Blech, Monday. (And a potential [scary] challenge in the future...?)

Went back to work today after two weeks off -- I wasn't ready.  :P  I did well on intake -- 1317 calories.  About 48 oz. water, not including coffee, so I need to work on that.  No exercise, since I still feel like crap.  I did go to my Dr. today, and he gave me a regiment of using my Neti Pot and decongestants and Mucinex, and told me if I'm not better in a week to come back and see him.  (Whereas my husband called his Dr. today, and they called in a prescription for an antibiotic without him having to go in and see the Dr.  *Sigh...*  Of course, his has already gone in to his chest, so...)  Ugh.  :P

And now the scary challenge...  A couple of friends have signed up to do a long distance bicycle ride (Reach the Beach) on May 21st, and they're trying to talk me in to doing it with them.  Which is nice of them, but I only got my bike near the end of last year.  The last bike I had before this one was in college, which was 15 YEARS ago!

There are 4 different starting points, so the ride can be 28, 55, 80 or 100 miles long.  At least two of my friends ("H" and "B," both of who already have several long distance rides under their belts) are committing to the 100 mile, and I'm.... still considering.  H says she "knows" that any of us can do the 28 miles without any (or "much") training at all, and that we all should aim for at least the 55 mile ride.  She did e-mail a 10-week training schedule to reach any of those distances, which should be REALLY helpful. 

According to the training schedule, I would have to increase the weekly total of miles ridden from 55 miles (with one long ride of 25 miles) the first week to 122 miles (with one long ride of 65 miles) on the 8th week.  (The long rides would be on the weekends, of course...)  The 9th week would be 75 miles with a long ride of 50 miles, and then the 10th week is The Event.  So I would have to start this training on March 13th (or sooner, and then reset to Week 1 on March 13th...)  And it sounds do-able!

Part of me wants to jump and aim for the 100 miles, but my husband is trying to make sure I stay realistic about how much time I'll have to train between now and then.  He definitely has a point. (When I step back from my excitement and really think about it)  When my dance classes are going (starting in two weeks) I am really busy, especially during the week!  I've got a full time job, and then either rehearsal or 2 hour's worth of classes 3 nights out of the week, and a performance about once a month. 

Hubster's (valid) reservations are:

1. How busy I already am.
2. How little riding experience I currently have -- I have no idea what my how far I can currently go on the bike - I don't have any kind of odometer on the bike yet.  (Although Hubster is currently researching them even as I speak, so I can get one soon...)
3. How much of my existing downtime (and him-time) the training would eat up.
4. He doesn't want me to set myself up for failure by overreaching. 

I think my next step is to get the odometer and find out how far I can bike at this point, and then make a decision from there.  Of course, this might be in another couple of weeks, after I get the odometer and get back to healthy...  *Sigh*

I'd better go to bed...  G'night, and take your vitamin C and get your SLEEP!!!