Fitness Friday: Monthly Wrap Up {August}.

The month of August found me hitting the trails.  A lot. 
I used to cycle all the time in high school. On the roads, then. But a close encounter with a car left me afraid of going anywhere near the roads again. I mean, ya' think when you are crossing a road, at the cross-walk, with the light, in broad daylight, no one is going to try and run you over. You'd think so. Anyway. Ironically, my orthopaedic surgeon recommended cycling for rehabilitation for my knee. Insurance even paid for a new bike. But, I never used it. Not once. I was just too afraid. But, since moving to an area that is so close to so many trails...there was really no excuse anymore (well, except that my bike was in pieces and hubby kept delaying putting it together for me). But! August found me back in the saddle. And I've been loving it!! 

I quickly found that I was in need of a few upgrades. 

And some accessories. 
My best friends are my new riding gloves (my hands were starting to get really sore without them), my new bike shorts (they may look like regular ol' shorts, but don't let that fool you. There is some cushy science in them there shorts. And, my butt is very grateful), and my iPhone with a GPS app. that records my every move (distance, elevation, calories burned. It even records my time against previous times, maps my route, speaks to me during my ride! Coolest thing ever. And the best part--I just let my music play away and the app. continues to work in the background--just interrupting every few minutes to let me know how far I've gone, and how I'm doing, and if anyone has left me any messages on Twitter or Facebook. So. Cool. I heart my iPhone). 
So, what kind of numbers did i rack up in August? Well...just keep in mind it was my first month back cycling in, uhhh, well over a decade. Also, I am riding a Mountain Bike now and not a Road Bike. And I'm riding on the trails, not the road. So...speed might not be too terribly impressive (oh, how i do miss flying along!). Oh, also, i didn't get the app. until a few days after i actually started. But, anyway...enough of the justifications..here are the numbers:
August, 2010
Rides: 11Total Distance: 103.08 kmsTotal Time: 5:58:54Total Climb: 223 metresTotal Calories: 2264Average Distance: 9.37 kmsAverage Time: 32:38Average Climb: 20 metresAverage Calories: 206Average Speed: 17.23 kms/hr
And how do i feel? Terrific!!My legs feel so energized!They are that slight, tingly, just a wee bit sore feeling you get when you know you are accomplishing something, but you aren't incapacitated. I can actually see muscles in my legs that are getting bigger, and stronger...and some that i never even remember seeing before(like the one that runs across my shin. Hello there, muscle! Where have you been?)
I will definitely be continuing my cycling throughout September, and I'm hoping to continue on even when it gets cold out. Me? Out in the cold?? Ya, my hubby is finding that one hard to believe, too. But, i'd really like to! I'm loving it so much. We'll see how it goes. 
I'll be back next month with another wrap up. 
In the meantime...What have you been doing to take care of yourself lately?