cycling with the terns

Twice in two days. Go Me!

I am not inspired by Tour de France, as someone suggested. I am inspired by an earnest desire to shed the unsightly excess fat I carry around. Unsightly indeed! The way I look now has made me realise, recognise even and embrace:), that, at my ideal weight & physique, I am not exactly horrid looking. Huge step for moi, let me tell ya. Fat just doesn’t become me, like it does some peeps. Please let this be the summer I succeed in banishing it! (Whom am I addressing here? It’s up to me, no one else!)

I’ve been struggling with weight since February 2001, when I gained 15 kgs in 6 weeks. You may not think it possible, but it is. It’s quite the weird experience though, watching yourself grow so rapidly! It was due to meds I was put on. I am not shirking responsibility here. This is the honest truth. Drs wouldn’t change the (generic/no good for me anti-depressant) meds when I asked, and once they did, my eating &  burning ‘habits’ remained the same, so I gained some more. Then lost it and looked great 2004-2005, after which it was downhill again weight wise (coinciding with my failing mental health, alas) and now – I’m a blob. But never mind, I’ll succeed again in losing the fat, and it’ll be for good this time.

So I just came back from a nice bike ride. 40 min or so of rather fast paced riding, with 2 water breaks. Not bad for an out-of-shape gal with a serious cough! And I so enjoy it, which is a great bonus. Weather not as great as yesterday and I had the wind in my face most of the time. In Iceland, it’s uphill with wind in your face – both ways. That’s just how it is up here in the far North Atlantic:)

Some notes from my ride:

• Arctic terns will attack a person with silly helmet, though said person may not feel it as much. Them terns are everywhere, protecting their eggs or chicks. I ride right through their chosen land; in two days I’ve seen so many parent terns flying right before my eyes with wee fish in their beaks! Too cute, really. But then they hover over me thinking I spell danger to their brood, and as they’ll either attack or poo on me, neither of which I particularly like, I hurry along, which is what they want. And this is also good for my exercises purposes.
• Rest. If I must stop to catch my breath (which I only did once, alright?), I must remember not to do it at any type of crossing. Cars stopped for me, I had to sit up quick and pedal off, it was all too rushed and clumsy. I managed to mutter thanks, though.
• Handlebars. It’s not steering wheel on a bike, it’s handle bars. Man with large moustache rode past me today and that’s when I remembered the word:)
• Repetition is my friend. I don’t mind repetition in some areas. I enjoy listening to the same song over and over again, singing along of course, and I don’t mind riding the same path over and over again. That’s a good thing in my current state, bc it means I’ll actually go out and do stuff, like ride my bike, without complicating it or having to think where to go next. It’s just out the door, on that path by the sea and the terns, and I’m good! I enjoy diversifying my life, of course, but don’t mind repetition, either.
• Fat deposits: my slightly off ideas about. I don’t know anything abt anatomy. As far as I’m concerned, there are more nerve endings in fat on arms and thighs than in other parts of the body, as pinching these parts is rather more painful than pinching other parts. The butt is another matter. Its fat has very few, or perhaps no, nerve endings. I am therefore very glad that my butt hurts after riding bc this means that I have less fat there than I thought. So there! Refute if you dare:)

Arctic Tern in attack mode. A beautiful bird, and with background to match my living room:)