HK Cruiser is my new best friend!
21 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in bike rides, goals, good habits, Hello Kitty Cruiser
The first time I rode her, I went about 3/10′s of a mile. I never realized that the stop sign nearest my house is actually at an incline. I felt every push of the pedal!! The second time I rode her, I went 7/10′s of a mile. I was sweating and SO out of breath when I got home. It didn’t take me long to ride the distance, but it WORE me out!! I had to sit on the couch and drink 12 ounces of water before I could even talk.
This morning, I took a ride in my van to see how far I had ridden yesterday (which is how I know I rode 3/10′s and 7/10′s of a mile). Then, I drove to see how far it would be to make it an even mile. Going in a loop, down one dead-end side street and back to that aforementioned stop sign is exactly one mile. I decided that would be my challenge for today. Yesterday, I was so excited about my new bike that I rode her before I bought a helmet. I don’t like riding without a helmet so I ventured out to buy one this morning. While I was at the store, I saw a basket that matches the bike seat and lettering (black). The basket locks into a bracket, but can be removed. It has a handle so it can be used as a carrying basket for groceries!
Here is my HK Cruiser with the new basket:
Here is the new helmet inside the new basket:
Equipped with my new helmet and basket, I was excited to meet my one mile challenge. I put a bottle of Gatorade in the basket and off I went! The bike rides a little differently with the added weight of the basket. It took me a minute to get used to it. My neighbor, who lives directly across the street from my house, was outside at the end of my ride. My quads and lungs were about to give up on me! Yesterday, I stopped in front of his mailbox and I was so out of breath that I couldn’t even talk to him. Today as I passed him, I said, “I’m going to make it to the stop sign.”
As I approached the stop sign, I could have walked faster than I was pedaling! My quads were burning, but I kept saying to myself, “You are strong. You are strong.”
Well, it worked.
I made it to the stop sign (which, as you remember, is uphill from my house.) I coasted back to my house and decided to try to make it up my steep driveway. I managed to pedal 1/4 of the way up the steep hill that is my driveway. Good enough for today!
I love setting personal challenges every time I go out to ride. On my street, after the first stop sign, there is another stop sign. It is up a long hill. I will eventually be able to pedal up to the second stop sign, but I’m not ready for that challenge yet! My ultimate goal is to be able to ride my bike to Subway, my neighborhood grocery store and Walgreen’s. All of these stores are about a mile from my house, with a lot of hills in between.
Little by little… a little farther each day.
