys... who are too young to be left alone while I ride for an hour or so. Moreover, we are about to buty a house which is going to take some time moving into, and there are at least 3 projects that require immediate attention (bathroom remodel, finish off a bedroom, and install insulation). All of this will take both time and money and eat into my precious cycling time. On top of which, I will now need to find new places to ride. I know where to go here, but I am moving to a town half an hour away. I know I will find more hills and freer roads.

Now, with all of this going on, I am happy to report that my weight has remained the same!! Without the routine exercise I have managed to keep my weight static, and I am considering this to be a GOOD thing!! I know that ideally, I will be dropping the pounds through dietary changes, but honestly, with all the stress I had this semester combined with the junk food... yeah, honestly I have to admit that I am happy that I have simply not gained.

Now that I have some summertime, this is the time for me to start dropping it through proper exercise.

Stay tuned for the exciting details!!