I like to ride my bicycle

At least I used to like it. For the past month or so, I have been riding my bike to work and back every day. It used to be about 2.3 miles and was pretty flat for the most part. All in all, it took between 10-13 minutes to get to work, depending on the traffic. Well, since moving to the new apartment, it's gotten a little more rigorous. The distance to work is probably about a quarter-mile longer, but the big kicker is the huge hill I have to climb now. Whether I am going to or from work, I have to climb the hill near the temple, only to descend it afterward. It's a butt-kicker, for sure. But I figure at least now I can tell my kids and grandkids stories someday about how I used to have ride to work going uphill both ways. :-) I guess I'm actually getting a workout this way, but it's probably not too professional to walk into the office with sweat pouring down my face. Luckily, it's usually much cooler biking to work in the morning than it is coming home in the afternoon. I fear that our apartment is going to start smelling like a sweaty locker room. Good thing Deidra just got a couple of plug-in air fresheners ... I wonder if that was on my account.

And while we're on the subject of getting all sweaty, I went and played basketball at the church last night. There were only four guys, so we played a few games of 2-on-2, rotating teammates after every game. I thought I would be in better shape since I've started riding my bike to work, but I was huffing and puffing like a fish out of water after every game and by the end of the three games (a total of just less than an hour), I was sweating like I had just run a marathon or something. Am I really that out of shape? In my defense, the gym was uber-hot and I wasn't the only player that seemed to bolt for the water fountain between every game. Maybe at age 28, I'm just not the young buck I used to be. Next thing you know, I am going to be sprouting gray hairs, sporting a big ol' gut, and struggling to bend over and tie my shoes (and no comments about how I'm already halfway there, okay Deidra?). I guess a little extra biking workout every day can only do me some good, and maybe someday I can play a little basketball without feeling like I'm going to die when it's over. I'll keep you posted.