We spent a little time trying to decide what to write about. For inspiration, we went back and read through Fit and Forty Something from the beginning – we were surprised to find how similar the thoughts of Kalli and Bill over the years are to our own, despite that we live in (almost) opposite ends of the country and have different backgrounds. From meal planning to home ownership to running and – of course – cycling, maybe there is something universal about the quest for better health, fitness, and happiness. So, what better to write about than how we came to be interested in cycling, something that Kalli and Bill are passionate about.

For a little background, Eyegirl and I are a couple living in the Midwest. Over the past year, I’ve lost almost 100 pounds thanks to running, cycling, rock climbing (and other things like trying to eat food as healthy as Kalli and Bill do). Eyegirl has lost about 30 pounds (although she never had much to spare) and has gotten into the best shape of her life.

You might be surprised to know that I didn’t ride a bike as a kid. Unbelievable, right? Eyegirl came from a family of 9 children, all of whom were on a bike as soon as they could pedal. So, not long after we got married, Eyegirl’s father (who admits that he owns just about every kind of bike there is) bought me my first one, a Giant mountain bike in 2007. So what do you do when your father-in-law buys you a bike and you don’t know how to ride? Teach yourself how! After some months of serious feet-dragging, I took the bike out on a small hill behind our house and started out by rolling down the hill until I could get the hang of balancing. A few skinned knees later, I was pedaling around our neighborhood without looking like a total idiot. (If you are interested in learning to ride as an adult, check back in at our site and we will explain in more detail later.)

But back then, fitness wasn’t a high priority for either of us. In fact, I don’t remember even running a single time during that 2-year period. Maybe it’s because where we lived was hilly, or maybe we were just lazy.  After a work-related move to somewhere more flat, we slowly began to pursue better health and fitness. Riding the bike started as something I could do in between runs to get an extra workout on rest days from running. We gradually added a few miles here and there on our mountain bikes around the neighborhood, up to perhaps 8 or 10. But something was missing, I told Eyegirl.  I wanted a road bike.

“You should wait until we have a house with a garage,” she said. At the time, we were living in an apartment that barely had room for the two bikes propped up in the storage closet, sometimes with the pedals tangled into a jumbled mess.

We later did move to a house with a garage. After getting settled in, I remembered my plan to get a road bike. Not knowing anything about road bikes, I turned to the resident family expert – Eyegirl’s dad.  After innocently inquiring about his suggestions on what kind to get and where to look, I think I infected the whole family with the “bike bug”. Most of the family members were upgraded to new bikes over a few weeks, and I got a phone call:

“We’re at the bike shop. They have a black Cannondale R200 road bike on consignment for a great price, 60 cm! Do you want it?”

I didn’t know much about road bikes, but it sounded good.  “Sure!” I told him.

To make our transition to (rookie) roadies complete, a few weeks later he found a matching ladies’ Cannondale road bike in white with orange handlebar tape for Eyegirl. At first, she thought I was nuts to actually enjoy using drop handlebars, but now she says it’s her favorite bike!

Stop back at our site, Run, Bike, Climb, to read on about our continuing journey from the couch to the trails and to monitor our yearly stats.  Our message is similar to Kalli and Bill’s, that anyone can improve their fitness and have fun trying! 

Thanks to Kalli and Bill for allowing us to contribute to this magnificent blog!

And thanks to you Pathguy and Eyegirl for contributing to our blog……We LOVE Run, Bike, Climb!

Have a great day

It is not for the calorie burn.

It is not because I am good at it.

It is not because I look good doing it.

It is because I get to breathe in fresh ocean air

And recenter myself from a crazy day in High School

And see this little guy who reminds me of my first Rottie

And run on this beautiful path

And feel the energy from the sea (I’m a Pisces don’t forget )

And feel the sand beneath my feet

Why do you run?