Thanks to Konrad, who so graciously invited me along, I partook in my first bike ride of the season today. It is a gorgeous day out in Minneapolis, hovering right around 70 degrees. The feel of the bike under my feet felt magical, once again feeling a sense of connection and oneness (it might have something to do with having pedals that lock on to my shoes!). There is just something about generating your own wind when you’re out riding a bike that you don’t get doing anything else. We headed out down Washington Ave through campus and over the Mississippi river, winding through west bank dodging pedestrians and potholes alike. The destination? The West River Parkway. After finding our way through west bank we head down a glorious hill, picking up speed, feeling the wind.

On the way down, my bike rapidly shifts to the side, from a strong gust of wind no doubt. Or perhaps not:

*thump thump thump* proclaims my bike! Woest me, the end of my first ride of the season ends, just over a mile in, with a flat tire at the bottom of a hill. Well, so much for that idea.

The number of steps from Akerman Hall to the doorstep of my Apartment building. Why’s it important? According to Paul McKenna, the average in shape person walks about 6,000 steps a day. The typical over weight person walks about 2,000 less than that. Now, I’m not claiming to be obese, but I’ve put on a few more pounds over the years than I would have liked. I’ve come a long way since the lean 120 lbs I was during my year of High School Wrestling. Just by making up those 2,000 steps, and making no other changes to my day to day routine, I should start to feel a difference in my clothes in a couple weeks.

Thats just walking to and from campus each day, rather than taking the bus.