The training wheels have fallen off!

Today was my 11th bike commute.  When  I say commute I am not referring to the leisurley strolls through the Portland neighborhoods that we take on the weekends.  I am referring to balls to the wall pedaling and hoping that I make it to work in 40 minutes or less while a boat load of senior citizens pass me on their 5 billion dollar road bikes.  I am not going to act all bad ass and say I am hardcore,  internet.  In fact,  I am probably the pansiest bike rider in North Portland who also happens to ride the tiniest road bike in North Portland.

I will be honest and tell you that in the last few weeks I have had fantasies of leaving my bike unlocked and letting a bum steal it.  I have also considered riding it off a cliff and never looking back.  You see,  if my bike disappeared somehow I wouldn’t have to explain to Michael that I spent a zillion dollars on a bike I only rode 11 times before chickening out! 

I remember when we first taught Ezra how to ride a bike.  He would give up and had terrible balance and insisted on having his training wheels put back on.  Michael would stay outside with him because I would get frustrated after the 20th time of him biting the dust and wanting to give up.  He would cry in frustration because other kids his age were riding and he wasn’t.  Then one day a light turned on and he jumped on the bike and rode it perfectly like he had been riding all his life.  I think my bike commuting light turned on yesterday morning!

 It started in the morning when my neighbor  rode with me.   It had been a while since we rode together so it was nice to talk and ride and act like I knew what I was doing like her.  When it came time to making the super sharp turns that scare the life out of me every morning,  I turned perfectly and sped down the bridge!  I wasn’t nearly as fast as her and her new road bike named Hoar-hay,  but my turns!  My turns were so great!   This made me so confident that on the ride home,  instead of shaking in my boots when I had to merge in to traffic I cooly waved my arm out and took the plunge like I wasn’t having flashbacks of the Mexican that hit me years ago in his Ford F-350!   I sang songs and did my hair and hauled ass! I flew up the hill (that usually makes me feel like I will die or give up) in record time!   When I got home I had made it in 33 minutes!  My personal best for the eight plus miles that is my  bike commute one way. 

Today,  after a very cold ride I came home and took a hot bath to warm up.  I decided to jump on the scale as I hadn’t for a few weeks because I was scared of what it would say.  I was surprised to learn that I  have lost 4lbs since starting my new job.   It’s probably partially the stress of the new job but I think I will blame it on biking! 

After yesterday’s commute and todays awesome weight loss discovery I take back all of the mean things I said about my bike!  I guess I won’t be hiring a bum to steal it after all.