New Bike - Schwinn Women's Clear Creek

So, I did it.  I went out and spent a little extra to buy me a decent bike.  My previous bike was a cheap K-Mart bike.  It wasn't very comfortable, seeing as it was a mountain bike.  I was constantly bending over, which was really giving me a backache.  I had done some search online and found that Schwinn 26" Women's Clear Creek - Plum was what was branched under as a comfort bike, something perfect for urban, non-hilly areas.  Boy, is it ever comfortable.  I sit up straight, since the handle bars are higher than the seat.  My husband even commented about how much better my posture was.  I love it!

I've taken the bike out two days in a row.  Talk about a burn!  I've been going non-stop for twenty minutes, which is a record for me.  On my previous bike I went ten before I was stopping to give my back a rest.  Now it's not my back that hurts, but my thighs that BURN!  Talk about a huge difference.  I'm so glad I made this purchase.  Sure, it was nearly $200, but it was well worth the extra money to get a really comfortable bike.

Now I think I have found me a hobby.  I loved bicycling as a kid, and I realized that I still love it, as long as I have a comfortable bike.  It's going to help me shed the pounds away!

Love For Bicycling

I had forgotten how much fun it was to go for a bicycle ride. It brought back some childhood memories, and I tried to think why it was that I ever stopped.. I couldn't come up with a reason, except for afraid of being judged by people for enjoying a little perk such as that or afraid that people will say things to me as they pass by.

I've come to realize a couple of things. If people are going to judge you for enjoying something or make fun of you, they are not secure in their own lives to do what they want and not fall in with the rest of the crowd. The other thing I realize is that bike riding can be an adult sport just as much as a child sport.

Honestly, I've always been very self conscious of myself. I remember all the times I was made fun of when I was a kid for being chunky. I wasn't even fat, but it's those little things that stuck with me over the years and has made me very self conscious of what others think.

The other day I dropped off my daughter at school I was speaking to one of the woman I've become good friends with. She's very athletic. If she isn't at the gym, she's out for a run. It's no joke for her. She runs about ten miles each day. She's real healthy and skinny. We were discussing how healthy she is, and she informed me that her childhood she got made fun of a lot for being slightly overweight. It was in her late high school days she started to run. But, she told me something that made me think I shouldn't let people bother me. She said she's still self conscious, and even when she's out running now people will yell things out to her, call her fat and other things. She said it really bothers her, and she will go home and have to tell her husband just to get it off of her chest and not let it eat at her. That's when I realized that no matter what size you are that there is always going to be someone that ridicules you. It's how you handle it and continue on.

Be strong. That's my new motto.