Local Farmer's Markets Can't be Beat!

Dave and I took part in a workshop over the weekend offered by a local winter farmer's market. It was on raising your own backyard chickens. We were intrigued.

David's brother and other friends of ours have their own chickens, and on occasion, we've benefited with fresh eggs they've shared with us. We really enjoy them. I also love the idea of  producing our own food. We had some success with a backyard garden last year, and as we learn more, we're hopeful that we will get even better at it!

The chicken workshop was very popular -- standing room only. We were very lucky to secure two seats next to each other. There were poultry catalogs and books to browse through, and we were supplied with a lot of useful information.

Did you know that a chicken can naturally live up to 15 years, and that she will lay eggs for only about 2 of those years? After that, we can eat them... if we don't grow too emotionally attached!

We do need to come up with some kind of housing for suitable protection from predators, and then I think we might start out with 6 or 8 birds this spring.

After our workshop, David and I browsed around the farmer's market. I really enjoy the assortment of samples made with wonderfully fresh and wholesome ingredients! We tasted pasta sauce, butter, cheeses, pesto, and dips. We purchased lettuce, scallions, eggs, and a frozen seafood pie with the most incredible light flaky crust -- which we enjoyed for dinner that evening! Oh! We also bought some blueberry muffins. Baked goods are something we've been avoiding in our quest to eat better and shed pounds, but here we were 20 minutes before closing time, and those were offered to us at half price.

After the market, we planned to ride our tandem for a couple of hours. However, we actually spent more time there than we expected, and it was growing late. David also stopped to chat extensively with a man walking two Airedale dogs at our starting point. (He loves the breed, and he has always wanted to own one.) Turns out the man with the dogs also owns a Burley tandem -- just like ours!

We ended up shortening our route considerably, after the realization of our available time combined with a whipping wind sunk in. It was almost 40 degrees, but felt colder. Still, it felt great to get roughly 15 miles in.

Upon our return, we were surprised that daylight was still with us. The sunset time is now 5:35 pm ~ much later than it was just a month or so ago. We're looking forward to warmer weather -- and hopeful there will soon be sufficient daylight to allow us pre-and-post workday rides!

A Century in February? YES!!

Our opportunities for wintertime cycling have been great this season. With the exception of one snowy weekend in January, we've been out riding on the road at least once or twice per week. In addition to that, we are now attending a new spin class designed especially for cyclists. Some participants use spin bikes, others bring in their own bicycles and trainers, and a few even use their own bicycles on rollers -- David included! Instructor Chip O'Lari has designed the classes with focus areas, such as high intensity interval training and improved pedaling techniques. We are learning a lot, and the group enthusiasm is keeping it interesting!

I continue to record everything I eat in an online food and exercise journal. I've also been doubling my workouts and doing two different activities each day. It might be a brisk walk, time on our elliptical machine, attending spin class or cycling outdoors, or doing a workout DVD using hand weights (or a kettleball) in our living room. I am considering taking a yoga class as well.

Dave's weight loss has been steady, and mine has finally budged a bit in the right direction! We feel really great about that.

Dave secures our tandem with bungee cords.

Another new happening is that we traded in our old Dodge Caravan for a newer model. As evident in this photo, our tandem fit nicely into the rear cargo area of the old van. The back seats came out, giving us lots of room! With the rear tinted windows,  we also had a good space for changing out of our riding clothes after a ride. Additionally, it was great for allowing us the freedom to do after-ride activities such as shopping or getting a bite to eat, without the worry of our bike being seen.

Our new minivan is the same make and model, but a much prettier color -- red! We are very pleased with the longevity of the Grand Caravans (our old van had over 200,000 miles on it!) and we realized that most of the other minivan models were not long or high enough in the back. One feature we really like is the Stow n’ Go Seating. It's so much more convenient than lugging seats in and out of the vehicle and storing them when they're not being used.










We are looking forward to taking our first road trip with our new van -- to New York next weekend. Last month, we reviewed our calendar together and planned out our cycling goals for the year. As crazy as it might sound, it all starts with a century ride in February!

The ride is called the Snowball Express, a figure 8 loop that travels through scenic Saratoga County and features rolling terrain, with just enough climbing to help keep us warm. Dave and I spoke with the event's Director, John Ceceri, by phone, and he was very informative and helpful in providing details on the route itself as well as things to do in the surrounding area. 

To be honest, I'm not 100% confident that I am up for a hundred mile ride at this time of the year. I've done only one century ride ever.  But heck, we've been riding continuously (although not as frequently) throughout the colder months, and it's not like we've been hibernating by any means. Plus, it's happening on my birthday weekend. In the spirit of celebration, I want to make an attempt to reach beyond my own limitations. I watch The Biggest Loser on television and those contestants truly inspire me! They are pushed to go way beyond what they ever thought they would be capable of doing, and many have found their hidden athlete within!
 
Here's a call out to all of our cycling friends -- if you're brave enough, join us and plan to ride 100 miles on a Saturday in February!