Like Riding a Bicycle...

Of all the things I miss about Shanghai (and contrary to my general attitude about my two years there, I do miss a few things about it), it turns out that the one I miss the most is the nice, flat-as-a-pancake, topography.

A couple months back I wrote about my ambition to be an elf when I grow up.  I haven't been a total slacker when it comes to this goal, although the progress is slow going, partly because my feet suck.  Seriously.  My feet are awful, and they have been since I let a friend talk me into a run - sheesh, almost four years ago.  I've tried giving them a break, I've tried working through it, I've taken Celebrex, but I have yet to fix the problem.  Undoubtedly this means I need to work harder, but I hate doctors, so I've sorta been at an impasse.  Well, lately they've been getting worse and worse, and I've found myself empathizing with Socrates' chronic body problems - different body parts, but no less frustrating.  I could continue this monologue about the lead up to yesterday afternoon, but let's jump to the chase: in order to get exercise and still stay off my feet, I dropped a cool mil on a bike.

I haven't biked much since leaving Shanghai.  It's cold a lot - A LOT - of the year, and when I interviewed with the principal before I came here, she didn't seem to think it was very safe.  Well, after a year and a half, I've decided if I can bike in the bloody Emirates and freaking Shanghai, I can handle the Mongol hordes.  So I walked to the Trek shop, found a bike I like, balked at the price a little, and eventually rode away on the beauty pictured above.  It doesn't have a basket, or a light, or a bell, although it does have a kickstand, since I realized it was missing one before I left the shop.  I might be able to remedy the first two while I'm in Shanghai in two weeks, but I think I'll be better off getting an airhorn - nobody's going to hear a bell here, since everyone either drives or has their music in their ears.

(Speaking of music in my ears...)

I hadn't biked that far when I realized how out of shape I really am, but I didn't let it stop me from biking into town and having a bite of lunch.  I was dying by the time I made it home - my back was aching and my tailbone was bruised.  Later that night when I got out of bed my knees were protesting too - it's strange to think that maybe I'm getting old!?!  But they were good sorts of pains, and they served to convince me that - along with a multitude of other things on my plate this spring - I am going to make this happen.  Try to forgive me if there are a lot of posts about biking in Mongolia coming up.