This is an update that is far over-due…

Earlier this year, Amanda and I decided that it was time for us to begin living healthier lives. Amanda has a history of heart conditions in her family… and I was just plain F-A-T. We cut soft-drinks (oh how I miss you my sweet Dr. Pepper) from our routine and started exercising more regularly. It was then that we both realized how much we HATE running. We resolved to start praying for a better way to get our “exercise on” without so much hate in our lives.

In April, we hosted a college conference for the Baptist Convention of Maryland and Delaware at Studio 7o7 (our student ministry space that I designed and created at Allen). Amanda and I also led worship for the event. One of the afternoon free-time adventure options for the college students during the conference was kayaking and another was road biking. Amanda and I signed up for the kayaking so we could shred some river… but the paying customers (the college kids) filled the kayaks… so we decided to grab a bike and hit the road.

It turns out that we had so much stinkin’ fun on the bikes that we both knew the answer to our prayers for a new way to get exercise together had two wheels and a set of handlebars. We started saving money for a set of bikes… but that never works (especially when we decided to take a week for Study Leave and vacationing in Washington DC). Alas… we thought that the dream of “biking for healthier living” was too far out of reach.

But then we got word that the economy needed a little bit of Weaver-stimuli… and that Mr. President was going to help us fund this venture. So… we then resolved to buy a couple of bicycles when our mother-load arrived by direct-deposit.

The bike that my bride (and the generous George W. Bush) bought me (on Friday the 9th of May) is amazing. And even though the IRS semi-shorted us on the total amount (we only received part of the “economy stimulus money” that we were eligible for because of our friggin low taxable income in 2008)… I’m sure glad that I voted for that guy twice! Hahahaaaa!

My new bicycle is a Specialized Sirrus with a gloss black finish. I made a few minor adjustments to personalize the bike when the guy at the bike shop was building it (straight from the box) for me… adding a white water bottle holder and installing a white Specialized Cyclo-computer and swapping the black leather saddle (that’s some cyclo-jargon which means “bike seat”) for a white saddle. You can see a stock photo of my bike HERE.

In the last 54 days… I have pedaled 230.22 miles.

I am not a marathoner like my Pops (and as much as I have tried… I loathe and despise the fine art of running) but this finally feels like I have discovered my sports-niche. Amanda and I are both going to participate non-competitively (read: without the child-scarring-benefits of spandex) in the Sea Gull Century in October of this year.

We purchased Amanda a bike as well… but I’ll let her share about hers whenever she finds some time. We have taken several “family rides” with Ryland in a two-wheel-kid-carrier attached to the back of my bike. He loves the adventures… and the view! And we love our new exercise-hobby…

.: weav :.