What a stunning weekend that was. And the best thing about it? I got to see lots of it without being cooped up inside a building that has no windows, like I was on all the previous glorious days we have had so far this year. Even if there has only been 2 or 3 of them…
On Saturday I attempted to give my legs a good stretch out after completing a pretty hard weights set on Friday. Even a week later my legs are still squeaking a bit from the run last weekend (probably because I haven’t given them half a chance to recover!). I think Thursdays club run in the sun sucked my final ounce of weekly energy out of me, so Friday and Saturdays attempts at exercise were somewhat feeble (to say the least!), yet somehow still really enjoyable! The niggles will come and go – if it didn’t hurt a little, I’m either not pushing myself hard enough or I’m doing something wrong. No pain, no gain…. or so they say!
Running aside, my other passion is my bike. I will have months where I forget I’ve even got one, but when I remember I always wonder how I’ve managed to hide it away in the cupboard under the stairs for so long! I LOVE my bike. I did a bit of research and got myself a specialized hardrock sports disc for my 26th birthday – and was promptly told not to use it until after my wedding which was a mere 14 days away! So I didn’t, and then after the wedding there was no getting me off the thing for a few months until the weather turned and so did the trails – into mud baths! So then away went the bike and there it stayed for quite some time. Bad Iona!
Just this weekend my bike has had its first trail run in quite some time and what a day it was. Devilla Forest is absolutely beautiful and just 7 miles from my doorstep. It’s made up of a network of trails and paths that snake around a vast area of woodland and hidden deep in amongst it there are standing stone circles, lochs and lots and lots of wildlife (including red squirrels, which are a rare sight around these parts!). And on a day like Sunday, I couldn’t get enough of it and ended up banking 23 miles in the gorgeous sunshine, grinning as I made my way around the trails, over tree roots, through muddy bogs and rocky surfaces….my idea of an awesome afternoon!
However, my dilemma is that I’d love a road bike as well (more for fitness than fun), but I just don’t know where I’d put it. We don’t have a garage or a shed and my bike and Craig’s guitar amp already take up most of the downstairs space we have. Plus they are expensive. I don’t see the point in something I couldn’t work hard on, and the prices of the bikes I have looked at already made my eyes water a little. I know there are good, cheap bikes out there but I wouldn’t have a clue where to start looking! The other reason I’d love a road bike is that I have toyed with the idea of trying a triathlon. I didn’t think I’d ever have the guts, but now that my 3 main sports are running, swimming and cycling it seems like the next obvious step! But if I did buy another bike, would it just go into the cupboard like my mountain bike? Should I sell my mountain bike if I’d get more use out of a road bike? Do I really need either now I’ve rediscovered my love for running??!
Silly question. Of course I do!
So, answers on a postcard (or just in the comments box below I guess!), one bike, 2 bikes, no bikes?
Any help would be greatly appreciated! 🙂