A Bike Ride a Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

Happy Sunday!  It's an absolutely beautiful day here.  The sun is shining, it's nearly 80 degrees, and there's a warm breeze a-blowin'.  I LOVE weekends.  Who doesn't?  It's time away from the office and the stresses of the daily grind, and there are endless possibilities for fun times.  Confession: I'm a night owl.  I used to love staying up late on the weekends and sleeping WAY in, I'm talking noon, but nowadays my routine has changed dramatically.  I love filling my weekends to the brim, starting at 9 a.m.  I finally realized that getting up at nine on a weekend IS sleeping in, and I get to enjoy a few morning hours before the day really takes off.  These days, my weekends are usually filled with brunch, bike rides, runs, or hot yoga, followed by lots of time enjoying the great outdoors, with a side of laundry.  ;)  This weekend, despite feeling a little under the weather, was no exception.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.  My boyfriend and I have become (for better or worse) frequenters of an amazing breakfast place called Le Peep, a national franchise that proudly displays the tagline, "The Best Breakfast Food in the World."  I have a few other rivals for brunch on my list, but this place is in my top three.  Their coffee is SO good that I actually look forward to that first hot cup o' joe more than my actual breakfast. ;)

Dutch Apple Oatmeal with blueberries, brown sugar, and a wheat English muffin on the side - coffee not pictured ;) 

Unfortunately, I came down with a pretty nasty cold this past week, so I was barely able to taste anything on this plate.  The most annoying part of this cold was that it completely zapped my taste buds and my sense of smell.  I couldn't even taste coffee!  It was just hot.  I added sugar to my cup and then realized that I should have just had it black, since I was basically just drinking it for caffeine.  Womp.  The good news is that my taste buds have since returned!

The rest of my day was pretty low-key due to a serious sinus headache, but when Sunday rolled around, I knew that I wanted to keep my plans with my dear friend and workout pal Maria.  We had planned a potentially longer workout with a bike + swim combo tentatively penciled in, but a bike ride seemed like the best way for me to get movin' again after taking a few days off.  We set out on the trusty Monon Trail near her abode and rode north for a bit, then looped back after a warm-up so that she could buy a helmet, as her boyfriend had accidentally taken hers in her car, and decided to venture off the beaten path a bit on some main roads.  There was a nice bike lane for about... a quarter of a mile, so we carefully shared the open roads with the cars.  Sometimes I wish there was a bike-only path or road because as much as I LOVE the Monon, it's downright dangerous.  I'm constantly slowing down and then getting back up to speed after zig-zagging my way through runners, strollers, and dogs on leashes (that I've almost gotten wrapped up in more times than I care to remember).  Like I said, I love the Monon, and the shade and beautiful scenery always makes for a beautiful, satisfying ride.  However, if you own a road bike, then you know there's nothing like really letting your legs go to hit 20+ mph consistently.  That being said, I loved mixing it up and using both the Trail and the roads for a great short distance ride this morning.  

Awesome pro-biking sign in front of The Bike Line in Broad Ripple :)

Please note that I regrettably experience #3: "Each U.S. rush-hour commuter spends an average of 50 hours a year stuck in traffic." (!) #commutingsucks

These two go hand-in-hand: "25% of all trips are made within a mile of the home." 

"Just three hours of bicycling per week can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by 50%"

#BIKEMORE

Our sweet rides 

Cycling pals :D Love this girl!

(Check her out at www.mariaromaine.com!)

An apple A bike ride a day keeps the doctor away!

I must admit that I didn't JUMP out of bed this morning to go ride.  I kept asking myself if working out at all was a good idea considering that I was still pretty congested.  But, after Maria said, "Should help you feel a bit better" in a pre-ride text, I decided to just.do.it.  Sometimes you just have to get back on the horse (or bike) and jump back into your normal routine, even if you're not yet feeling 100%.  After feeling sub-par all week and missing my workouts because I was literally down for the count/out of it from polishing off an ENTIRE bottle of DayQuil (true story), I got moving again.  And boy did it ever feel good to get some fresh air on my bike and MOVE my body.  Maria was right after all, and I think I'm finally kicking this cold to the dust with a little help from my trusty bike and my biking partner.  ;)

My lovely lunch

Spicy tuna sushi rolls, salad with broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, and avocado (with Bolthouse Farms French Yogurt dressing), and a side o' fresh grapes

Now to tackle some laundry... though I'm sure I'll venture outside again before the weekend's over.  ;)

Here's to making the most of the weekend!

Enjoy your SUNday :)