Yup, I'm Back On The Bike

After Bike to the Bay, I got it into my head that I wanted to do another event. In spite of being a bit wrecked afterwards, I had a lot of fun, and I really need the exercise anyway! Fortunately, an opportunity presented itself right away - all the cars at the Rec Center had been spammed by the Toledo Area Bicyclists club with a flyer for the Mad Anthony River Rally.

We've chosen the 62 mile route from Perrysburg to Grand Rapids, which will feature a Flying Pancake breakfast at 18 miles, and lunch in historic Grand Rapids! It sounds like a great time to me!

And! VG and I have new "uniforms":

Aren't they great? Super comfy, too! We got a few grins when we wore them out on the Wabash Cannonball Trail on Thursday!

It's been super hot here in Toledo of late, so we didn't get to see much in the way of wildlife, except for the HERD of chickens that we always pass. Yes, a herd. There are just too many of them to call a flock. I really want backyard chicken, but VG tells me they won't fit in my backpack. Har, har. Seriously, though, I want chickens. Fresh eggs for breakfast is my idea of pure heaven, and when the old broads retire, I can turn them into Coq au Vin! Doesn't that sound so good?

No riding today. Instead, I'm off to Toledo's Polish Festival with Younger Monster and Sam, my adorable French exchange student. We're going to stuff Sam full of pierogies and I'm going to drink beer until I bust. We have glorious weather today, and I'm very excited to show our Extra Kid one of the best things about Summer in Toledo - Street Festivals!

-- Missy, the Fat Bottomed Girl

Found A New Tool!

It turns out the Google Maps has a nifty map creation feature that looked like it would let me plot out yesterday's ride and figure out just how far I went.  It also turns out that the damned thing is so fiddly, I determined I had neither patience nor alcohol enough to mess with it - after an HOUR!  AN HOUR!.  So I went looking for a new tool that wouldn't make me wish I was an alcoholic.


Found one!  It's called Map My Ride, and it will both track while you're riding (though not as nicely as with SportyPal) and let you map a route out by hand.  Took a whole five minutes and zero alcohol.

Wait...I think I got robbed there...

Anyway, here's yesterday's ride:

...and if you're super nosy, you can see a full sized map here.  I'd apologize for the sloppiness of the drawing, but I think I did pretty decently for a crotchety, foul-tempered arthritic, so I'm going to skip that. ;)

SO!  8.8 miles!  Not bad, if I do say so myself.  And I do!  And I don't feel like I want to die, and I feel like if I lie down for an hour this afternoon and go out once the temperature is more reasonable than the current 88 degrees, I might even manage three full laps around the neighborhood.  I'm dragging The Vita Guru out with me, since he's been off all day, and we'll see where this training ride takes me!

If I make it home in one piece, I shall celebrate with a hot shower, raspberry walnut glazed pork, sweet potato chips, and half a bottle of Pentamere's new release, May Wine!

Dear Ma Nature,

Please drop the temperature about 15 degrees, so I can ride without dying, and sooner rather than later.  I really want that May Wine!

--Missy, the Fat Bottomed Girl

I know, I know. I suck.

My darlings!

I know I was supposed to start training back on the 21st.  I KNOW!  But here's the thing:  The Vita Guru and I had our 21st wedding anniversary that week.  AND I had a "Girl's Night In" scheduled with one of my bestest girlfriends.  So I would have trained on Tuesday, then slacked off the rest of the week, having Wednesday overnight at Lizzie's, hanging out in the hot tub, drinking wine, and eating Girl Food (read here: phenomenal chicken salad and sausage and cheese omelets!), and from thence getting up to no good with my husband.

We got up to no good, too!  We went to Ann Arbor and walked and walked and walked (so I did get exercise!).  We hit the Southeast Michigan Pioneer Wine Trail!  That's right.  I ate REAL FOOD!  And I drank BOOZE!  Well, mostly wine, but I had a glorious Elder Flower concoction at Mancy's Italian one night, and an Old Fashioned at Vinology on another.  I know.  I was super bad.  But if you can't celebrate your anniversary with food and booze, why bother celebrating at all?

Then I got home, and found myself completely overwhelmed with work.  Ugh.  I tried so hard to get everything caught up, and it was just miserable.  I guess there will be weeks like that?  I do hope that was the last one for a while, though, because Ms. Fat Bottom needs to get her ass in gear.  (Hah, gear!)

Today, I went to the gym to discuss my training plan with one of the trainers.  I will be using the National MS Society's bike training plan, which starts on page 13, but I also want some solid weight routines to help me build muscle and stamina.  I told him what I wanted to accomplish and why, and after he managed to shut his mouth (it fell ALLLLLLL the way open), he said he would put a plan together tonight, and we'd talk about it in the morning.  So I have an appointment with Jay at SuperFitness at 10AM tomorrow.

He'll have me weigh in (oh gods), take measurements (OH GODS), and get me set on a good routine that will complement the bike training plan.  And then will commence to whupping my ass into obedience and shape.  Good luck with the obedience part, dude.

In the in-between, I'm still working on my playlist and still appreciate any and all suggestions.

What's the most brutal part of your fitness routine?  I think mine is just going to be getting out of bed!

--Missy, the Fat Bottomed Girl