I Live in a Fit City

On the drying rack behind me right now are the following items:

• a pair of bike shorts
• a long-sleeved bike shirt
• a sports bra
• a long-sleeved running shirt
• my team in training t-shirt
• the pad from caleb's travel diaper kit

With the exception of the last item, pretty jock-y, no? The thing that i've noticed lately is that I feel more of a sense of camraderie than I did before with the people I see running and biking around the city. And I get to have that feeling a lot, because there are a lot of runners and cyclists here! this isn't news to me, but I notice it much more now. When I lived in Nepal, my friend Penny and I went jogging a few times. People stared openly at us -- these freaks who would run for exercise. (and I see why no one else did it -- the smog in Kathmandu alone can kill even the strongest running spirit).

But here, everyone is running nda cycling, it seems. Though it may not be such an oddity, I do often have an "in the club" feeling when I'm on the Burke Gilman trail. I'll catch someone's eye running or biking past in the oppostite direction, and we'll exchange the faintest of nods and smiles. Look at us. Aren't we such jocks? Particularly so if I am pushing Caleb in the jogging stroller. (Though most of those looks are just at him because he's so darn cute).

Good news: our very crowded swim practice is now going to be less crowded. They've added a second swim practice for the half-ironman team on a different night. Last night I got frustrated by how crowded my lane was, so I'm looking forward to a less crowded pool.

I did today's bike practice yesterday morning by attending a studio cycling class at my gym. It was hard, and my legs are a bit sore today. That's the approved indoor cycling training method, and i can see why. there's no way I would push myself that hard on just a stationary bike out in the gym. I actually need someone at the front of the room playing awful music and telling me "push it! work it!" It reminds me of the Jane Fonda workout tape I used to do in middle school. "Feel the burn" was her personal refrain. Oh, I feel it Jane. I feel it.