Last night I wore a little black dress with a gorgeous pair of patent leather, three-inch heel, Nine West beauties. Today, me and my tennis shoes are soaked in mud from a good, long ride on the Keystone trail before stopping at the Starbucks at 72nd & Dodge to journal and enjoy a frosty frappachino. The funny thing is, I used to put my bike in the trunk of my car and drive out to the Keystone for a ride. Now, I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that fact.
I love contrast and opposites--yin & yang--being girly and flirty one night and tough and muddy the next. Cycling has opened me up in a way I hadn’t expected and sorely needed. For that, I am incredibly grateful and achingly sad that this “challenge” has come to an end. That’s not to say I won’t continue to ride, but there’s nothing more motivating than feeling as if the “world” is watching. I can see why those television reality shows work.
This experience has taught me a lot: that I am capable of surviving Dodge Street on a bicycle; that I can shower and be ready for work in about 15 minutes; that I can enjoy riding through puddles and the feeling of mud spraying up my legs; that I have a lot of fantastic and supportive people in my life; that men really squirm at references to menstruation.
What’s been interesting is the unexpected changes that have come about effortlessly. I’m recycling more, walking if I don’t have my bike (i.e. instead of having a friend drive around the block to drop me off at home, I walk) and I’m craving healthier foods. My body has changed significantly in the last month, as evidenced by the fact that I am now wearing clothes I haven’t been able to wear in four years. Shopping just got a lot more fun.
I’m also ready for a serious cycling revolution to occur. It’s time for this country to surrender its reliance on automobiles and suburban strip malls. Omaha desperately needs a better trail infrastructure for commuters and a much more cycling-friendly driving community. When I took on this challenge, I had no idea I’d been joining the ranks of these underappreciated rebels who are more than entitled to their fair share of the road. Now, I’m proud to be even just slightly on the periphery of this courageous bunch of crazy endorphin addicts.
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5 comments:
Kkristin,
Will you keep blogging?? All of your pals at Trek are inspired by you. Thanks for being such a great Go By Bike girl! Keep on sending me posts--and keep on riding!
yea, don't stop :)
Next thing you know you'll be over at bikejournal.com loggin' miles...
... okay, having re-read more carefully...
seriously, you want attention, come on over ;) there's a lively forum of insane people (how can I say this, it's infinitely more friendly than some of the other online bike groups out there...) There's an ongoing "how was your commute today" thread as well as a thread with people trying to commute 100 days in the year. bike journal dot com welcomes you :)
Bike Journal is a good one. That's where I started. There and the Team Estrogen forums. Of course you'd be enormously welcome over at Team Revolution (http://stlrevolution.com) We're trying to get a group started in the Lincoln/Omaha area -- especially in need of non-racers, or at least non-racers just yet. :)
I loved how you described the contrast... I'm with you on that one. Just because I can mix it up on the bike, doesn't mean I can't be 100% girly the next day. Just got to be who and what you feel.
Congrats on your new size and changing lifestyle. I think you've joined the "endorphin addict" fold by the way.
... are you done?
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