liquidjill

It seems I’ve done something to strain my neck and I really can’t do much of anything at all at the moment. I’m mobile and everything so it’s not too bad but there is definately no bike riding on the agenda for today.
I saw a chiropractor yesterday but I don’t think he really helped much. I walked out feeling a little worse than when I walked in, plus he isn’t covered by insurance so I’m thinking it’s back to the basics for me.

I’ll take it easy today, switch my purse to the other shoulder and stretch gently. It’s a bummer not getting my ride in but with any luck I’ll be up for one in the morning. In the meantime it is sunny and brisk out there. I think I’ll head over to the farmers market and pick up some fresh food stuff for the week. Gotta make the best of it!

Well I am exhausted.

Crazy week at work and a long and wonderful ride on my fixie all evening tonight. I need to get to bed but felt I would be remiss not to share this with everyone. So freakin cool!

Have a great night, I’ll have much to share this weekend  – lots more donations coming in! Thanks so much!!

This morning I woke up in serious pain from the long ride yesterday. I was thinking I might call it a rest day until my friend Greg came to my sanity’s rescue. We met up in Prospect Park and even though I could only muster a few meager loops I feel so much better for just getting up and getting out. Thanks Greg!

Prospect Park is one of my favorite places in all of NYC. It was designed by Frederick Olmsted (same dude that designed Central Park and dozens of other awesome urban parks around the country). I was introduced to him in the book Devil in the White City (which is an amazing read). It discusses his work on the Chicago World’s Fair and it takes you so far into to actual design process that when I was done I felt kind of like I’d met the guy. When I’m riding down Eastern Parkway (the world’s first parkway, also designed by Olmsted) or exploring Prospect Park I always try to give a little thanks to him, and to the people with enough foresight to provide us with such incredible respites from our busy city lives.

Here’s a flick of one of my favorite trees in the park. I run, bike and walk past it all the time and love watching it as the seasons change. Anyone know what kind of tree this is?

Well, off to Sunday brunch with the ladies and afterward it looks like another bike ride! This one will be on the fixie though and much more relaxed. I don’t think my legs can take much more hardcore riding this weekend. So glad I’m getting out there though, and getting my training on!

This morning when I stepped outside for my long ride it seemed warm around 9am. I made a not so wise decision at that point to leave my windbreaker at home.

Oh man, was it chilly. I knew it was gonna be rough when Wendy and I reached the Ocean Parkway/Neptune turn and louds rolled in while winds picked up. Big time. We buckled down and did what we always do – kept on pedaling. When we crossed the Marine Parkway bridge the fog got crazy dense and we were basically riding through a damp and chilly cloud.

There was something kind of serene and cool about the whole thing and even through my chattering teeth I found myself smiling. After the bridge we ran into about a thousand ducks just chilling in the fog and so I stopped to take a few pictures.

We picked it right back up and rode a fairly quick pace all the way out to far Rockaway. I couldn’t believe that people were surfing. Brave, brave souls.

On the way home we stopped at a cute little bagel shop to refuel and warm up.

I grabbed a mini whole wheat, toasted with peanut butter. Yum.

It was such a relief to climb back across that bridge and get back to the regular New York, where the sun was shining and the temperature was nearly 20 degrees higher. We both agreed that we felt pretty badass after the ride though.

I don’t think my feet completely defrosted until about an hour after I got home. For our ride next weekend I’ll follow Wendy’s advice and check the weather in Rockaway before we ride and not in Brooklyn. Whoops. Ah well, it was still an awesome 40+miles and I had a blast.

World, meet Timo.

Timo, please try not to slobber on the guests, these people are donating for my Century ride! (By the way thank you so much to those who have donated!!)

Timo is my little sis and her husband’s new pup. I think he’s pretty much made of cute. Maybe a little ridiculously adorable thrown in for good measure. Let’s hope he stays that way for at least a few months?

So… It’s around 2pm on a Friday afternoon and it’s around 65 degrees outside and sunny and beautiful.

Guess who got out of work early today?

I’m about to hop on my track bike and head over to my very favorite sandwich shop in the slope and then ride around all afternoon and take pictures. Tomorrow I have my planned long road ride with Wendy but this is just a surprise ‘icing on my spring weather cake’ of a ride!

And with just one bit of further ado, I leave you with more puppy pics. Cause seriously, you know you love ‘em.

Timo says “Peace out!” and I say have an awesome Friday!

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Click Here to Donate

We’ll it’s been a weekend of travel and old friends and even older friends as well as lots of walking and enjoying the beautiful weather down in Virginia. I was only able to get in one 5 mile run on Thursday so far, but the plan is to hit the gym this afternoon and again tomorrow morning.

Driving to visit my godson was a reminder in why I no longer own a car.

oy. It took a hot minute to get down 95 South.

But it was so worth it!

I love this time off of work and out of the city for a bit. It feels like I can really breathe for a moment, focus and spend some time on the things that really matter to me.

And on that note I am off to do some yoga and spend some quality time with the family! Have a great Sunday!

Click Here to Donate

I received my first two donations today!!

Thank you so much to my new sponsors, I will ride with my heart in every pedal stroke this May, what an amazing motivator this is!

Sometimes, when I feel like I’m working out all the time it becomes difficult to keep in mind where my purpose really is. In the past I’ve forced motivation through self critique and guilt and a sense of obligation. In the end these factors never really pay off.

If I tell myself I’m cycling to make eating a big dinner ok or to make up for the snacks I had at work I never really feel good about exercising. It’s only when I get out there for the sheer love of it that I feel great, inside and out. I don’t think there is any coincidence at all that my workouts based on love yeild much better results overall.

It can be really difficult for me in the colder and darker months to find this passion. I think yoga and working out with friends helps some but in the end we have to find those positive forces within us.

Duty and obligation are two words that I find less and less space for in my life as I get older. I don’t work hard because of duty. I do it because I love my work. I don’t write because of obligation, I write because I am inspired to do so and because it makes me feel more whole when I create.

Why should excersise be any different? I don’t want to be held to a standard that makes me feel like I have to work out. I want to love it, and to have those around me love it too.

I’m getting out there to ride and run and play, and I am doing it all for a very simple reason.

Because I love to.

How do you find motivation?

My ride with Wendy on Sunday was every bit as glorious as I’d hoped it would be. Though it was a bit chilly I think neither of us much minded as it was that awesome to just get back out there and ride!

I am so committed to this Century now it’s amazing. And speaking of, I’ve got to figure out a way to raise some money! I’m thinking about a raffle, or maybe some kind of contest? The jury is stil out but the bottom line is, I gotta come up with 300 bucks by May.

If you feel so inclined you can donate to my ride HERE and help the LIVESTRONG cause in doing so.

Tonight I’m packing up my things for a much needed vacation back home in Virginia with my family. I can’t wait! There’s a lot to be done before I begin the big schlep by way of Amtrak (bagels, authentic Brooklyn Shmurah matzoh, etc.).

So, for now – Have a great night!

What an amazing, amazing day, and what a perfect start to spring!

I started the day at a delicious market 2 blocks from my apartment. I would have made breakfast but I was in such a hurry to get on the train and start my journey I decided to pick up a sandwich and eat on the train.

Don’t you love the name?

It turned out to be a perfectly delicious and well-timed idea. The train came within a few moments of me getting to the platform and I was on my way to queens! I did have enough time to snap a picture of this really ridiculous billboard I found.

What in the world has Photoshop done to this poor child’s head? Bizarre.

My travels took me on two trains (the A and J) and 2 boroughs. After over an hour of transit (which was tough since it was nearing 70 degrees out at this point and sunny and amazing) I finally arrived at ADT bikes.

Russell, who has been there for me from the very start of this bike buying business was there and continued to be incredibly helpful.

If you happen to live anywhere nearby this was by far the best bike shop experience I’ve had in New York.

We outfitted the bike with a seat wedge (mine was stolen last year – it was so nice to move everything back out of the ziplock!), a water bottle and cage and a Velcro attachment for my pump.

Here’s a pic from the store in the midst of the outfitting.

Then, what was probably the most exciting moment of my year so far finally took place.

I hopped on my bike and rode it home in the sun!

It’s difficult to explain how much joy I get from riding a bike, all I can say is my ride home took about an hour and the only thing that hurt was my face from smiling so hard the entire time.

I made a quick stop at the farmers market on my way, picked up some delicious cheese and snapped a few pics of Fort Greene Park in these early stages of spring.

When I got home I couldn’t help but take more pics of the bike.

And in it’s new home.

While I was admiring the new addition to my family of bikes the gorgeous Shosh and Alex stopped by! It’s always so nice to share a day this fantastic with friends. Plus the two of them are made of awesome. Don’t you think?

Alex had to run to work so Shosh and I decided to go on an afternoon bike ride. Shocker right?

She rode my old GT and I busted out my track bike. The new Trek will get some long distance action tomorrow on a daylong ride with Wendy but for knocking around Prospect Park I was feeling the fixie.
Can you believe this was Shosh’s first time on a road bike? She kicked so much butt it was amazing.

At the park it seemed everyone felt the intoxication of this crazy warm beautiful first day of spring. Laughter and kids abounded and live music just added to the mix.

At the park we met another friend/cyclist Greg.

We all rode a bunch of loops together chatting and laughing and having a blast. The only thing better than a bike ride is a bike ride with some friends.

When we got home Shosh and I threw together some whole-wheat pita veggie sammiches with roasted red pepper hummus, zucchini, yellow squash, red peppers, melted cheese from the farmers market, some fresh spinach and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Sorry, no pics cause we ate them almost before I could finish making them! Biking makes hungry!

Tonight I’m planning an early night since my big ride starts pretty early tomorrow. So exciting!!! I’m going to try and get some pics of me actually on the new bike tomorrow if I can!

Happy Spring everyone!