about getting from point A to point B in the most interesting ways possible

If you're a large woman in America, your whole life is an opportunity to feel self-conscious, embarrassed, resentful and way too big. You can hide in the corner or on the couch, you can go to therapy, or you can put on your lycra bike shorts and get out there and move.
—Jayne Williams, Slow Fat Triathlete

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November 21, 2004

weekend permalink

I've spent the weekend surprisingly far away from the computer, and I gotta say, it's been pleasant.

map, the route to Mt. Tabor
Saturday morning, I went out with the PFit/StayFit folks for a walk from 24th & Hawthorne to Mt. Tabor. I needed to do 9 miles, and I think I did about 10. It was very pleasant, though really rather cold. Like 36 degrees. And once I got to the top of Mount Tabor, it was windy, too.

I used to walk over Mt. Tabor on an almost daily basis, but that was 10 years ago. A lot has happened then, particularly around the 4 city reservoirs on Mt. Tabor. After 9/11, there was talk of burying them, which really didn't go over so well. I really haven't been there since I moved out of the neighborhood.

Well, now the roads around the reservoirs are closed to motorized traffic, which means Mt. Tabor is a great place to walk, run, do Tai Chi, roller-blade, cycle, etc. I loved walking up on the road, not having to worry about who was going to mow me down, in this incredible beauty. I loved encountering other brave souls out on a chilly morning. It was great.
my new socks!
Afterwards, I went looking for yarn for a walking hat for Seattle (not found), and stopped at a new bicycle clothing store and bought a couple pairs of cute bike socks.

That evening, we went out to Scholls for the best pizza ever. Sunday morning, we did breakfast out, then went to Powell's where we bought too many books (Simply Pilates, Simply Ball, Punk Rock Aerobics [hey, how could I resist?], The Walker Within, and The Cat Owner's Manual).

Then we went to a used sporting goods store where I fell in love with an exercycle. It's a schwinn Windsprint and it is completely different than what I went in expecting that I'd want. I've been looking almost exclusively at recumbent style stationary bikes, whereas the Windsprint is upright. I have seen the Airdynes, and I thought they looked cool and old style, but there were really noisy. The Windsprint is less so, and, it's like riding an actual bike. It even has programs like spinning where you ride in the saddle and then hammer standing up.

As usual, I had a gas playing with all the threadmills, ellipticals, bikes and Gazelle-like devices. There was a little girl, maybe 5 or 6, who had the same obsessive impulsive to try out everything. Of course, nothing there was sized for 5 or 6 year old girls, but that didn't stop her. She was having such a good time. She reminded me of me, though I wonder if I was ever that fearless. I certainly wasn't exposed to exercise equipment or to the idea that exercise could be fun. So I was chatting with her, and her dad was chatting with her, and totally being participatory with her, letting her bench press (all the while with his hands holding the pole).

We go and pick up the Windsprint, probably Tuesday night. I am already obsessed--I want it in my living room now.

Posted at November 21, 2004

Comments

skull socks!

Posted by: Chrissie at November 22, 2004 11:57 PM

Aren't those brilliant? They also had kitty skull and bones socks, though I didn't get those.

Posted by: vj at November 23, 2004 12:02 PM