Baby day

I've been watching my husband's grandson (his daughter from first marriage's son. I'm far too young to call myself a grandmother, though chronologically, if I'd started really early, I could be up to a great by now, perhaps even a great great if me and my progeny tended towards early, unprotected sex) on Tuesdays while his mother works since November or so.  The first few times were rough; basically, the baby cried all day.  He's since gotten used to me and I to him and we generally have a good time together.

I will post another time about his peculiarities,  but he's a great kid.

I've been looking for a baby jogger and/or bike trailer for a few months now.  Zane likes being outside and I like riding my bike so I thought this would be a good solution.  A buddy from SWAMP was selling one and by the time I got around to telling him I was on my way to look at it, someone had already bought it.  My friend Bev found one in a thrift store, just two days before the half price sale. We decided to gamble and wait for the sale.  She got there 10 minutes after the store opened on the half price day, and there was an old man in line with the baby trailer.  Sigh.

Ever the optimist am I, so I've been trolling Craigslist and I'll be damned I found one this past weekend.  A Trek brand that doubles as a jogger and a trailer, in good working condition, for $30.  I just had to drive to Largo, almost all the way to the beach, to get it.  It's got some mildew stains on it and some paint splatters, but it's mechanically sound, which is what's important.

I got up early today because I was too lazy to do anything to the trailer yesterday.  Got it out of the car, figured out how it worked. Cleaned it up a bit.  I couldn't get the hitch in at first, but a little WD40 did the trick.  It took me half an hour of fooling around with it, but I finally figured out how it worked, how it hooked up, and how it folded.  By this time I was dripping with sweat.

Chelsea (mom) and Zane (baby) arrived around 8:30.  I hadn't eaten breakfast yet, so by the time I did that, got all my bike gear organized, got dressed in my bike clothes, changed his diaper and clothes, got sun screen on both of us, got drinks for both of us, loaded the car, got stuffed animals to prop him up with in the trailer, it was 9:30 before we left the house.  Got to Flatwoods and had to do it in reverse.  It was almost 10 o'clock before we headed out, and it was a scorcher of a day.

When I ride Flatwoods I generally have a plan in mind.  The main loop is seven miles, and there's a jog over to another entrance at Bruce B. Downs that's another two miles each way.  2 loops over to Bruce B. Downs and back is 23 miles.  If I do that and one more of the main loop I'm looking at about 31 miles.   The minimum I do is 15 miles and that's if I'm not feeling well or if a thunderstorm is heading my way or if there's another good reason to have a short ride (like heat stroke.)

Pulling a trailer with 40-50 pounds behind me is a new experience.  I started out briskly, watching my cadence and making sure I was spinning over 90 rpm.  About a mile into the ride I realized I was having a hard time breathing.  I had a bug last week and am not over it yet.  I looked down and I was dripping sweat.  The sun was no longer behind a cloud, it was pounding down on me and Zane, and I had a long way to go.  I told him, after about 2 miles, that we'd be lucky to make one loop.  And my prediction was right; I barely made it.  If it'd just been me I would have gone to one of the pavilions and rested, but I thought it was best to get him back to the car and a/c as quickly as possible.  We did stop at the third water stop for a bit 'cause Zane had been fussing.  He calmed down and we set off again.  He started fussing again.  I made it back to the car as quickly as I dared.  I was really scared of getting a heat stroke.  It was a furnace outside.  I almost passed out at Flatwoods three years ago from the heat; I didn't want a repeat performance, especially since I had the little guy to look after.

Back at the car I turned the a/c on full blast and got the little guy into his car seat.  I put the bike and trailer in.  It was really hard because it was so hot.  I just wanted to find someplace cool and put my head between my legs.

OK, lesson learned.  If I take Zane out with the bike trailer it must be early in the morning if it is summertime.  If I get a late start again, I'm staying home.

On the other hand, I'm delighted with the trailer.  While it's not easy to pull behind me, it adds another training dimension, right?????  Next time, cooler weather, two loops (if baby cooperates.)

Jen