Buns of Fire

Evidently I have high cholesterol. High cholesterol in women isn't common until after age 55 so I'm really in trouble. I L.O.V.E. butter. I think butter is delicious on just about everything. Unfortunately, it doesn't help high cholesterol, so I decided to try I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. Well, let me tell you.... I CAN believe it's not butter. It tastes like butter flavored jelly beans soaked in gasoline.

So, my question is....

Do I get depressed and eat lower cholesterol foods and live longer? Or, stay nice and happy, eat lots of butter and cheese and die a few years younger? It's a toss up.

So, I opted for lower cholesterol foods with some cheat days :) And lots of working out. So far, I have lowered my cholesterol 9 points. Pretty good. Could be better. I am trying to spice up my workouts because running everyday is a little monotonous. I decided that it would be fun to ride a bike (forgetting that I actually hate to ride bikes). I found my bike in our barn covered in spiderwebs and 10 years of dust. Jay and my dad fixed it up nice for me. Fixed the brakes, pumped up the tires....the works. Yesterday I took it out for a spin.

I coasted down the first hill and thought, "Oh, this is fun! The seat hurts my butt, but otherwise, I could do this everyday!"

Then I went up the first hill. Not too bad. Felt my legs working. Got my heart rate up. Good

Then it was the long hill. Suddenly I start breathing loud....like the I'm in labor breathing...then my legs start going around slower and slower. Suddenly, I swear my butt catches on fire. The burning starts in places I didn't even know it could. I keep going because I hadn't even gone a mile yet and that would be pathetic. So, I work through the pain and the flaming muscles and I'm wondering, "How in the world did I ride my bike everywhere when I was little?" I guess that's probably why I only weighed 40 pounds in 4th grade. I finally decide I can't go any longer and I absolutely refuse to push my bike up the hill. So, just in case anyone was watching thinking I couldn't do it, I stopped to blow my nose. Placing kleenex over your nose when you are struggling to breathe in the first place isn't the best idea, but it's better than someone seeing you stop half way up the hill just because you're tired. So, I took my very short nose blowing excuse of a break, placed my flaming rear back on the seat and made it up the hill.

Success.

I had one more hill to go before I got back to the house. I'm halfway up the hill, buns on fire, double sized lungs and jell-o legs......and my pants get stuck in the bike chain. My momentum is lost. I untangle, try to stay upright and start pedaling. At this point, the rest of the hill might as well have been Mt. Everest. I weave up the rest of the hill not having the strength to stay in a straight line. I coast the rest of the way home....nearly pass out in the driveway....and finally get off and drop my bike on it's side.

I think I may have dropped my cholesterol another 15 points on that bike ride.