walking

There Will Be Blog: 77.7 Miles Last Week + SXSW Day 4 with Oscar-Nominee Vera Farmiga + SLEEP Concert

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 7 Comments

“Don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something. Not even me. You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do somethin’ themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it. If you want somethin’, go get it. Period.”  Will Smith in the movie as Chris Gardner from his book The Pursuit of Happyness

The Book: Something Written This Way Will Come

I drafted some notes and put down a plan to write my book that’s been in my head for a while. I still have questions and will need to find both some information and some inspiration about it, but the main thing is to write. Walter Mosley the celebrated author told me to take a year and do it. Leonard Maltin the well-known film critic told me to just write and expand my presence on social media. Mario the marketing guy at the Fox Sports party said I have a story and I should tell it. 151 blog followers are telling me to do it, indirectly at least. Continue reading →

This Is My 100th Blog Post — The Year in Review So Far

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 16 Comments

Well, I’ve done it!  I’ve made it to the mythical 100th blog post.  It’s my 69th of 2018, and I’ve totalled over 102,000 words since I began blogging on January 1, 2016.  It’s been an interesting, fun, exhausting experiment telling my story as a bicyclist as well as exploring other topics like health, politics, culture and more.  In this post I’ll review my progress thus far this year and look at what I still need to work on.  I stayed in today and unpacked more, organized alot, and cooked, and so I’m itching to go on at least a metaphorical ride.  Got your helmet on?  Good, let’s go! Continue reading →

A Dog, A Dude, A Day

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 22 Comments

In a week’s time I’ll be back in my room in the busy, noisy, stinking city. The car will be returned to its owners and the process of “re-dogging” will take place. Over four long days I’ll be volunteering for the very large South by Southwest convention (SXSW). That will allow me to see most of the shows except sold-out headliners for free and hopefully do some networking, learning and basically being a tourist in my own town. A luxury of which being employed full-time has deprived me for almost two decades. I’m due for a little fun, especially in the “Live Music Capital of the World.” My search for relevant, rewarding and non-boring work will continue. As will this blog, I hope, but in reduced form while I also hope to re-start working on my book of biking 10,000 miles in 2 years. With these changes on the horizon, it seemed like a good day to reflect.

Continue reading →

27-Mile Brushy Creek Trail Ride + Peddler Bike Shop Stop

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 3 Comments

Sunday Started Without Any Sun

On a balmy, grey, at first foggy, then later somewhat sunny Sunday, A Dude rousted himself from his slumber and busted out a decent distance of a bicycle ride.  It was the first longer ride in a while, and it was done because that’s what he does, for fitness, fun and so on.  But also it was in order to make his 50-mile goal for the week and to have something to blog about.  So in a way, if you’re reading this, you’re partially responsible for making it happen! How is that for participation? And you didn’t even have to get up off your couch and bike 27 miles.  Here’s the quick map / video from Relive. Continue reading →

Thoughts and Images from my Second Day in the Hill Country

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 5 Comments

Today began early with several alarms rousting me from too short a slumber.  I got myself going and drove through rush hour and a thick fog to my appointment.  Afterward, I collected some things including a rear-view helmet mirror and some extra inner tubes from Sun & Ski Sports.  I dutifully walked the dog, we napped, and then we went to a park by the lake and walked around there.  I did some other stuff but now am writing this.  What follows are some photos and words about another day in the life of A Dude Abikes. Continue reading →

A Mundane Monday in the Life of A Dude Abikes: Nothing Ado About Much

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 3 Comments

And So It Begins

I started the day late after working on last night’s post about football and bicycling way too long.  I thought it was kinda brilliant, but I still needed to tweak the wording, add a link to an article or two (after reading them), a quote, photos, and the like.  I still question why I am blogging daily, because after a day, a whole five people have viewed that post, and of those, two liked it.  And that’s great, don’t get me wrong.  But I guess the answer is I’m doing this for me first, with hopes that some day a lot more people will find it useful, interesting, humorous, insightful, inspirational or something else good.  This is probably something many new bloggers go through. I never said I was a special — I’m just A Dude.  But hey, I’m out there stinking it up with the rest of the world, and lots of people ain’t. Continue reading →

January 2018: 31 Days of Blogging, Dieting, Walking and Yoga-ing

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 4 Comments

I just finished a whole month of daily activities, three of which I wasn’t doing before.  I feel slightly stronger in some ways, but in others, I’m exhausted.  Still sick from something, probably cedar allergies combined with anemia.  But I’m eating better.  I spent a lot of time at this laptop.  So let me break it down.  No, I’m not going to rap, don’t worry. Continue reading →

40 Miles in 26 Days. That’s What I’m Walking About!

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 1 Comment

Walking a Mile in A Dude Abikes’ Shoes

“Walking is a man’s best medicine.”

— Hippocrates

“Also, a woman’s.”

— A Dude Abikes

When this month and year began, I somehow tricked myself into committing to walk for 30 minutes every day.  No big deal, lots of people do that and much more.  Many people run for way more miles and hours.  Millions, nay billions of people, may not even have access to bikes.  Others are wheelchair-bound or have just one or even no or prosthetic legs.  My bicycling 10,000 miles in two years may seem impossible to some, but it’s a piece of cake for others.   So hard or challenging varies based on many factors.

But for me, who used to enjoy running before weight gain, age, foot and joint pain set in, it is a big deal.  So far, through three days of juice fasting and a week of vegan food that resulted in anemia, sub-freezing temperatures, flare-ups of plantar fasciitis (which is not related to having a proto-fascist in the US White House), and now being wiped out from cedar fever, I have somehow managed to keep at it.  Has it helped?  Let me walk you through it.  A Dude has puns, ya’ll. Continue reading →

How It’s Going So Far in 2018 with the Biking, Blogging, Walking and Eating

~ A Dude Abikes ~ Leave a comment

So Far, So Good, But a Long Way to Go

img_20180120_175319437250605548.jpg
A Buddha statues at Aveda. But is that a chocolate glazed donut in front of him?

After a number of posts heavy with images, information and links, I think I’ll just write about how I’m doing with everything.  But first, a picture of a Buddha from Aveda Institute.  I got my second ever face treatment for only $21 for an hour.  Self-care is allowed whether you’re a cyclist like me or unable to do much if any physical exercise at all due to a chronic situation.  The massage and various products did make it feel better.  Whether it looks better is a matter of opinion. Continue reading →

Walking in a Winter Wonderland, Rumi-nating on Where the Journey Leads

~ A Dude Abikes ~ Leave a comment

All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray
I’ve been for a walk on a winter’s day
I’d be safe and warm if I was in L.A.
California dreamin’ on such a winter’s day

— “California Dreamin'” by The Mamas & The Papas

Baby, It’s Cold Outside. So What? Go Exercise, Dude.

A Dude Abikes does not think of himself as a quitter but he has let go of many things over time, some by choice, others not (car, job, a really nice pair of Ray Bans). Some wisely, like trying to be a vegan. Others, maybe not so skillful, like eating frozen pizza (haven’t had one of nature’s most perfect foods this year so far). Today I kept my walking every day for a month practice going. If I Don’t Break The Chain and make it all year, I’ll have walked over 400 miles — on purpose! Someday maybe I’ll be at a weight where I’ll feel it’s safe to run again without damaging my feet and joints. For now, I’m just getting out there and putting one foot in front of the other for half an hour, even if it’s 28 degrees F like today. That quality of doing it no matter what that I’ve tapped into with the yoga, biking and no-car-having is not really something you can teach. But I think everyone has the capacity for being resolute, stubborn, determined or committed. I also put on 19 articles of clothing, so I was prepared like a good Boy Scout. Yes, A Dude really was an Eagle Scout.

Continue reading →