Im not one for making New Years resolutions, never have been. But since I come from a long line of buttless wonders, Ive always set a goal to pump up my gluteus maximus muscles at this time of year. Its sad to admit, but my many siblings and I just dont look good from the backside in our 501s. Weve all got what some people call truckers butt. Our legs meld into our back.
Things have only worsened since having children. Lets just call what I have stuck at the top of my legs a pancake, complemented by a muffin top around the waist capped off by doughy arms. All of which would be fine if I owned a bakery or some other confectionery shop. But I do not.
A sure fire way to tighten the glutes, eliminate the muffin top and tackle the arm flab is to get back on my bicycle, which I miss so very much. I love cycling and so desperately want to do more. Im a more joyful and healthier person when I get to ride my bike regularly. I have no desire to ever run a marathon or even a half-marathon, but I can see myself attempting a Gran Fondo at least once in my life. Training must come first, however.
Our two wonderful cycling columnistsKay Cahill (Wheel Life) and Kristina Bangma (Gearing Up)inspire and depress me at the same time. I want to be like themat least a lite version of their hardcore selvesbut never seem to find the time since moving to the North Shore from Vancouvers East Side two and half years ago. I used to cycle to work four days a week then. Took me 25 minutes. But I now live 20 kilometres away and I dont have the stamina or time to bike to work. Time, or lack thereof, is the problem. I blame it on my dream-killing, bank account-draining children and the high cost of childcare (not to mention my mortgage). Its all their fault, really. If its not taking the rascals to school and daycare in the morning, its picking them up before daycare closes or when the 3 p.m. school bell rings on the days my husband cant. Yada, yada, yada, you may say. You chose to have kids and you chose to move further away from your job, you say. Sure, but I know I am not alone.
Theres a reason people with kids look fatter around the middle by a certain age.Incorporating exercise into my daily commute is the perfect solution. Save on gas, get healthy, pollute less. My co-workers will tell youquite openlythat I can be pretty cantankerous. I blame it on a lack of regular heart-pumping, sweaty exercise and sitting in front of a computer for seven to eight hours a day at work. Even J-Los butt might flatten out from all that sitting. My husband is equally keen on his wife getting more exercise.
The City of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»has done a stupendous job with bike lanes. Ive always appreciated them, but no more so than last summer. The one time I cycled across the Second Narrows Bridge and sucked in a years worth of car and truck exhaust in the 10 minutes it took me to go from the north to the south side, I could have kissed the ground of the Adanac bike route. It was so calm, clean and quiet. Nirvana. Im buying a mask if I ever cross that bridge on my bike again. Im mystified by the many bridge-crossing cyclists who dont wear one. Surely the benefits of cycling are negated by the intense vehicle pollution theyre inhaling. Speaking of mysteries, why do some cyclists insist on riding on busy commuter roads, such as Dundas and Powell during rush hour, where they are not only risking their lives, breathing in bad air and slowing traffic down, when they can move over a few blocks to a wonderful bike route? I dont understand these people. Theyre in the same category as people who ride their bikes on busy sidewalks. Get off already and walk the darn bike.
People often write to the Courier complaining about the emptiness of the citys bike lanes. I know one way to populate thememployers need to be more flexible or creative with their employees arrival and departure times. A safe place to store their bikes and a decent shower for those whove worked up a sweat would also be nice. Is this asking for too much in a city that is striving to be the greenest in the world by 2020?
I used to half drive, half cycle to work, which I will strive to do again. Its attainable and Im all about shooting for attainable goals.
Eating fewer sweets, like the Nanaimo bar thats calling my name from 40 feet away, will probably also help.
