Wow! So, two of my friends took me mountain biking with them this morning! WHAT AN ADVENTURE and a good old fashioned butt kicking! Forget going to a spinning class - I was taking part in a real life mountain biking excursion!!! Near as I can remember I don't think I've ever been mountain biking. I mean I've ridden atop a mountain bike but the bumpiest terrain would have been going up the curb to get back into my driveway in MN and in MA when Matt and I go bike riding it's always a family affair. You can't go terribly far with four little ones in tow and the terrain is always easy-peasy. Well, today, Yvette and Mallory totally took me out of my comfort zone on a bicycle and it was GREAT!
I borrowed Yvette's husbands bike. Yes, I am THAT big or he's just THAT small....all depends on how you look at it ;0)
So, I met Yvette at her house. Her driver piled our bikes into their Innova and then we made the trek to Mallory's house. Mind you, Mallory lives just a short bike-ride down the street from us but crossing the road to her house....well, today we didn't feel like looking death in the eyes so we opted to NOT cross the road by bike.
Once we met up with Mallory at her house, I began to wonder if I was in over my head. I told her, "I hope I'm not going to be a liability?! I so don't know what I'm doing!" She's this totally fit and adorable woman. With all the "right" gear. She strapped on her camelback and clipped in her shoes as I stood by looking at my zumba tanktop and my Nike sport sandals. Yvette also looked very official with her awesome PINK bike shirt with a snazzy little pocket on the back to safely store her cell phone. How clever! I was rummaging around my house trying to figure out what I could put my cell phone in. Honestly, if I had access to a fanny pack - Today would have been the ONE and ONLY day in my life where I would have sported it proudly! My shorts didn't have pockets. A backpack would be a bit of overkill and if I lodged it between "Me Ladies" (which I do from time to time....keeps the cell phone in close reach and nice and safely tucked away) but I figured a mountain bike ride through the backwoods of Bangalore....well, My Girls might get a little sweaty and I'm not sure how the cell phone would deal with the salt factor!? SOOOO! I decided I could leave my cell phone at Mallory's house.
After a quick tutorial on how to shift the gears on my bike....We were off!! Zippety Zip - we were out of her neighborhood and bombing through the backroads of Bangalore. Within only the first few moments of riding we reached what appeared to be a broken down bridge at the edge of a rambling poo-pond. You think I'm kidding. Wow! NASTY! Mallory told me she knows a guy that actually FELL in when he did what we were about to do. GREAT! This was not looking good for this balance and strength challenged Lady. BUT! One by one, we hoisted our bikes up over our shoulder and then with calculated footsteps on the broken rubble of the bridge and dooky water rushing parallel & below us...We all managed to cross the green stank reservoir and thank God nobody lost their balance and ended up going for a SWIM! :/
Then we came to the rice paddy's. Mallory hopped off her bike to figure out the simplest and least soggy manner of getting across the bog. There were hawks EVERYWHERE which made us think two things...."Mice or Snakes?!" Luckily, we didn't see either of those two creepy crawlies and just witnessed the mighty birds hunting. Mallory & Yvette gave me some good tips about how to cross the rushing water as well as how to get through the rice paddy....KEEP PEDDLING & GO AS FAST AS YOU CAN! Apparently, that helps you not to get stuck. Well, they didn't have to tell me twice! As running is to Forest Gump - Peddling was to Jen Weimann - I peddled and peddled for my life. God knows I did NOT want to have to abandon my bike seat and put my feet down and WALK it. Then I might have actually seen snakes or mice....so I just kept peddlin' and my little heart was working overtime and I MADE IT! SA-WEET!
Then we reached a steep embankment where we had a "get off your bike" moment in order to push our bikes up the incline and after successful completion of that we were then heading down a bumpity old dirt road. We encountered local women who were IN the poo pond with their cows (I think maybe they were washing them?!) We also bumped into a shepherd with a bunch of goats. I had my leg in my best karate kung-pow position in anticipation if one of those goats started to get any wild ideas and came at me with their little billy goat horns. They would have met the Jackie Chan end of my shoe! Hiiii-Yaaahhh!
Once we came to the end of this road we were out in the busy Bangalore traffic. Had to wait on the bridge for the trash truck to pass. Mallory took this moment to share another tip, "This is probably the most dangerous part of the ride. Stay as far left as you possibly can (they drive on the opposite side of the road here). Be aggressive. If you have to YELL so people know you are there...DO IT!" (I've decided we will all be equipped with a bike bell on our next ride! Hehe!) Then ZIP! We were in the thick of it. Right into the village traffic! Luckily, it went surprisingly well. While I was thinking I was going to get mowed down by a big Tata Truck - what ended up nearly being my demise was a big ole black "Leroy Brown" DOG! He came out of one of the shops with a vengeance.....barking and chasing Yvette & Mallory and then realising, as all God's critters do, that in the circle of life - There is always a weak link and darn it all - I was THAT LINK! ACK! He was RIGHT on my heels - I think I even felt his doggy breath making my leg hot and warm as he got ready to sink his canines into my calf and then POOF! Just like that, about 4 Indian men that were hanging out next to the shop started yelling and called the dog off. PHEW! I totally thought I was going to be the next Weimann family member headed to the hospital for rabies shots.
After that close call the rest of the ride was fairly uneventful - I was just battling the beast that is ME! MAN! When you are not used to doing a new type of exercise - WOW! I was working hard; however, I was also getting to experience Bangalore in a whole new way and what an amazing experience it was. It's completely different when you are riding in the back of your car or even on the back of a motorcycle but actually being right down in the village with the people!? HOLY MOLY!! You have time to actually exchange a friendly smile, say hello "Namaste" or a cordial wave.
It was sooo cool! Experiencing all the smells and sounds so up close and personal was something I will never forget. The smells. One moment it was that earthy farmish/cow smell (which I actually kind of like!) It's like a "good" bad smell ;0) Then you'd get a wafting of incense or a little sniff of onion and peppers cooking. The smell of an open fire. Man! My nostrils were on sensory overload! I LOVED IT! The sounds. Cows bellowing (in Boston you might get a catcall from time to time - In Bangalore you get a COW call as they acknowledge passers by!) Tapping of hammers, buzzing of saws, slapping of laundry on stones, beeping of any and all motorised vehicles as they pass you by.
We drove through a portion of the countryside where there were tamarinds falling from the trees and children playing on a pile of broken stone rubble and there was a barn-type shed housing hundreds of chickens. (Not one of the better smells on the ride! Haha!) Close by you could see people laboring and making cement blocks and constructing yet ANOTHER building. The rate at which they are building here in B'lore is absolutely astounding. I wouldn't be surprised if in another year we wouldn't be able to take the same route as the countryside keeps changing all the time.
The other thing we encountered during the duration of our ride on the paved roads in the villages was speed bumps. I don't know why exactly but Bangalore is the city of speed bumps. They are everywhere and not just little ones - Like huge mothers! Luckily, Mallory and Yvette were always in front of me so I could anticipate the bumps by watching them go over them but they seem to pop up with no warning and if you are distracted by any of the sites or smells around you (and there are a million of them!) Well, you might just find yourself up and over the handlebars of your bike! Craziness!
The last portion of our ride was a lot more up hill then down and I was wishing I had a "Live Strong" yellow bracelet for inspiration bc quite frankly I didn't know how many rotations my jelly legs could handle!? At one point I lost site of Yvette and Mallory and started to think...."Oh Shoot! I better catch up bc I have NO idea where we are and no cell phone." About the time that I was thinking this, I came upon Mallory waiting for me on the side of the road (God Bless You, Good Woman!) and just like that we were back in her neighborhood.
I will definitely "pay for" our fun tomorrow as my muscles are not used to bike riding but what an adventure and hopefully next time I will be a little stronger, a littler faster and won't remain the "weakest link" :0) OH! And I'm Sooooooooo getting some of those cool (and VERY official looking) PADDED bike riding shorts! I mean really!?!? How fab is that!? In fact maybe I'll buy a couple of pairs and really rock the J.Lo booty but all for the sake of cushioning my poor BEATEN BUTT, of course!!! YOUCH!
I borrowed Yvette's husbands bike. Yes, I am THAT big or he's just THAT small....all depends on how you look at it ;0)
So, I met Yvette at her house. Her driver piled our bikes into their Innova and then we made the trek to Mallory's house. Mind you, Mallory lives just a short bike-ride down the street from us but crossing the road to her house....well, today we didn't feel like looking death in the eyes so we opted to NOT cross the road by bike.
Once we met up with Mallory at her house, I began to wonder if I was in over my head. I told her, "I hope I'm not going to be a liability?! I so don't know what I'm doing!" She's this totally fit and adorable woman. With all the "right" gear. She strapped on her camelback and clipped in her shoes as I stood by looking at my zumba tanktop and my Nike sport sandals. Yvette also looked very official with her awesome PINK bike shirt with a snazzy little pocket on the back to safely store her cell phone. How clever! I was rummaging around my house trying to figure out what I could put my cell phone in. Honestly, if I had access to a fanny pack - Today would have been the ONE and ONLY day in my life where I would have sported it proudly! My shorts didn't have pockets. A backpack would be a bit of overkill and if I lodged it between "Me Ladies" (which I do from time to time....keeps the cell phone in close reach and nice and safely tucked away) but I figured a mountain bike ride through the backwoods of Bangalore....well, My Girls might get a little sweaty and I'm not sure how the cell phone would deal with the salt factor!? SOOOO! I decided I could leave my cell phone at Mallory's house.
After a quick tutorial on how to shift the gears on my bike....We were off!! Zippety Zip - we were out of her neighborhood and bombing through the backroads of Bangalore. Within only the first few moments of riding we reached what appeared to be a broken down bridge at the edge of a rambling poo-pond. You think I'm kidding. Wow! NASTY! Mallory told me she knows a guy that actually FELL in when he did what we were about to do. GREAT! This was not looking good for this balance and strength challenged Lady. BUT! One by one, we hoisted our bikes up over our shoulder and then with calculated footsteps on the broken rubble of the bridge and dooky water rushing parallel & below us...We all managed to cross the green stank reservoir and thank God nobody lost their balance and ended up going for a SWIM! :/
Then we came to the rice paddy's. Mallory hopped off her bike to figure out the simplest and least soggy manner of getting across the bog. There were hawks EVERYWHERE which made us think two things...."Mice or Snakes?!" Luckily, we didn't see either of those two creepy crawlies and just witnessed the mighty birds hunting. Mallory & Yvette gave me some good tips about how to cross the rushing water as well as how to get through the rice paddy....KEEP PEDDLING & GO AS FAST AS YOU CAN! Apparently, that helps you not to get stuck. Well, they didn't have to tell me twice! As running is to Forest Gump - Peddling was to Jen Weimann - I peddled and peddled for my life. God knows I did NOT want to have to abandon my bike seat and put my feet down and WALK it. Then I might have actually seen snakes or mice....so I just kept peddlin' and my little heart was working overtime and I MADE IT! SA-WEET!
Then we reached a steep embankment where we had a "get off your bike" moment in order to push our bikes up the incline and after successful completion of that we were then heading down a bumpity old dirt road. We encountered local women who were IN the poo pond with their cows (I think maybe they were washing them?!) We also bumped into a shepherd with a bunch of goats. I had my leg in my best karate kung-pow position in anticipation if one of those goats started to get any wild ideas and came at me with their little billy goat horns. They would have met the Jackie Chan end of my shoe! Hiiii-Yaaahhh!
Once we came to the end of this road we were out in the busy Bangalore traffic. Had to wait on the bridge for the trash truck to pass. Mallory took this moment to share another tip, "This is probably the most dangerous part of the ride. Stay as far left as you possibly can (they drive on the opposite side of the road here). Be aggressive. If you have to YELL so people know you are there...DO IT!" (I've decided we will all be equipped with a bike bell on our next ride! Hehe!) Then ZIP! We were in the thick of it. Right into the village traffic! Luckily, it went surprisingly well. While I was thinking I was going to get mowed down by a big Tata Truck - what ended up nearly being my demise was a big ole black "Leroy Brown" DOG! He came out of one of the shops with a vengeance.....barking and chasing Yvette & Mallory and then realising, as all God's critters do, that in the circle of life - There is always a weak link and darn it all - I was THAT LINK! ACK! He was RIGHT on my heels - I think I even felt his doggy breath making my leg hot and warm as he got ready to sink his canines into my calf and then POOF! Just like that, about 4 Indian men that were hanging out next to the shop started yelling and called the dog off. PHEW! I totally thought I was going to be the next Weimann family member headed to the hospital for rabies shots.
After that close call the rest of the ride was fairly uneventful - I was just battling the beast that is ME! MAN! When you are not used to doing a new type of exercise - WOW! I was working hard; however, I was also getting to experience Bangalore in a whole new way and what an amazing experience it was. It's completely different when you are riding in the back of your car or even on the back of a motorcycle but actually being right down in the village with the people!? HOLY MOLY!! You have time to actually exchange a friendly smile, say hello "Namaste" or a cordial wave.
It was sooo cool! Experiencing all the smells and sounds so up close and personal was something I will never forget. The smells. One moment it was that earthy farmish/cow smell (which I actually kind of like!) It's like a "good" bad smell ;0) Then you'd get a wafting of incense or a little sniff of onion and peppers cooking. The smell of an open fire. Man! My nostrils were on sensory overload! I LOVED IT! The sounds. Cows bellowing (in Boston you might get a catcall from time to time - In Bangalore you get a COW call as they acknowledge passers by!) Tapping of hammers, buzzing of saws, slapping of laundry on stones, beeping of any and all motorised vehicles as they pass you by.
We drove through a portion of the countryside where there were tamarinds falling from the trees and children playing on a pile of broken stone rubble and there was a barn-type shed housing hundreds of chickens. (Not one of the better smells on the ride! Haha!) Close by you could see people laboring and making cement blocks and constructing yet ANOTHER building. The rate at which they are building here in B'lore is absolutely astounding. I wouldn't be surprised if in another year we wouldn't be able to take the same route as the countryside keeps changing all the time.
The other thing we encountered during the duration of our ride on the paved roads in the villages was speed bumps. I don't know why exactly but Bangalore is the city of speed bumps. They are everywhere and not just little ones - Like huge mothers! Luckily, Mallory and Yvette were always in front of me so I could anticipate the bumps by watching them go over them but they seem to pop up with no warning and if you are distracted by any of the sites or smells around you (and there are a million of them!) Well, you might just find yourself up and over the handlebars of your bike! Craziness!
The last portion of our ride was a lot more up hill then down and I was wishing I had a "Live Strong" yellow bracelet for inspiration bc quite frankly I didn't know how many rotations my jelly legs could handle!? At one point I lost site of Yvette and Mallory and started to think...."Oh Shoot! I better catch up bc I have NO idea where we are and no cell phone." About the time that I was thinking this, I came upon Mallory waiting for me on the side of the road (God Bless You, Good Woman!) and just like that we were back in her neighborhood.
I will definitely "pay for" our fun tomorrow as my muscles are not used to bike riding but what an adventure and hopefully next time I will be a little stronger, a littler faster and won't remain the "weakest link" :0) OH! And I'm Sooooooooo getting some of those cool (and VERY official looking) PADDED bike riding shorts! I mean really!?!? How fab is that!? In fact maybe I'll buy a couple of pairs and really rock the J.Lo booty but all for the sake of cushioning my poor BEATEN BUTT, of course!!! YOUCH!
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