Sunday, July 31, 2011

Bicycling. Yeah, I actually exercised.

We all know I hate to exercise unless it's fun.  Fun, meaning goofing around with friends, or sex.  (Come on, everyone knows that sex is the best way to burn calories.)  I also don't mind the calories I burn while hauling heavy photography equipment and photographing a wedding in 90 degree heat.  It's still fun.

What I DON'T enjoy is:  running, swimming, weight lifting, aerobics, etc, etc, etc.

But, I was thinking back to the good ol days when I was ten or twelve or something, and I rode my bike.  I rode it all the freakin' time.  For miles and miles and miles and HOURS.  And I was a skinny thing.  Well, it probably also helped that I was TWELVE, but you get where I'm going with this.  So, I (finally, after wanting one for two or three years,) bought myself a bike.


Annnnnnd, I got myself a helmet that I hate.  I pretty much stood there at Target looking at all the crappy, ugly helmets and just picked a random one after not being able to really CHOOSE one I LIKED.  I'm eventually hoping to get a cute English looking helmet, but those are super expensive.



So, yeah.  I got my Gary Fischer all ready to rock, and headed out around the neighborhood.  Here's as far as I got.  And it included a mini-break for about 1 minute to catch my breath.  (or was it to give my quads a little rest?)


1.74 miles.  And man, was I beat.  The heat didn't help, but I got home and I was sweating, and tired, and I literally laid down on the couch to cool off and catch my breath.

I think I might try riding later in the day next time.  I went out at 2:30pm, around 92 degrees.  Probably not the BEST idea to break myself in to bicycling... right?


In other news, I've been doing a bit of shopping for new clothes.  Not because I'm any skinnier, but because it's FREAKING HOT outside, and I am saying, screw it.  I'm wearing skirts more, dammit.  And in doing so, I've discovered that indeed, the 80's are back.  I can't express how much I wanted to buy this dress:


I didn't get it though... because it's just too tight and short... and I couldn't bring myself to do it. :)

A few other ones I tried on but didn't buy:

(cute, but I don't dig this neck line with my arms/armpit fat)


(totally cute skirt, last one, too big. :(  )

I liked the style of this dress, but the way it wrapped/crossed in front made me uncomfortable.  Like a breeze would come along and I'd be showing the world my underwear, or something.

Adorable, but I felt it was so short.  Why can't they make dresses a little longer these days?

And I just didn't like the fit of this one at all.  :/


AND, so here we have:  three pieces I did buy - a skirt and two dresses:






I also thought I'd share a new photo of me by my friend and fellow local photographer Jadon Good.  He's doing a personal project called "The Abandoned Couch" project.  You can visit his facebook here for all the other portraits as they come around! :)


11 comments:

Rachel Schofield - Virtual Interior Decorator & Home Stager said...

You made it all look so good! I loved that "80's" dress and that gray wrap as well. If you change your mind, you should go back for them.

Sarah said...

The first dress that you said was too tight and too short was not! You looked damn good in it! Go back and buy it!

Sarah
notaneffingdiet.blogspot.com

Mallory said...

I agree, I loved the wrap dress too. I vote you go back and get it. Just wear bloomers a la bitchcakes!

Sunflowers said...

You look great in the first dress! =D

Crysi said...

Love the gray wrap dress. It looks amazing on you. The coral dress looks great on you too.

Crysi said...

Forgot to add that I went for a 3.2mi bike ride while pulling 60lbs worth of kids in a bike trailer. I thought I was going to die. It was 84 degrees out too. My hubby jogged with our 3rd child in a jogger. Ugh. It was brutal & muscles hurt today that I didn't know I had. I. Can't. Sit. Down. Ouch.

NJ said...

I used to ride my bike so much back in high school. I remember leaving home to move to the city and my dad was like I got to get nancy her bike she'll be lost without it but my relationship with the bike was then lost forever. I used to bike about 35 km's with my friend on days off but it took us a long time and it never ever was 92 degrees. That's killer. Now i'm taking spin/kettlebell classes where we ride exercise bikes for 30 minutes..that part almost kills me but the kettle bell is okay. you looked awesome in all the dresses and skirts.

Bubbie said...

Yeah, that grey wrap dress was FAB. Jen - you are young, so the short does look nice on you. You're definitely not a 'frumpy' type of girl. On the bike ride, there was an episode on TV where the Mom skipped like she did when she was a child. Exercise does have to be fun. Instead of swimming - what about dancing in a pool? That's a blast.

Omani Jewel said...

lovely :-)

Anonymous said...

ALL OF THOSE OUTFITS LOOK STRIKING ON YOU! You're one of those women who always complains about the way she looks despite being very beautiful and despite being able to look amazing in ANY outfit. Women are strange...For instance, no sense complaining about your arm pit fat...I think your whole body is very sexy, and I hope your husband appreciates it.

Just remember an important lesson that many Playboy-looking women haven't learned: being beautiful is not on the outside, it's on the inside. Be confident but humble. Be intelligent. That's what keeps me excited about my wife. She's beautiful and has a nice body, but what's more important is her inner beauty.

Anonymous said...

BTW, that "Abandoned Couch" project sounds awesome! I remember my wife and I getting a couch next to a dumpster, and years later putting that same couch out by the same dumpster, and realizing that a few days later someone else took it. Isn't recycling great?