Monday night may have been my last bike commute! I am working through Friday, but I have been feeling increasingly vulnerable while riding. This is twice as true at the end of the day when it is dark. (Note– normally both the morning and evening commute are in the dark this time of year. I’ve been using the pregnancy as an excuse to sleep in most mornings).
The feeling of vulnerability is more than just riding in traffic. Most of my route is traffic calmed or on bike routes (Vancouver is good for bike commuting– I can get from my office in Burnaby to the downtown YWCA for a swim workout exclusively on designated bike routes of which probably 70% are separated from traffic). Colder then normal weather this week has also made the morning frost imitate black ice. My riding mantra has been ‘Beryl gets her own first bike crash’ and going down on a commute just isn’t an option. Then there is the issue that my commuting gear simply can’t accommodate much more of a bigger belly without losing all effectiveness!
The cycling jacket is unzipped 1/3 of the way over the belly and another couple inches on each side. I am lucky to still feel so good and (relatively) mobile at this stage in the process. The hardest part of getting on the bike has been getting my cycling shoes on. Scott has been fantastic and has escorted me to and from work by bike every time I ask. It feels good to be around him and it feels safer too. Must give him props for singlespeeding at pregnant wife speed.
The official baby Beryl arrival date is Dec 30 and I don’t see getting on the bike before then. Time for walking and swimming and napping.
Scott and I are already negotiating the 2012 ride and race season. Non-enduro XC for me and cyclocross for him?? (People who are already parents…. please don’t burst our bubble! We know life will change in ways we can’t imagine, but it feels gooooood to talk about riding and racing and camping and hiking and being outside. Until reality intrudes, I will keep daydreaming and imagining a life with our child that makes me happy!! These dreams also make me a little less scared about becoming a parent).
Now what I really want to know is can you breastfeed and ride a trainer at the same time 
(for the humor impared, this is a joke. mostly)
Could be a New Years baby!!
Good Luck and Merry Christmas!!
Ed
I screwed up the first comment – I want a do over
Ed
okay
Good luck!Give water aerobics a try. I found that amusing for a few weeks when I got too big to ride anymore.
Ed- No January baby! Please, no January baby. Merry Christmas to you and Jenny!
LyndaW- Thanks for the encouragement! There’s a pre-natal aquafit the same time I do laps on Friday nights…but I swam competitively through university and just don’t know if I could do water aerobics. Lap swimming is almost an instinct!
Based on the Thanksgiving photos posted in facebook it looks like both of you are having a great winter! Love it!
You made it this far, I’m so impressed! Not much longer before you can get back to the bike dreams. In the meantime, breastfeeding and trainer riding…hmmmm, that’s a multitasking option I never thought about. I’ll let you test it out. If it works for you, I’ll consider.
Hi Em! Wishing you a happy and healthy Christmas! You look fantastic! Yes, make all those camping, hiking and biking plans. The baby will love it!
If Mom and Dad are happy, baby is too!