Return of the Bike

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After procrastinating for three months, I finally decided to fix my flat tire.

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Yay! The return of my bike.  :)  I was really, really into cycling last year – even doing a Metric Century and a Century – but fell out of the habit when I started to train for the marathon (and when I moved to Charlotte – cycling kind of sucks here).  Then, I busted my tire on a sidewalk in July, stashed the bike in storage, and forgot about it.

 

I read somewhere that cycling is an excellent form of marathon recovery, so I brought it out and repaired the tire.  It took thirty minutes!  Pretty proud of do it by myself though.

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The Husband and I biked for about 1.25 hours (probably 7 miles or so?) around our neighborhood, a nice and slow ride.  I spent most of the time coasting down hills and pedaling in the easiest gear.  I planned to quit earlier, but cycling actually helped my legs SO much.  Sometimes, you just need to get the blood flowin’!

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Lunch:

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A tabbouleh, hummus, and spinach wrap, Brussel sprouts, and a pear.

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Snack was a lovely British scone with strawberry jam <—homemade by my mother-in-law (the scone, not the jam).

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And dinner was an amped-up version of this little Trader Joe’s gem.

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I added corn (straight off the cob) + kidney beans to the rice mix and had broccoli on the side.

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Another scone + Ginger Cats crackers are calling my name for dessert!  As is HGTV and the couch.  :)  I hope you have a happy and safe Halloween!  We celebrated last night, but I wonder if any kids are going to stop by?

{ 49 comments }

 

  • Nicole - yuppie yogini October 31, 2010, 7:03 pm

    I bet your legs are loving you after that bike ride. If I just sit around after a hard workout, I’m much more sore.

  • Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine October 31, 2010, 7:13 pm

    I’ve been thinking of giving cycling a go for awhile now- every time I run in Central Park there are just so many bicycles whizzing by!

    A little movement helps SO MUCH with recovery!

  • holly @ couchpotatoathlete October 31, 2010, 7:16 pm

    Good for you for getting that bike fixed!

    Maybe you should have worn a yellow shirt while biking — you could be Lance Armstrong for Halloween 🙂

  • Angie (My Life in Bites) October 31, 2010, 7:18 pm

    One of my biggest regrets from childhood is never learning how to ride a bike properly. I’ve tried to pick it up as an adult and it isn’t pretty!

    I hope you guys get some trick or treaters! I live in a young professional complex and I never get any; it kind of takes the fun out of Halloween!

  • Kelly October 31, 2010, 7:21 pm

    I agree that moving your legs after a marathon is the best decision. Sitting still is what will cause you to be sore for days….good call…I am sure your legs are thanking you!

  • Lacey @ Lake Life October 31, 2010, 7:28 pm

    Lol @ what the cashier said. What was your reply?

    • Caitlin October 31, 2010, 7:35 pm

      “Ummm.” Blush and feel like a huge dork for wearing my helmet inside the grocery store on Halloween. “This is just my outfit. I’m riding my bike.” Awkward pause.

  • Chelsea @ Strawberry Sweat October 31, 2010, 7:43 pm

    Wow, I’m impressed that it only took you a half hour to fix your tire. It would have taken me at least an hour!

  • Kristy @ KristyRuns October 31, 2010, 7:44 pm

    Awww man. Wish I had a bike to help loosen my legs up! I think going up and down the stairs 20 times to do laundry, vacuum, etc. helped a bit though.

  • Lauren October 31, 2010, 7:46 pm

    I wish it was still biking weather here. But fall is bitter cold and it looks like I’ll have to wait until next Spring to pull out the bike again.

    Glad you’re recovering well. I don’t even know if I even congratulated you on the marathon!

    Silly me! CONGRATULATIONS you amazing amazing woman! 🙂

  • Lisa (bakebikeblog) October 31, 2010, 7:47 pm

    oooh yay for cycling as recovery!!!

  • hippierunner October 31, 2010, 7:47 pm

    yay for cycling! Maybe you can use it as a mode of transportation more often? I hope so!

  • Carly (Swim, Run, Om) October 31, 2010, 7:49 pm

    Haha, I would have been like, “I’m dressed like someone who was out riding her bike and stopped at the grocery store to pick up some things.” *stare down*

    That’s awesome that you’re recovering so well! Just goes to show that you trained smart. 🙂

  • Camille October 31, 2010, 7:53 pm

    Hahaha, oh sales people.
    Last night I called a restaurant/bar and asked:
    “Are you guys 21 and up?”
    The girl answering the phone said, “Am I 21? Umm…”

    Awkward.

    • Caitlin November 1, 2010, 9:21 am

      Hahah that’s a good one.

  • Marie-Journey to Body Zen October 31, 2010, 7:59 pm

    I love riding my bike and need to get it out of my basement! It’s been there pretty much all summer. I love how refreshing it is to ride after a dry spell!!

  • Hope October 31, 2010, 8:04 pm

    Yay for fixing your bike! I really should get mine out again!
    Congrats again on your marathon! You rock girl!

  • Claire (Low Impact Fashionista) October 31, 2010, 8:08 pm

    I love cycling! But it’s getting a little too cold to keep cycling now.

  • eatingRD October 31, 2010, 8:15 pm

    Yay!!! Sounds like a great ride to recover. Congrats on your marathon! I’m sure you guys did more like 12 🙂
    I joined a cycling team which is going to be tough but keep me training. I’m kind of scared but excited! Team ride today kicked my bootay, I need a recovery ride 🙂

  • Kelly October 31, 2010, 8:21 pm

    I hope you get some Trick or Treaters!

    You are impressive for biking 7 miles the day after a marathon. I know it’s recovery but I think my recovery would be lying on the couch!

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat October 31, 2010, 8:25 pm

    You’re lucky the weather is still nice enough for cycling… it’s getting mighty chilly here!! I hope you have a nice rest tonight – I was still pretty tired a few days after my first marathon and couldn’t seem to get enough sleep… or food!! 😉

  • Rachael October 31, 2010, 8:26 pm

    I still haven’t fixed my tire after an unfortunate pothole incident last summer- you’re way ahead of me!
    A lady today asked me the same question. I replied that I was simply dressed. Apparently stripes, florals and leg warmers do not an acceptable fashion decision make 🙂
    Still waiting for trick or treaters here…I think the Sunday night factor is weighing in this year!

  • Wei-Wei October 31, 2010, 8:47 pm

    Congratulations again on that marathon – you killed it. Awesome 😀

  • Jasmine @ Eat Move Write October 31, 2010, 8:47 pm

    lol. That’s really funny what the cashier said. I suppose she’d been seeing people come in and out all day. A couple of years ago, my husband and I went to a party as a football player (him) and a ref (me). We stopped at a grocery store on the way and the cashier asked me if I was really a ref. I was a wearing a short black skirt, a ref shirt, and pigtails. Lol. I was like, “Uh…”

    • Caitlin November 1, 2010, 9:22 am

      hahah thats awesome.

  • Amanda (Eating Up) October 31, 2010, 8:59 pm

    Haha Halloween is hilarious! I seriously considered being an “athlete” last night, but I ended up being Lindsay Lohan (in jail) instead.

  • Deva (Voracious Vorilee) October 31, 2010, 9:01 pm

    Halloween is great :-). I loved seeing all of the costumed sports fans on TV today. We only had a few trick-or-treaters stop by tonight. I guess more candy for us?

  • Emily October 31, 2010, 9:02 pm

    Glad you are recovering all right from the marathon, definitely get into that yoga, it will help!

  • Paige @Running Around Normal October 31, 2010, 9:03 pm

    What the heck did the cashier think you were?! lol
    Hope your legs feel better:)

  • Mary @ Bites and Bliss October 31, 2010, 9:13 pm

    haha hilarious about the grocer asking what your costume was!! Like “well, what’s it look like?!” 😛 and yay for fixing it all by yourself! Glad you’re getting back into bike riding 🙂

  • Katie @ peacebeme October 31, 2010, 9:42 pm

    Strange question, but curious why your husband and his family ended up moving to America? I get curious why people move where they do 😉

    • Caitlin November 1, 2010, 9:29 am

      My mother in law is British and my father in law (really the Husband’s stepfather) visited England and they met and fell in love! Husband was sixteen and everyone moved to America to be together.

  • chelsey @ clean eating chelsey October 31, 2010, 9:59 pm

    haha did you come up with something fun to tell the grocery store worker?

  • Janae @ hungryrunnergirl October 31, 2010, 11:42 pm

    Wow a bike ride the day after a marathon! You are hard core. I love biking because it is so easy on your joints but it is so easy to forget about when you are training for something else and doing so much yoga!! Happy Halloween!

  • Maddie November 1, 2010, 12:12 am

    I love biking! I just really started getting into riding and find it so fun and relaxing.

  • elaine! November 1, 2010, 1:14 am

    Man, I totally procrastinated on fixing my bike’s flat tire too. The wheel was fine, I just needed to put a new tube in it. Lazy! So when my car broke down, I couldn’t autonomously get to work… had to borrow a car, lol.

    Your cyclist “costume” comment is hilarious!

  • Bailey November 1, 2010, 2:57 am

    bahahaha hilarious tweet.

  • Sarena (The Non Dairy Queen) November 1, 2010, 7:31 am

    My bike is in serious need of some work. I wish we had a great area to bike in. The scone looks so good. I need one this morning with my coffee!

  • Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin November 1, 2010, 7:39 am

    Haha that’s hilarious about the cashier!

  • Michele November 1, 2010, 7:59 am

    That’s great about the cashier!! Too funny.

  • Deb November 1, 2010, 8:18 am

    Congrats on getting your bike fixed. Great biking weather this time of year!

  • Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down) November 1, 2010, 8:31 am

    I kind of fell out of biking over this past year as well, due to getting back into running. I need to take this post as motivation to get back out there and do some pedaling. 😀

  • Katie November 1, 2010, 9:47 am

    hehe. I worked last night and we had all these old guy’s uniform shirts that we are selling. We were bored and people kept asking us where our costumes were, so we put on the shirts (they’re orange and swallowed all three of us- 3 girls were working) and told everyone we were guys dressed as pumpkins. I guess you had to be there but all our customers thought it was funny.

    That dinner looks really good. Another really good TJ product that you wouldn’t think would be good but is, is there vegetarian chili. I put frozen, chopped spinach and corn, (and sometimes there harvest vegetable hodgepodge) to amp it up and its AMAZING for a last minute dinner.

  • Amber K November 1, 2010, 12:26 pm

    Biking isn’t good in my area either. But mostly because I have no place to keep a bike and I don’t want to carry it down three flights of stairs and up the three flights when I’m done!

  • Lisa November 1, 2010, 12:30 pm

    I loved training for my Reach the Beach ride last spring. Spending hours on the bike was a FUN workout. I’m looking forward to training for something else. Probably not until Spring though.

  • Ellen @FirednFabulous November 1, 2010, 1:42 pm

    Ha, that is too funny about the grocery store clerk! That veggie-loaded dinners looks yummy 🙂

  • Yaya November 1, 2010, 4:51 pm

    I just bought a bike, and eager to go out riding around. However, recently the weather is getting chilly and rainy dramatically. I hope we still have some good weather days left this year.

    Having cycling will help loosen your legs up. It’s a good exercise after marathon.

    We had a few trick-or-treaters stop by last night. It was fun.

  • Miranda November 2, 2010, 9:53 am

    Too funny about the cashier!

    How do you make your broccoli? Looks amazing!

    • Caitlin November 2, 2010, 10:11 am

      That was just steamed in water in the microwave!

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