Mom/Daughter Bike Ride

As I sat on the porch enjoying the continued beautiful weather and contemplating bailing on trying to get in a bike ride, my daughter (7) overheard me and decided that indeed SHE wanted to go on a bike ride with me.  She suggested a route that, although wasn't all that far, has a wicked uphill return and is on a arterial street that has no bike lane or sidewalk.  My husband was sitting there and suggested I take her down my usual direction (to the industrial area near our house which has little traffic in the evenings).  So I threw on my bike shorts and headed out with my daughter anxious to show she could keep up with me.

She did much better than on previous rides in finding the correct gears to try to keep up with me.  I did try to focus on a stupid easy ride, but we ended up averaging about 9.5 mph which I could tell was more of a "medium" pace for her little legs.  We stopped once about 3.5 miles in so she could catch her breath and get a drink (she doesn't have a bottle holder on her bike) and then again right before the steep hill on the way back - which, by the way, she managed to pedal up the entire way!  I was SO proud!  She has never attempted it before - the last time I took her this far, my husband picked her and her bike up about 3 miles in as he wasn't sure she could do it.  I should have known she could - she has got wicked strength for someone who doesn't even break 60 lbs!

Here she is last spring when she got her new bike (with dad)

Ended up getting in just under six miles which wasn't really the workout I had planned, but she'll remember it as a time her mom put her plan aside and spent time doing something we both like to do together.  And that is just fine too.  Up early for a charity breakfast with some women engineer friends in Columbia so tomorrow will be my swim day.  Yay!

Edit:  Forgot to note that it was very breezy today (like flag straight out) and kind of chilly on our bike ride.  Days are getting much shorter.  I made my daughter wear a light fleece pullover while I stuck with just a tee and am now "getting" why people use arm warmers.  I'm going to have to invest in some warmer gear soon.