Yesterday I rode in my first ever organized bike ride for Bike the Bend for Literacy supporting the Fort Bend County Literacy Counsel.

Our group of 8 was instead a group of 4. My two MS 150 teammates, who have ridden before, separated from me pretty quickly. At the rest stop, we all met up and due to some poor directions, I got split up from them again! I figured they were behind me and would catch up soon enough. It wasn’t until the next turn that I realized that I had taken the 35 mile path!

Sitting at the intersection of Country Road who knows and FM I can’t remember, I decided, welp, no harm in trying for 35. The next 15 miles proved to be a challenge though. The wind picked up considerably and it seemed that we rode directly into them the entire time. Then there were “hills”. Granted they were no Hill Country hills, but still, the slight elevation combined with the wind drained my energy pretty quickly.

At mile 23 I stopped for the first time for 3 minutes. I downed my water bottle and shot a text to the gf explaining to her that I was in pain or as I stated it, “dying”. I think this was the first moment I realized, I would not be making it the full 35.

The next 10 minutes were the longest of the entire ride. First, there was the incline. It was a constant uphill trek. Then, there was the sign stating the rest stop was only a mile away. Yes, it was a relief, but that little sign seemed to take every last bit of energy I had away from me. I started pedaling at what seemed like 5 RPM. It wasn’t until I got to the top of that hill and saw the rest stop that I regained normal human strength.

As soon as I dismounted, I called my gf and begged her to pick me up. My next stop, the water coolers. I swear, I haven’t drank that much water in such a short amount of time in my life. I sat on the ground and drank and drank and drank. By the time I got picked up, I felt good as new.

The lessons I learned from this ride. First, I will be sure to know the route beforehand. Getting lost wasn’t that big of a deal but if I truly got lost, that would have been. Thankfully, I was still on the route. Second, taking breaks is good for me. After chilling for 30 minutes, I felt good enough to ride. I probably couldn’t have made it the last 10.5, but I felt ok. Lastly, water water water. I had borrowed a water bottle and I’m glad I did. I will never go on a ride expecting to only drink at the rest stops.

All in all, it was an amazing experience. I’m hoping to ride 30 miles on my own this weekend. I want my next organized ride route to be a bit longer. Tonight I’m hopping on the elliptical and seeing how my leg muscles feel.

Back to work!

This week I have begun sending out fundraising letters to our financial product wholesalers. I’m really enjoying this challenge. Hopefully, if I start early, our team can reach our goal of $4000.00 by February, giving more time to focus on helping individuals reach their goals in the last few months. The top two product companies to donate will get advertising space on our jerseys. We are also doing sponsor t-shirts that will display names and logos of not just financial product companies, but other small businesses and individuals who make donations to the JEB&Co. team. Through these emails, we have also gotten word that one of our wholesalers from First Trust UIT division is interested in joining our team. Having another rider, especially one on the inside of that side of our business is amazing.

I must admit, I haven’t really been training much, which I’m sure I will feel the effects of on Sunday. I recently finished up fall softball and this will leave more time to focus on my in the saddle training. I’m hoping a little cardio every day this week will help warm my body up for my 20 mile ride on Sunday, though part of me is really freaking out. We shall see!

Welp, I’m off to enjoy life.

Currently reading: Candy Everybody Wants

During all this, I have added two very positive activities into my life: softball and cycling. I currently play for a super chill rec league in the area and though I’m very average, I greatly enjoy myself. I love spending my Sundays outside in the sun and actually miss it when we don’t have games. Because of this, I plan to join a more competitive team in the Spring to continue to feed my addiction. As I see it, I can only get better.

As for cycling, I am the team captain for my company’s MS150 team. No I’ve never ridden it, but hey, why not?! I started my first day of training today. A light 10 miles on the stationary bike in my apartment’s gym. I hope to build up to 40 in the next 3 weeks, just in time for our first ride on the 20th, more info to follow. I’m in the market for a road bike and pretty much plan all my play money savings around this new venture.

Welp, off to live.

Currently reading: “Candy Everybody Wants” Josh Killer-Purcell

Instead of a Song of the Day. Tonight I just listened to a lot of Jessica Lea Mayfield and Sarah Jaffe. Singer/Songwriter kinda night. It helped clear my mind of all the equity trading terms I packed into it today.

Photo of the Day: Milosh sneaking in some cuddle time.

Add packet of yeast to hot water. Stir and let sit 5 minutes.

Mix flour, yogurt, honey and oil in a separate bowl. Add yeast. Cover and let sit in a warm area for 20 minutes. Add baking powder.

Beat egg whites till stiff peaks form. Fold into buckwheat mixture. 

Add blueberries and nuts. 

Pour into muffin pan and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes

Enjoy!

These delicious muffins are sugar and gluten-free!

Today I needed to pick up some new food for my dog, Yuri, I feed him Diamond dog food and when searching for a local dealer I stumbled across this amazing find, Wabash Antiques and Feed Store. For all you small business owner’s out there who don’t think you need a website, you are wrong! Of the 20 stores that carried Diamond in my area, Wabash was the only one with a website and a great website at that. I was sold on this place just by the variety of the store, well and that it was inside the loop! For those of you not from Houston, “inside the loop” refers to mostly the west-side of 610. It’s where all the ‘cool kids’ live. Not to mention, it is the heart of Houston. It’s where you go when you want a great museum, theatre, park, novelty store, but not a feed store. I didn’t believe it. And when I got there, I was pleasantly surprised! It was everything it claimed to be, old fashion feed store in the heart of the city.

Wabash has everything you could want for animals and the outdoors. From dog bones to rosemary plants, rabbit cages to yard art, this store has it all. Not to mention they adopt out pets as well! They had kittens, rabbits, chickens and puppies, most of which are rescued strays from the area. Along with the pets, they have a local traveling vet stop by the third weekend of the month who will administer everything from a rabies shot to a pet physical. 

If you live in the area, I suggest stopping by this unassuming shop. You are sure to find something you like. We went in for dog food and came out with much more.

6 eggs