Sunny Saturday

This morning, I was forced to choose between taking Ryder out in the jogging stroller or foregoing a run altogether. Zdenek is working (on a Saturday!) so I am alone all day with no one to watch the boy if I want to go out.

Although Ryder seems to like the jogging stroller just fine (he can't really move an inch when he's in his bunting), I've been trying to get him used to taking naps in his crib rather than being rocked to sleep by the motion of a stroller. Over the past week or so, though, napping seems to have suddenly "clicked" in his little brain -- I simply put him down when he's sleepy and he drifts off to dreamland unassisted (the occasional nuk replacement is required, but that's okay). So now that I feel more confident that he can nap in his crib, I figured I might as well take him for a spin in the Park this morning under the beautiful weekend sunshine. And since I haven't been running in over a week, I was definitely itching to get out there.

I am delighted to report that I ran the full, hilly loop of Central Park in an 8:33 minute/mile pace, pushing an extra ~40 pounds! Two guys who passed me early on shouted, "Awesome job! Do you have room for two more in there?" And later, as I passed a different pair of male runners while climbing Harlem Hill, I heard one say to the other, "Now I don't feel so tough -- being passed by a woman pushing a stroller uphill." I remember saying the same thing to myself when I'd get passed by moms with jogging strollers (sometimes with TWO kids inside).

I am the first to admit that I miss my solo, carefree days of running, and it makes me a little sad and nervous to think that it might be a long time before I have the chance to properly train for another marathon. But these days, I'll take what I can get. And though I'm still not the speediest mom out there, it's nice to know that I can still get in a decent run with my new little buddy.

One great hour

As I've been strolling Ryder through the Park in recent weeks, I've been rather jealous of the many cyclists whizzing by me during the daylight hours. Although I have no idea who these people are that don't seem to work but instead spend their afternoons cruising around on $5,000 bikes, I'd still like to be one of them. Lately I've been thinking, Are my cycling days over (at least for the next few years)? Sure, Zdenek and I can hook Ryder up the back of our bikes in his Chariot stroller in a few months' time, but we won't be able to cruise fast down the hills or draft quite so closely with a baby in tow. Are we destined for leisurely family rides and nothing more? When will I ever get the chance to ride fast on my little red Giant again?

And then, yesterday, it happened. Since breaking his foot a few weeks ago, Zdenek has been unable to do anything more than walk 15 city blocks daily. He's been starting to get a wee bit annoyed at the lack of physical activity in his life, and figured that he's now feeling good enough to fit his foot into a cycling shoe and snap it into his pedals. Although I was a bit dubious and didn't want him to unnecessarily stress his broken bones or set back his recovery in any way, the man could not be persuaded otherwise (and I don't blame him).

So with the weather just above freezing yesterday and with Babi here to babysit, Zdenek and I pulled down our bikes, pumped up the tires, and set off. The wind was absolutely howling and I was concerned that I might have forgotten how to ride my bike altogether. After all, the last time I rode was in August when I was five months pregnant!

But the second we got going, we were flying. We rode for one hour together (Zdenek never getting out of his saddle but me still struggling to keep up with him on the uphills), and it was awesome. I have really, really missed cycling. Maybe on Saturday we'll get one more ride in before Babi departs.