Today Calgary City Council passed the proposed Bike Plan, that will hopefully help get more riders on their bikes, off the sidewalk, and on the streets. While it seemed that three of the aldermen thought it was a waste of time (the alderman for our ward was one of them…disappointing), I was pleased to see that many of the council were firmly in favour of having something passed today. One of the aldermen thought it didn’t go far enough! Over the past couple of years I have really developed a bent towards bicycle advocacy…I have a spouse who likes to play in traffic, and one of my dreams is to be able to get around my city primarily without the need for my car. I firmly believe in cycle tracks (separated bike lanes) and that more people cycling reduces the need for bike helmets.
Our ride today didn’t take us very far. Our diet has been slipshod over the past couple of months, most notably in the past three weeks or so. Changes at work have resulted in an erratic schedule that has directly impacted on my work/life balance. Why bother making dinner if you’re not going to be there to eat it, right? I fully admit that I’ve been eating convenience foods in an attempt to maximize the time I have at home with my family, and those foods aren’t necessarily the ones that are conducive to good health. I feel tired and sluggish all the time, I’ve gained about ten to fifteen pounds, and I’m downright bodysore.
While watching the city council proceedings over my “weekend” this week, I did quite a bit of cleaning in the living area. I have a carpet I can stretch out on, a kitchen I can cook in, and dishes to do the cooking with. I have cleaned out the fridge (you don’t want to know) and ordered new produce from The Folks Who Do A Better Job Than Me at picking out produce. A steak has been defrosting this afternoon. There is broccoli waiting to be steamed. I plan on having a good dinner tonight.
I’m hoping to get out on the bike at least twice a week, if not more often. I’m hoping to keep the kitchen stocked with the right foods. The ride today wasn’t long, but it was long enough to get me winded on the way home. The husbeast wound up with leg cramps, which isn’t a comment on his ability to ride, but rather the fact that we may need more calcium, magnesium or potassium in our diet. Needless to say, we now have supplement tablets in the house to go along with the fruits and veggies.
Food is something I can control, as is our home environment. The trick is going to be keeping up with things and not allowing myself to get sidetracked or demoralized by everything else going on around me.
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