Happy New Bike Day!

This is it.

I don't need my family or my friends or my boyfriend any longer, because I have found the love of my life.

Here is a picture of my new love arriving at her new home:



I nearly had heart palpatations driving from the bike shop to my apartment building. My eyes were glued to the rearview mirror to make sure she didn't fall into the street and get run over by a truck. I was just CONVINCED that would happen.

The very moment I got home, I wanted to try her out. I grabbed my stuff, jumped right on, and headed out for our first ride.

She was great. She was everything I expected. She handled bumps, sticks, and curbs well, but she really shined during long stretches of flat pathway. It felt like I was going twice as fast as on my mountain bike, with the same amount of effort. Fabulous.

Here is me (looking gross) and my new bike stopping for a drink about 6 miles in:





It was only the second time I'd worn my new helmet... but it seemed like good timing because I'm not as used to my new bike, and she goes much faster. All of that equals dangerous conditions for my noggin.

Here is a picture of a gopher (or beaver) that I saw while resting. It was a better photo, but he moved. Either way, he was most definitely staring at me:


Overall, the ride was wonderful. I did a pretty leisurly 10.75 miles in about 50 minutes.



And for your viewing pleasure (and because I'm obsessed), lots of pictures of my new bike:




I bought these pedals seperately and had the bike people put them on. Like I said yesterday, my bike comes with clipless pedals. It's practically a sin to downgrade to these strappy things, but I'm just not ready for the shoes and the clipping and all that. These worked just great:




Look at that tiny little seat!


It's now 5:30 and I have the urge to take her out again. Twice in one day?! I've never had that urge before!

This could end up being a HORRIBLE move for my triathlon training. I already preferred biking over running or swimming... now it's going to be worse!

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Speaking of training... I made an important decision today. I'm going to start eating better.

The need to eat better has always (ALWAYS) been there, but it takes a true desire to make it happen.

The problem? All carbs, no meat, no vegetables, no fruit. Alright, so that's a mild exaggeration. But it's not too far off. I have cereal for breakfast every day, and usually some sort of pasta for lunch or dinner.

My 5 food groups are: Bread, Cheese, Chips, Chocolate, and Pop

I eat maybe 2 servings of fruits and/or vegetables and 1 serving of meat a WEEK. I'm like the vegetarian who hates vegetables! That needs to change--starting today.

But I'm pretty sure I don't have anything healthy in my kitchen... so I need to go to the grocery store.

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On a more depressing note (although, what's more depressing than giving up junk food?!), today was my last day with the Purple People Eater.

It was a sad moment. I woke up this morning and she was looking up at me with that big, sad, glowing eye of hers:


I told her I was sorry. I reminded her that she IS ten years old. I told her about the wonderful place she's going... my parents' house. My mom will treat her well and ride her often (you better ride her often!).

After saying my goodbyes, I escorted her down to the basement and hung her up in storage. I thought it would be too hard for her to see her replacement and how happy she made me.

R.I.P. Purple People Eater.