Happy Birthday To Me!

Well, on May 31st, I’m turning 24; going from early-twenties to mid-twenties. So. old.

To combat the aging, I’ve bought myself an awesome birthday gift, well, several:

• A Giant Boulder SE 2008 mountain bike (Aluminum frame, 21 gears/quickshift shimano, v-brakes, front suspension.)
• A Nashbar Adjustable Fluid Trainer to allow me to use it inside during the heat of the summer/thunderstorms/hurricanes
• A Polar F5 Heart Rate Monitor Watch
• A Planet Protégé Cyclocompter w/temperature monitor and rear-wheel mounting kit (necessary with the trainer!)

I also bought myself the first (?) four books in the Ender’s Game series.

Why did I buy this particular set of equipment? First, I had a 1999-2000 Boulder Giant back in the UK, and I absolutely loved it for my school commute (~2miles/day) and for messing around on (ever seen a mountain bike on a half-pipe? yeah… did that).

Secondly, I was looking at exercise bikes, because I honestly didn’t think I’d be inclined to cycle out in the FL heat (~105F in the summer) but was unhappy that with an exercise bike I wouldn’t be able to go out with it at all. My co-worker mentioned I could get a trainer, and it seems to be the best of both worlds, though I’m spending ~$600 instead of $350-400 with the separate cyclocomputer/HRM etc, I think being able to just unhook it and go out when I want to is worth it.

Also, many thanks to the folks on IRC, particularly Emma from #phpwomen for the advice over the last week

My goal (which I am stating publically in the hopes that it will motivate me to stick to it) is to be riding 10 miles/day by the end of the summer, and to lose at least 60lbs, preferably 80lbs (though not necessarily by the end of the summer . In contrast, my personal best, is 330 miles over 5 weeks, when I was still in high-school, which averages to ~9.5miles/day.

- Davey

(pssst; my wishlist is publicly available. nudge nudge.)

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