Back In The Saddle Again

Well, it took a few reasons, but after years of talking about getting back in shape, I'm "back in the saddle again".

You'd think that health issues alone would cause someone to make a change or the rising cost of gas prices, but it actually all started when I was making arrangements for the impending regularly scheduled monthly commute from Stockton to Berkeley for classes at the School for Deacons.

Driving my van would eventually becoming too costly with the wear and tear on the old beast (which I need for driving the youth group on Wednesday nights). So I looked into the cost of taking the train and the BART system. Surprisingly, it would cost less to take this train/public transit method than the gas it would take to drive, so the choice was a no-brainer. All I'd have to do is find a way to the Amtrak station in Stockotn and rest would be easy. That's where riding the bike came back ito play.

Now I've always been an avid cyclist. I've ridden the Rosarito to Esendanda 50 mile fun run and a few long distance sponsored rides in the Central Valley and Northern CA along with commuter miles when I was younger. It was also my custom to take a long distance ride once a year on my birthday (the last time was an all day ride through the streets on SF). But riding regularly had taken a backseat in recent years.

My interview to attend the SFD was in May and I decided to test the proposed idea for transportation. I dusted off my trusty Schwinn Frontier and trekked to Amtrak in Downtown Stockton. Admittedly, it was a little rough and I had to take it slow on the body but I made it.

Now I have enough sense to know that if I'm going to make this ride on a regular basis, I should do this more often, so I decided to make riding the bike a lifestyle choice and use it for commuting around the city when there's no real need to drive.

Since beginning this change, I have lost 11 pounds, reduced my blood pressure and increased my energy level. When I started, I felt the need to listen a radio headset to pass the time riding, now I prefer the natural sounds. Susan is pleased to see the changes and I'm beginning to anticipate the next chance to get back in the saddle for another day of biking.

Just think, by the time I graduate from SFD in 2010, I may be in better shape than when I first arrived in Stockton 12 years ago.