Status Report

Disappointed that U Lasiku was closed. Too early in the season.

When last we spoke, two months ago, I was pledging to lose weight, get in shape, get my mojo back, and ride and blog more in this space.

I can report progress on almost all of those fronts.

Since January 4, I've lost more than 9 kilos (20 pounds). I've gained muscle mass, according to my nutritionist, and my visceral body fat percentage has plummeted. I'm taking the stairs whenever I can. I feel good. I wore a concert T-shirt yesterday that I had been embarrassed to wear for years, for fear of looking like Will Ferrell in the famous "More Cowbell" sketch.

I'm wearing my Fitbit all the time, and walking regularly -- an average of 10,000 steps a day. Last week, I walked 35 miles (56 kilometers) and climbed 216 floors.

And I'm pleased to report that I went out on my first ride of the year on March 7 -- a bracing 22.5-kilometer jaunt from my apartment in Prague 6 to the village of Unetice. I had intended to grab a drink and maybe something to eat at the charming U Lasiku, but it was, sadly, shuttered, and there were no outdoor tables set up yet at the pivovar (and I'm not drinking beer at the moment anyway), so I just came back home.

It was a cold, windy, muddy ride, like I used to do so often, so I feel as if I finally, truly broke my new bike in, a year after buying it.

I've got about 5 pounds (2.5 kilos) to go to reach my interim goal of losing 25 pounds by my birthday on April 24. I've told myself that I'd reward myself with a new tattoo (subject matter to be determined). After that, I'll set another weight goal timed to when we head to Croatia again, in late July.

Keep reading, and keep riding.

RIDE STATS
Length of ride: 22.5 kilometers
Max speed: 33.5 kph
Average speed: 15.0 kph
Time on the bike: 1:29:16
Distance ridden so far in 2016: 22.5 kilometers

I had the trails all to myself.