76: 7.5M Bike Ride and Glowing

There are three things I love about biking.

The first is freedom from having to carry myself around. When I'm on a bike, most of me is just propped up on a stool, attempting to stay out of the way, letting my legs do all the work. That's a relief from the predicament running puts you in - keep the legs and arms moving, and balance all the baggage that's strapped down above the waist. Ugh, complicated.

The second is the relative safety I feel on the bike. I'm not going to fall into a pothole, or twist my ankle coming down on a slippery leaf. Birds can't poop on my head. Nobody's gonna mug me. The bottle holder is right there, ready for me any time I need a drink. And when I'm done, I'm not someplace far away from home, still left to navigate my sweaty body through harshly air conditioned subway cars or the blazing hot sun.

The third is the quality of sweating I do on that bike. It's really remarkable. I can't think of another activity where it seems every single pore gets in on the action. Elbows, back, fingers, knees, feet. It's phenomenal! After 20 minutes I'm pretty much a sieve. I especially love looking down at my arms when I'm biking because they get this shimmery look, almost as if I had a fine body glitter on; they're positively glowing! That's got to be good for me.

I rose early this morning to get a 7.5 mile bike ride in before leaving for the airport. I didn't mind because the quality of my sleep last night was so good! I haven't slept that well in over a month. One really can't underestimate the power of a good night's sleep, and the role exercise can play in helping you to get there.