Once upon a time, I used to dread hills. Dreaded walking or biking up them, because I knew I'd be hot, sweaty, and out of breath when I finally got to the top. And I hated being hot and sweaty and out of breath because, besides being uncomfortable, all of that just emphasized how fat and out of shape I was.
Nowadays, hills don't faze me, and being hot, sweaty, and out of breath is usually a badge of honor. In fact, my new RoadID bracelet (a lovely, thoughtful birthday gift from my dear friend Kim) is going to feature a quote which reads: "THIS ISN'T SWEAT. IT'S MY FAT CELLS CRYING." (It's not original, but I love it and I'm stealing it, so there).
I mention hills because I did a lot of biking today. It was a day off, and the weather was nice and cool, and I've been wanting to hit the canal trails. It's not like this part of NJ is especially hilly, but there were a few heart-pumping trips over highway overpasses, including one in which I discovered halfway up that the shoulder ended abruptly and the actual bike lane was on the other side of the road. I jumped the concrete center divider, crossed two lanes, and heaved my bike over the guard rail to safety. A few feet down the trail, I came upon a little rabbit who was experiencing my same dilemma --- he found himself on the wrong side of the fence with oncoming traffic and no place to go! Happily for Mr. Bunny, I was not interested in eating him.
First I rode over to the Mill Pond Park and followed the Lenape Trail, which is only a couple of miles, but a very pleasant sylvan ride. One of the things I love about this area is all the wildlife. Adorable little chipmunks kept dashing across the path, playing chicken with my bike. There were flocks of Canadian geese, and a baby bunny hiding in the grass.
It's been a wildlife-sighting kind of week. This morning coming back from breakfast, we saw a family of geese with some BIG goslings --- almost full-sized but still all downy-fuzzy --- and then a mommy Kildeer with four tiny chicks! And earlier this week, a beautiful red fox crossed the street in front of us, in broad daylight.
There was plenty of gorgeous flora to enjoy, as well. There are orange daylilies everywhere. As I rode today it was an olfactory feast --- the ever-present banks of honeysuckle, the lilies, a fresh herbal scent from something I couldn't identify --- maybe bee balm? And once, passing a swampy area, there was very strong aroma of something like cinnamon!
After my ride around the mill pond, I decided to head over to the Delaware-Raritan Canal. Luckily for me, there was a great bike path almost all the way. Princeton is very bike friendly! The canal, which was dug by hand by Irish immigrants, is very beautiful and provides miles of trails for hiking, running, and biking.
All in all, I rode for over three hours, and it was a great way to spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon! The only down side is that I didn't do any of the training I'd actually planned. Well, tomorrow, as they say, is another day.
Hi Cindy!
It has been a long time since I made a comment. In fact, I have commented since December. I got real sick and found out that I was allergic to basically everything in Texas so I moved back to Hawaii. It took a bit to save up the money to move back but come April I was back.
Now I am back and I started working out immediately. I am now 5 lb away from my goal! So I am following your footsteps. Everyday I go outside and start moving. Last week I joined a gym and hopefully I can get everything toned back up.
You are my inspiration.
Lindsey
Posted by: Lindsey | June 12, 2011 at 10:34 PM