It's time to set my month of May commitments in stone. After a lot of thought I have decided on the following-
- As many of you already know, I joined the National Bike Challenge, which started today. I'm going to be track my miles and have set my goal at 100 logged miles on Endomondo this month (that will include cycling and walking).
- Another goal I have set, is to do 100% of our grocery shopping either by bicycle or on foot, which will mean Kyle won't be using the Moped to grab things I forget, which he has been doing in the past on occasion.
- Lastly and possibly the hardest of all three, I have committed to keeping a food journal for the remainder of this month and tracking my calorie and nutrition intake. To be clear, I don't believe highly calorie restrictive diets are healthy. Rather than focus on specific numbers and limitations, my goal is to up my raw food intake and to enjoy a more balanced diet. The diary will basically help me see what and when I'm eating, look for trends and weaknesses.
After my month of daily cycling I'm still at my highest weight ever, but my pants are far looser and I'm feeling strong. It's hard to not focus on specific numbers, whether they represent miles, weight or even dollar bills. I firmly believe focusing on those numbers detracts from the process, bicycling should be about the journey not the destination and I want my year long commitment to reflect that, with the focus being on the process and not the numbers.
Today we made our first trip to the grocery store for the month. We didn't need much, but I've been craving a BBQ, so we got some veggies
to grill. The tomatoes were so fragrant I could smell them, which made
me long for the Farmer's Market. One of my goals that I set back in
January was to be able to cycle to the Farmer's Market by opening
weekend, I'm excited to be able to achieve that goal this coming
weekend.
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| "Look Mum, this juice isn't green!" |
I get such mixed reactions with these little grocery carts, most people like them and smile at Jack as he takes his time strolling along. But then you have the people who have obviously long since forgotten what it was like to be 2 years old, and they seem impatient and irked by him and his tiny cart.
We seem to have raised a very friendly little guy, he smiles and waves at everyone we meet, calling out hello at the top of his lungs. Today a man yelled "nice bike" as we rode by his veranda, I replied "thank you" and Jack said "thank you" too, matching my tone and waving. It seems to me we'd have a much happier, healthier nation of people if we could have more interactions like these. Humanity is so easily hid behind a steering wheel and a pane of glass, whereas being on a bicycle puts us out in the community.
The family ride event that I'm organizing is happening later this month, I hope we get a good turnout this time. I would love to meet some other parents that ride, or maybe encourage some new people to take it up. I'm hoping to get posters printed up this week and begun plastering them around town this weekend.
I just went to the fridge and realized we forgot milk, so I think another grocery trip is in our near future. I knew this grocery shopping challenge would keep me busy!
Haha! Addicted to writing now?
ReplyDeleteI think it's time to set a cycling goal for May myself! Thanks for the reminder.
B.
bee & jay - NOOOOOOO! lol yesterday there was a moment when I felt like I wasn't doing something I was supposed to- it was the blog! I was so relieved!
Delete;)
That's an awesome challenge, Lindsay. You can do it! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThank you J! Right now it seems immense, which it shouldn't because last month I felt that way too, and that was easy in the end. Thanks!!
DeleteI love your 100% grocery cycling goal. I found you blog via Momentum Magazine, really enjoy your writing. Is Jack old enough for a pedal-less bike (like Strider)? I've seen very young kids on them since they basically just need to be able to walk to use them. The bike should even fit on your Yuba when not in use!
ReplyDeleteHello! I'm so glad you found us! Yes, Jack is getting a Strider soon. I think he will LOVE it, he's obsessed with bicycles. I meant to order it before his birthday, but we were too late to get it here in time.
DeleteStay in touch- Lindsay
"I love your 100% grocery cycling goal" I do too,that's just great! The only issue we have with doing that ourselves is the Wife has always been the grocery shopper,I'm still learning,but it's a very personal thing to her,LOL! And then there's the coupons (which I pronounce "coopuns" :p)...I must needs learn to use those,THEN I can do all the groceries instead of the random trips I do now by bike (for those that don't know me,obviously,I'm a House Dad ;) ).
ReplyDeleteAwesome deal on the family bike day,if we lived closer we'd be there! Can't wait to read all about it,my friend.
"I just went to the fridge and realized we forgot milk, so I think another grocery trip is in our near future."
Lindsay,if it means I get to go out and ride again,I forget things intentionally :p
The DC
Hello TDC-
DeleteSee, that's exactly my issue with Kyle shopping- it's not done "right" (MY way lol). Glad to know I'm not the only one protective of the grocery shopping.
I have "intentionally" forgotten things too lol
Lindsay
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI am trying to get up the nerve to cycle in the city again, and to take my 16-month-old son with me. I am looking for bike seats and yours looks great - can you give me some info about it? (or direct me to a blog entry if you have already written about this? thanks a lot.
--Stephanie
Hello Stephanie-
DeleteI really, really understand how scary it can be as a parent cycling, it takes a special kind of courage and confidence. The thing about confidence is without it you are likely to make mistakes too- at least that's how I am. If I get nervous I can't think as clearly.
I have certainly taken my time before hitting busier streets and I have added the "baby on board" sign and I want to get a trailer flag- I feel like people associate them with kids- so I'm going to trim one down a bit and add it to the back of my bike.
My seat is called a Peanut Shell, you would have to contact Yuba to see if it fitted your bike too. I don't know what city you are in but I have found Joe at Joe Bikes in Portland extremely helpful ( http://www.joe-bike.com/accessories/child-seats-and-trainers/ ) ...he has a wide variety of seats that fit various bikes and they are all the better brands.
Things I like about the peanut shell and would encourage you to look for - leg straps- if your bike gets tipped, their legs are protected. A higher back, so it can give them a head rest. And the hand rest bar- he held onto it instinctively when I fell off my bike- which kept his hands from getting hurt.
The pleasures and delights of riding with Jack far outweigh any fears or dangers- I hope you really enjoy your rides and don't put it off- once you start moving you will love it.
Lindsay
Thanks Lindsay - esp for the advice about what to look for in a child seat. I am in London and the stock in the bike shops tend to be more European-oriented but I will keep the Peanut Shell on my list.
DeleteI do really miss cycling, and I know exactly what you mean about the pleasure of it. I used to go on pleasure rides every Sunday, when I lived in a smaller town. I have never had a car, so have always relied on cycling, but since my son was born we are using public transport.
Hope your progress is going well and am looking forward to your updates..
--Stephanie
Thanks Stephanie!
DeleteI've always wanted to visit Practical Cycles, they sell Yuba's in the UK and have a good knowledge of baby seats- I emailed back and forth with them before I bought mine. You may like to check them out- they ship (just not to the U.S.) Here's a link:
http://www.practicalcycles.com/userimages/procart17.htm
Good luck with your May commitments. I'll follow along.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mark! Thanks for reading, every person on here helps motivate me and keep me moving forward.
DeleteI read last week (I think in the Times) that when it comes to "weight loss" the actual number on the scale is not so important, especially since a pound of fat takes up much more space than a pound of muscle. So if you lose a pound of fat and gain a pound of muscle, your overall weight is the same, but you are smaller, and much healthier, for it.
ReplyDeleteI think the grocery shopping challenge is a great way to get more miles on the bike too. I might have to try it - right now I'm doing a multi-modal commute, driving halfway and riding my folding bike, and if I want to stop at the store on the way home, I just throw the bike in the trunk and drive. But if I added those extra few miles on the bike, it would probably do me a world of good (and I'd buy less, since I'd have to ride with it all).
Hello Jess-
DeleteI too have read that about weight-loss vs. muscle gain...which is why I don't care any more what it says...obviously it needs to start showing a loss at some point, but I find negative thoughts to be derailing in this journey. It's easy to ride when you focus on the positives- looser clothing, more energy, achy muscles- I love achy muscles lately;)
I love buying lots of groceries on the bike and figuring out how they are coming home lol. But if you didn't have a cargo bike I can see hoe that could be tough.
Thank you for following along! Lindsay
Looking forward to the food journal updates. The caveman diet, as some refer to it, of eating "real" food is a tough challenge. We have been struggling with it ourselves but have seen benefits early on with my wife and son not having the usually debilitating spring allergies. Check my blog for some reading references.
ReplyDeletehttp://john-bumpingalong.blogspot.com/2012/02/one-more-trip-around-sun.html
John- I will certainly check out your blog- thanks!!
DeleteI'm not going to make too many changes this month- but rather see what it is Im doing wrong. I actually love veggies and fruit, so that helps. I just like other junky stuff too;(
Lindsay
I'll hop on board with a food journal also. I'm not planning on changing anything yet, though. I still ate my danish this morning because I wanted one, though an egg would likely have been better. Then after May is over maybe I can identify the trends to change. I think life might be too hectic to really be able to plan a proper diet (isn't it always? /sigh).
ReplyDeleteI'm sad to say that my husband got a car back- with that trip I did to transport the battery being the enabler. He hasn't touched his bike all week. (I named it Vandal.)
Meanwhile, I recently found out through Schwinn on Facebook that May is National Bike Month, which is perfect because that is the best excuse ever to plan a Bike-To-Work week- which is something I'd been tossing around for week. Now I can do it for a reason! I typed out sign-ups sheets for other school bus driver or office staff to volunteer to bring in food, or serve as cyclist-support to retrieve us in case we get a flat tire or something. I posted a map and drew my route on it, thinking people could it to plan group riding or similar. So far, no one has signed up (although I just put this stuff up yesterday morning... I'mimpatient and excited). I may add another small note at the mailboxes to catch more eyes. I invited people to bring their bikes in next week if they'd like them looked over by me with my multi-tool and air compressor. I made sure to let them know I'm an amateur and that Hutch's could give professional tune-ups.
I don't do our grocery shopping... but with you going everywhere once a day last month- that part should be the easy one :)
Hello RETF!
DeleteNice- glad you are joining me! I had a doughnut this morning, so yikes. I never usually have them (makes me sound guilty, hey?) but I went to a coffee shop with a friend.
Our car is sitting outside Kyle's work right now, he drove today...but he has been using the moped or the bike 100% of the other times lately.
Good for you with your organization skills- I wish I had some motivation for that lately. I'm usually good ta that stuff, but not feeling it recently.
Yes- I think grocery shopping won't be too bad;)
thanks as always, - Lindsay