Late this afternoon, we rented bicycles and a little trailer thing, then rode all the way around Forest Park.
First of all, I don't know exactly what they mean by "comfort seats," but I don't think I'll be sitting "comfortably" for several days.
Second, it was a blast.
Third, I was so tired at the furthest part from our car that I thought I might puke. (I'm REALLY out of shape; I used to roller blade around the park like it was nothing and that's harder work IMO. Today was the longest 10k I've ever experienced.) Fortunately, that was the end of the hardest bit so my jelly legs managed to get me back to our starting place. I am very impressed with Paul pulling the girls in the trailer all the way!
The girls did pretty well in their little trailer, and really appreciated the trip to the playground at the end.
Check out the bike path. We took the red one all the way around the outside, starting and ending at the History Museum, which was just about perfect. The hardest parts are near the Science Center, Zoo, and ball fields/picnic pavilions, so there are some distractions from the pain. Or at least witnesses to my panting. ("At 1,293 acres, [Forest Park] is approximately 500 acres larger than Central Park in New York.") Forest Park Forever.
We're looking for more ways to get the whole family involved in fitness. When the girls are in the trailer, they're not exactly being active, but at least we're setting a good example. And they're in the fresh air. There are lots of places to ride around St. Louis. If we do this a few more times and still enjoy it, we might consider investing in some bikes and a trailer of our own.
Finally, how cool is it that a week ago Paul was just introducing Ada to potty training, and today we thought nothing of taking her to the church, to ride around the park, and out to dinner in underpants?! (Note that "underpants" sounds like "candypants" when Ada says it.) Sunday night and Monday were HARD WORK, but paid off fast.
*The title is a quote from one of my high school gym teachers. "Acting active" was all we had to do to get in "A" in his class. The boys had to actually participate in the assigned activity to pass. This was less fun for the girls than it sounds, since dribbling a basketball in a corner for an hour is far less fun than playing a game.
7 comments:
If you're considering a trailer, now is the time to look... at yard sales! Those things are expensive.
When Anny moved to Maryland the first time I went out and bought a bike, all sorts of excited. I rode it once, with Anny on hers. We got into what I would say is one of the biggest fights of our first three years together about whether you ride on the sidewalk or in the street.
Oh, and I was winded just getting onto the seat correctly... :o)
Corbett and I biked yesterday, and when we made it nowhere near halfway of our very ambitious goal, I had to turn around...Turns out it was a total of 10 miles roundtrip, but man I was dying! And I feel the seat pain...
Topher, first, I'm so glad you're finally living in the same place so that you can actually go out an do stuff like that together! Second, 10 miles is very long. Shudder. My "sitting area" is much more painful today than yesterday.
Rob, they sure are! I'm thinking that Craig's List might also be our friend. Or the bike shop from which we rented, who sells their used equipment at the end of each season.
By the way, it's illegal to ride on the sidewalk. :-p
I shuddered when I read your gym teacher's quote. I know you're not that old, but I hope times have changed since then!
Kathy, it's terrible how much of this stuff is still out there. I wasn't in college THAT long ago, but my assigned freshman year ADVISER actually said, "A pretty little girl like you, why do you want to major in Biology? Why not English?"
I guess he was just trying to see how serious I was . . .
Sadly for this anecdote, I did end up majoring in English - though not because of him. But I took a LOT of hard sciences classes, too (Biology, Chemistry, Physics).
I wish I could find some comfortable seats for our bikes because my butt is just MISERABLE while biking no matter what! Hurray for the amazing potty training process. Ada is a star in the potty world! :)
Oh! Sarahlynn, I missed this before. We have a great trailer that alas our kiddos are rapidly growing out of!
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