Flying under the radar

Such a gorgeous day here in Chicago today-- it promises to approach 90 later in the afternoon, so it is a good thing I ride to work at 6:30. Today, as I continue to ponder the question, "to carb, or not to carb" I left the house at 6:28, running a bit late, but determined to catch the boys at the park before they rode off into the sunrise. I was about 4 blocks down Lexington when I realized I was not sporting my fanny pack which meant no keys, no billfold etc. So back I went to get it. Columbus and Mirabel greeted me as I darted in to retrieve my pack. I really humped it all the way across Oak Park to Harrison and Austin, the west end of Columbus park (the park where I found the little lost kitten who was named in honor of his finding place). The boys were gone. I cranked all the way and could see the four of them about a mile ahead. As I closed on them, near Cicero, I got trapped by the light and they escaped. I rode past the newspaper people at Laramie, the woman who says "where ever body at?" when I ride alone, today said "they gone" and indeed they were. The newspaper guy on Kostner at the Ike with his booming milfulous voice yelled "icecream icecream you can catch icecream." Bob Hakes has an old timey bell on his bike and its ring prompted our friend at Kostner to dub us collectively as icecream, a question when Hakes does not ride, an affirmation when he does. Finally, I rounded the corner back onto Harrison, which now runs south of the Ike and is one way all the way to Kedzie. I rode the group down in a few more blocks. They were surprised to see me, but even more surprised that I was not there. We have an absolute 5 minute rule and I was at least 2 minutes back so I appreciated that they rode off with out me. Hakes was leading the pack and we traveled at a good 20 mph for a few blocks, then slowed to let the rest of the crew catch us. Paul and I are commuters, he rides to Metra in downtown Chicago and I ride to UIC. Bob, Moe and Bill, and sometimes Cliff ride for the ride. They are all retired and do this for liesure. It is great to have the company, and it would be fun to join them for breakfast sometime. So todays ride was faster than usual in the morning with the group and much hotter than its been. We are looking at our 6th day in a row at 80 or above, quite a warm May. Bike miles to work this season >450 (since St Patrick's Day).

To carb or not to carb? so far, just cutting out pasta, potatoes, pizza, reducing my bread in take, I have dropped nearly 8 pounds in three weeks. And it is a very easy diet. I've used low fat diets for many years and have lost hundreds of pounds and gained them all back. I need a new philosophy, not a diet, and this really seems to work. Karen is doing the induction reduction and dropping weight like crazy, as if she needed to! no doubt about my need to do so. And even though I do Pilates twice a week, ride my bike for more than an hour a day, run, workout and walk a lot, I have not dropped much weight in the past couple of years. Now I finally am below the weight I was at when I suffered the stress fracture in Fall 2004 that I am still recovering from. Nothing like 6 weeks on crutches and two years of not running to put on the weight.