(no subject)

I made a disturbing discovery the other day: I found myself getting somewhat out of breath upon climbing all four flights of stairs in my building. Granted, I have not made much effort to exercise this winter, but I have also been coughing a lot lately and hearing the occasional wheeze. The coughing is dying down, thankfully. I think it is about time I start bicycling again in earnest. There are two things I need to do that at this time of year:

1. An indoor trainer, because this is Jersey City and let's face it, global warming cannot entirely make the winter weather disappear, and

2. Some sort of face-covering that warms my mouth and nose, because I do want to get outside without taking the chance of harming my lungs further with sucking in excessively cold air.

I can locate the latter item myself without much difficulty. Has anyone here got much experience with indoor trainers? The website I'm looking at, ModernBIKE.com, recommends the use of a magnetic or fluid trainer for apartment dwellers since they cut down on the inevitable noise. They have a few other reccs as well, but if somebody else with real experience has a suggestion, I'd love to hear it.

My one New Year's resolution that is not on the Doable or Moderately Doable list is to finish at least one century. I'm planning on the Montauk Century, as it's supposed to be the easiest in the northeastern US. That's Sunday, May 20, 2007. I need to start getting ready right now.

Thanks.

(no subject)

First attempt at serious biking of the year:

Leg 1: Home to Liberty State Park, down Audrey Zapp Drive, along the riverside walk, past the causeway to Ellis Island, stopping and turning around at the very start of the bridge that leads to the Liberation Monument, riding to the Jersey Avenue light rail station: about five miles.

Leg 2: Pavonia/Newport light rail station to Target: about half a mile.

Leg 3: Target through parking lots to Washington, through more parking lots toWarren, to Columbus, thence to home: about one and a half miles.

Total riding today: about seven miles. Not much, but for the first real riding of the year and the first serious distance after the pneumonia, it's not too bad.