Hello there Band fans....I got banded March 28th-2007.

I told myself....Bycyling would be a very good choice. Fresh air, muscles working for the sake of "Cardio". After one week passed--in April. I purchased three new bikes for me and my two sons. I have defeated many things doing that. No more not riding with my children--we ride as a crew (family). We could not conquer the hill on my street. We used to stop 3 to 4 times before getting to the top ( I did). So now the wheels have turned. My kids ask me---"Daddy can we stop--our legs are burning". Thank God I am doing well now. Now with 21 pounds gone---but just riding bikes. I am ready for the next Journey...The 1st fill--I am looking forward to the next 4 to 6 weeks--maybe 12 or 20 pounds gone...who knows...:faint: this is how I feel on many days after my ride. Today--(8.5 miles) It was walking, riding around the fair in my town--but that is what my speedometer said when it was all over...

Hey kids

The GF and I did our 28 mile ride today. It was pretty awesome. It was "the covered bridge bicycle tour" in western MI. It's the most we've ever done. We were sitting with an old, had to be close to 70 year old, woman at the speghetti lunch afterward. She had ridden 50 miles and rides all the time. I was awe struck.

Yesterday we put 11 miles on the bikes, add 22 from Friday with the 28 today I RODE SIXTY MILES THIS WEEKEND!!!!!

There will come a time when I do that much in a day, but that's a ways away!

Numb hands...get gloves and shake your hands out regularly. Move them around on the bars too. It just might be a circulation problem.

Hurting upper arms...do you have a bend in your elbows when you are on your seat? You might need to scoot the seat foward some. You shouldn't be able to lock your elbows.

Helmets...I'm happy you got them. The other cyclists will respect you more too, like you are part of the serious cycling cloud. Good job.

I love this thread. You all are amazing. Thanks for all the encouragement.

Dang Juli your bike riding fricken rules. I can't wait to get up to what you are doing.

No I don't have a bend in my arms so I will have to try moving the seat.

I definitely have to agree with you on the helmet thing. Every single serious looking biker I rode by nodded to me or said hello. That has not happened before. It must be the helmet. DH was making fun of me yesterday about helmets because there was this helmet on clearance at Dick's and I would not buy it because it was blue and my bike is red. I have red and black gloves and I wanted my outfit to coordinate. He just rolled his eyes and told me I was a dork lol.

I happened to have a lightish blue helmet (with flowers no less, because my daughter wanted us to match...)but I bought a silver and light blue bike, so now I have light blue gloves...

I'm getting light blue jersies and really super dorky here...light blue sunglasses. My pink ones are too scratched now...Your husband is the dork.

Hey I figure I am starting to look so good now so more power to me for wanting to accessorize properly. I need to get some different sunglasses, mine were hurting to backs of my ears.

I'm dirty, sweaty, and exhausted.

Took my now one week old bike out and did 27 miles, 2 hrs, average speed of 13.1mph, average heart rate of just under 150 (love the bike computer!)

AND this is on top of doing my first hike yesterday - 5 miles round trip to the top of a mountain, 2040 ft elevation change in a steady climb of 2.5 miles.

I seriously kicked my own ass this weekend.

Going to go shower now otherwise my stench may come through the keyboard!

OH! And since the edit function works so well I'll add in a new note:

JULI YOU ROCK GIRL! 60 miles in 3 days? OMG Girl, you're incredible

Babygrl - sorry to hear about your fall, glad you can laugh it off, and that's so cool you fixed your bike and went out riding!

AND to all who this applies to - GOOD FOR YOU FOR GETTING HELMETS!!!!!!

Does anyone else have problems with sore upper arms when they ride for a long time? I think I must be locking my elbows or something while I ride because it is killing my triceps to bend my arms at the elbow right now. They are slowly loosening up but does anyone know how to stop the elbow locking?

maybe get some bar ends - they attach on the ends of your handlebar - here's a link to a picture - [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Pyramid-Pro-Alloy-Mountain-Black/dp/B000ESNHR6/ref=sr_1_24/102-3129109-7481725?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1183933103&sr=1-24]Amazon.com: Pyramid Pro Alloy ATB Mountain Bike "Ski Bend" Bar Ends: Sports & Outdoors[/ame]

Okay, first off, way to go EVERYONE who rode so much, or even a little this weekend!!!! How awesome!!!!!! I on the other hand, went to Jackpot, Nevada to see Willie Nelson today so I did NOT get any riding in today....pretty disappointed!! I was going to go when I got home BUT the lawn needed mowed.....so will go in the morning.

I totally agree with the helmet....I didn't really even know mine was there either.

Annie....that is soooooooooo nice!!!! You are doing sooooo good.....You rock girl..

Juli....All I can say is...."I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy"

Babygrl...what kind of bike do you have right now????

You all are so awesome I am glad that we have "found" each other and can relate to one another...

Oh...and when I got my helmet I also got gloves and did NOT get numb fingers on Saturday ride. Which was really nice. Hate that!!!

I have some sort of department store bought cheap kind of bike. Mongoose? I definitely need a "real" bike but I am going to wait on that. Money is a little tight around here so I want to make sure I still want to ride next summer before dropping the cash.

I couldn't remember what kind you said you had. That is okay baby, they all peddle the same and your ass can get just as tired on any ole bike!!!!! OHHHHH, you are going to be riding next summer too girl!!!! We are in this for the long haul!!!!!! You, me and all the other bikers are gonna have a long vaca riding our bikes somewhere nice....like ....HAWAII........instead of LBT cruise....it will be LBT BikerHawaii.........LOL...Hang in there....What do you do for work that you change hours in the summer time? Can you get in riding time after work????

Hey gang.

So I saw my surgeon today. I was fretting about do I get a fill or not....I'm losing but I want to eat and am able to eat lots of food. It's mostly healthy and I'm not concerned about having bad nutrition, but I was concerned about the quantitiy...so I went in to talk with my doc.

He's so impressed with my exercise and weight loss! He asked if I would talk infront of their mass group initial meeting with people who are interested. He said he has other successful banded people but they are all about the, "fill level" not so much about exercise and eating healthy.

Of course I said, "YES!" I'm not shy. Where's the smiley face that's dancing on a bar? I'd insert it here.

And no, I didn't get a fill. He said not to eat to the point of pain, but I shouldn't damage myself with 2 cups of veggies and 5 oz of protein, which is what I was concerned about. He doesn't want to reduce my calorie intake because that might impact my ability to exercise.

I thought I'd share here, my Marchies, whom I love don't quite get the freakish desire to exercise. But ya'll do.

So Yeah ME!

Deanna,

You need to change your tag from "wanna be bikerbitch" to "certified bikerbitch". There's no wanna about it. You doing it.

Well hello all my biker buddies.......Guess what I did today????????? Yes you guessed right I had the bike shop order my NEW TREK HYBRID BIKE.....GO ME, GO ME, GO ME!!!!

I raise Pomeranians, and I like to buy new additions, but decieded to pass this time, and do something for ME that will me it easier for me to enjoy my rides. I am giving my Schwinn that I just bought to my daughter to use.

I had myself fitted and tried one of the other ones he had there in a different color, but wanted a certain one so he ordered it for me. He will put it together, and than have me come in to get me fitted properly...

I am excited...He is even trying to get me to ride in the bike ride in the town Aug. 2....I told him I didnt know if I was ready, and he said I could stop when I needed to stop...so??? Who knows, I may....

Just wanted to share.....This is better than a new puppy...and they dont potty on your floor...LOL

Oh Hoosier I am so jealous of your new bike!

Juli you are such a rock star. You are like my bad ass biker bitch hero.

Deanna, Hawaii sounds awesome. Too bad I am waaay to poor for that. Maybe Oprah will have me on her show and sponsor my trip there lol. As for work, I work in a hospital. Specifically dealing with the OR supplies. Three of us ladies rotate jobs monthly. Two of the months involve ordering and inventory counts. The third involves actually stocking the supplies to the OR. For the ordering months I have to be at 5am. The stocking month I can come in as late as 8am which is why I could ride in last month and will be able to ride in again in September. I am going to try and ride right after work though at 1:30 it is the hottest part of the day. However, after getting in a weeks worth of protein in eating bugs during my dusk ride I just finished I think I would rather deal with heat than with bugs. And for the record I just put in 11 miles =)

Hoosier

WAY TO GO!!!!!!!!!

I don't know, puppies are pretty damn cute. Especially Pomeranians.

Babygirl

Let me know how the Oprah thing pans out...I'll be part of the group. Cycling Bandsters Who Lose All Their Excess Weight.

Thanks for the props. I feel like a slug today because I've not done anything. I can only ride Thursday and Saturday this week, but I'm shooting for 30 on both rides. WOO HOO.