Get on your bike!

A couple of weeks ago I rode my bike 200km in a weekend. If this seems incomprehensible you are not alone - so did I. I am not a fitness freak - far from it, I don't do cardio (aka heart racing) but I am in pretty 'good shape' (178cm, 67kg, no medical issues) because I have 2 little ones, know how to eat & cook well and can manage with finesse the "energy IN and energy OUT equation. My work is online (aka sedentary) but I keep the hours at my computer minimised and rarely managed to sit for more than 3 hrs per session. The 200km was a fundraising ride for cancer and I was in a little team with a fabulous captain (Jane McKellar) who knew what she was doing and a team mate (Suellen Hughes) who had amazing stamina & legs. The foundation (for the Chris OBrien Lifehouse at the RPA) put the ride on this augural ride in Sydney) I joined Team Fabulousness to: a) Raise funds for cancer (our team raised more than $12,000& the event raised $5.7mio - the most EVER raised in Australia in an event). Stats indicate 1 in 4 of us will get cancer - my husbands family has been affected - fortunately in their twilight years so my 'get off my bum' factor was high. b) Get fit & in better shape - summer is on its way & I have a business all about 'beauty wellbeing" so um, I guess I should practise what I preach - right? Yep! c) See if I could achieve such a massive challenge - does eating well everyday help you make challenges like this easier? (incase you are wondering - the answer is YES!) d) Enjoy the comradeship - the ra ra ra. There is nothing better than being part of team when you are on a journey together. e) See if I could use this a catalyst to bring exercise and motivation into my "recipe for Beauty Wellbeing" to share with you. I 'trained' to use the word loosely on an old bike before I bought (3 weeks before the ride) a lightweight hybrid (Avanti Blade 3), it was a dream ride after that with gears that change with a quick flick! I did not go for the super-dooper click-in-shoe peddles as 1) I was too scared & 2) I knew this would be our 2nd family bike for outings as our 4&1/2 & nearly 6 year old kids have been off trainer wheels for years. My training involved 5 sessions at Centennial Park building to 7 laps (about 4.5km per lap), a 32km ride on the M7, a 30km ride to and around Homebush Bay, a 30km ride around Botany Bay followed the next day by a 5okm ride to Kernal from Brighten le sands. That's it! And I rode the 200km with out any sore bits in following days - don't ask me how my heart was going up some of the massive hills tho! My message is: it's all about making time, being on a team (or little community like this) & without doubt having a well nourished body & mind to get "on your bike"! So let me know if you want to "get on ya bike too" and see some 'move food' motivation! Cindy x These picture are taken on our ride - most of them are by the photographer Edwin Santiago.