So I got my bike fixed today - After the big bang recently eliminated my front wheel. The guy at the bike store was really cool. So after he informed be that the correct pressure was 50 psi, he fixed my wheel, checked the pressure of the rear wheel and sold me a pair of these bad boys:
So, a few days ago I took the new bike out for a spin, with the hopes of raising the average speed from the baseline average of 9.9kph. So I was riding along the service road of the pacific highway (near where I live), minding my own business and suddenly my front wheel tire blew-out with an Earth shattering kaboom!
I rang JA to come collect me, and as I loaded the crippled bike into the back of the car, I saw the bikes computer read 12.5kph average speed. Woot! I guess it was one of those win-loose situations.
So I got the last piece of my bike tonight, the front-wheel! Having put the wheel on, and attaching the computer to the wheel and forks. I did however notice that the tires were quite flat so I Googled the correct tire pressure for mountain bikes. 50psi seemed a touch high - so I took it down to the local service station and filled them to 45psi.
When I got home about 10 minutes later, I looked at my bike computer. My average speed was 9.9Kph 
I have some adjusting to do (to make the ride more comfortable), but this is so cool.
I am sitting here working away, and I am thinking to myself how badly I want to go for a ride on my bike. But since its a gift and the front wheel is "wrapped" and waiting (easier to unwrap a wheel than a whole bike).
I can't wait, I am so excited.
I can't beleive how excited I am about the new bike. So as a tribute to my ever increasing impatience, I thought I would post this tribute:
The last year has really been the hardest of my life. My healthy life goals serriously handicapped by a semi-recent diagnosis of Atypical Depression. After talking to some people who have previously dealt with the illness themselves, and after going and seeing my GP - I am happy to say that life is starting to get its colour back.
Being the end of a year which has been particularly difficult for me I thought that it would be an ideal time to renew some old commitments which have fallen by the wayside.
Thanks to a kind heart, and great generosity, my wife's grandmother has given me $100 to buy something for myself for Christmas. So, instead of getting an electric shaver or a DVD Boxset or something, I bought a Mountain Bike. I found a bargain at Target, and while I was initally prepared to pay the extra $100 - $150 for the bike, the checkout girl only charged $130 for it (hehe.)
I didn't correct her.
So my plan is to bike to the train station nearest me (Home > Kuraby Station about 6.5Kms) and train to one near work (Yerongpilly Station > Work about 4.5Kms) each day. Later I hope to just go the whole distance.
I don't want to be overweight and unhappy anymore.
Spark people has a funny and interesting read: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=994
I found it very humorous (and yet quite disgusting) that people continue to eat/drink these things. Surely the taste cant be better than your life?
Except for maybe the Starbucks.
confession - i had a HORRIBLE day today. Friends came over, laughter, drinking good food - and TimTams. I forgot how seductive they are.
I had 6.
At 100 calories each.
My returned vigor to my dieting has had some positive mental results. I have felt good and while the holidays were not a big set-back I do believe that I can already see some positive results.
I don't want to say that the re-focusing on my diet is a New Year's resolution; and it's still early days - but I feel really good about how things are going. Plus, despite the fact that I actually reduced my calorie allowance by 300 per day, I haven't been particularly hungry either.
I hope that I can continue.
I haven't blogged for a while; this is partly because I've been overwhelmingly busy, and partly because I've had a mild slip in my "healthy lifestyle" training. You see starting in early November, began a series of birthdays (each with their own lovely events of sweets and cakes) and then gatherings of old colleagues and parties for work end of year celebrations. Finally ending with Christmas and New Year – and enough food to sink a battleship.
While I don't like to complain about what are simply my own mistakes and weaknesses (in not being able to say "no"), I have effectively erased the work done since September in 2 months.
Weighing at 108Kgs it isn't exactly a landslide, but its still movement in the wrong direction.
Alas, things are back on track today and I am going to be putting both more emphasis and more effort into getting my healthy lifestyle back on track and trying to make more of an effort to get some exercise during the week. Additionally I am thinking of trying out some Yoga positions to see if they might help balance my mind and body.
I am also going to make more of an effort to blog and admit my failings rather than trying to hide it. Here's to hoping 2008 being great for looking out for my health.