Cycling

I've been riding pretty much non-stop for the past three weeks, probably averaging 15 miles per day. It feels good to be active, although I'm not really losing any weight.

I've noticed this about my weight loss: if I don't go to sleep right after (i.e. before I eat) some sort of work-out and make my weight-loss "stick", I'll tend to over-eat and blow away any "progress" I've made. Therefore, while morning rides (before breakfast/ride to breakfast) are good because it's cooler out and there is less traffic on the trail, evening rides (after dinner) are better because I can use up any extra calories I've ingested during the day. It explains why my DDR regimen worked so well.

All of this, of course, is in preparation for the Sea Gull Century, which is on October 6th, only five weeks away now. By then I hope to be able to at least ride to the start of the W&OD trail and back (a total of about 45 miles from where I live). It won't be quite like the 100 miles of flat, windy terrain the Sea Gull Century supposedly is, but it will have hills and road crossings and the like, so maybe it'll work out somehow.

I'm also a bit apprehensive about my equipment. I know it for sure now: my bike is "cheap" (even though it was $600 out-the-door) with cheaper components. It should suffice for the ride, but if I'm going to be serious about riding, my next bike will probably cost more than $1500. Still, it's a good "learner's bike": 27-speeds, Shimano Tiagra STI shifters/brakes ("brifters"), clipless pedals, road wheels and tires. When I'm done with it (probably after this season) I'll probably sell it.

It's just like with anything else: you get what you pay for.

Time to Move On?

Is it time to move out and start my life yet? I've got all the pieces in place: decent job, working car, my toys, my friends, my debt--basically the means to support myself. So what's holding me back?

I haven't started looking at apartments or houses or condos--I haven't really felt the need to move out. Where I'm at (my parents' basement) is "good enough" with enough privacy and amenities that I'm comfortable. I pay "rent" and the rest of my money goes to paying down my debt and supplies, so in truth I'm not really saving all that much. Your living expenditures will always rise to meet your income, I think a co-worker said of getting raises.

I think perhaps the main reason I'm not feeling any rush to move out is that if I moved out, it'd be more expensive and I would definitely not have enough money for my other extravagances (currently my guns, but increasingly my bike and its accessories).

Well maybe it's time to change that.