Friday January 8

When I started biking this summer, just a few months ago really, at first my 'rule' was that I would not ride at night or in the rain. Well, of course if you're out on a long ride and it starts raining, you have no choice, then realize it's not that big of a deal.
Then the days started to get shorter and pretty soon if you're going to bike to work and back, you're going to be doing it in the dark. So I bought a good set of lights and another rule fell by the wayside.
As the seasons changed the new rule was that since I didn't mind the cold so much I'd keep riding but not if there was snow on the ground, that would be too treacherous.

This morning I left for the gym around 5:45 am.




Yes it's my "go anywhere, do anything freedom machine" but there are limits!

I started to slip and slide and to think, "what kind of fool rides a bike in this shit, I should go home and get back in bed", but pressed on.

Talk about "taking the lane", on some stretches of Gerrard I had to ride between the streetcar tracks because the rest of the road was too slippery. When I heard the rumble approaching from behind, had to pull over and figured I'd capture the moment for posterity.




Came close to losing it a few times, but got there. I hesitated outside though and thought that if all I did was turn around and ride back home that would be a good 40 minute cardio day. But what the heck, I was already there, so inside I went.

Follow up to Red Paw: Gluten

According to the Red Paw dermal test, I should avoid gluten - which unfortunately is in a lot of processed food. Should also avoid oats, barley, spelt, kamot, wheat, white flour.
But I really like the bread and occasional pastry from St. John's Bakery. Saturday mornings I like to hit the gym from around 8 to 9:30 am and then pick up a loaf of sourdough and a couple of amazing brioches fresh out of the oven and still warm.
Then I read this article at www.thehuffingtonpost.com headlined, Gluten: What You Don't Know Might Kill You.

Well, bread contains gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, and oats. It is hidden in pizza, pasta, bread, wraps, rolls, and most processed foods. Clearly, gluten is a staple of the American diet.

What most people don't know is that gluten can cause serious health complications for many. You may be at risk even if you don't have full blown celiac disease...

A recent large study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people with diagnosed, undiagnosed, and "latent" celiac disease or gluten sensitivity had a higher risk of death, mostly from heart disease and cancer...

Yet an estimated 99 percent of people who have a problem with eating gluten don't even know it. They ascribe their ill health or symptoms to something else--not gluten sensitivity, which is 100 percent curable.

Yikes!

Sunday January 3

Headed out for the gym around 7:30 am this morning. According to theweathernetwork.com it was -17 degrees Celsius. Don't know what the wind chill made it but the wind was frigid and blowing from the north and west.
About 1/2 block from the gym I crossed from south side of Gerrard to north, and front wheel got caught in the streetcar track. With instinctive reaction in a fraction of a second I managed to get a foot on the ground, and arms pulled up and twisted the handlebar enough to get the wheel out, got back on seat and kept going. Would have been a really bad time to have taken a fall, instead it was a good beginning for the new year.