At any moment my body assumes we are going to do something crazy and will need a fuel reserve to accomplish the task.

I’ve always had a relatively high metabolism, so throw in 3,700 miles and 60 days of non-stop activity and it’s no wonder my body wants food. The challenge becomes that my calorie burning is not near what it was last week, so how do I transition this burning beast of a metabolism?

One possible answer is to keep biking. We heard about a lady in her 80s or 90s who was still biking, but in her younger days she had biked the circumference of the continental United States. She is my hero! I hope I have many more years for biking, hiking, skiing, and any other “ing” possible. Although, right now I’m not sure the coffers can sustain a continuation of endless biking. I guess I could adopt a motto of “retrench and bike on!”

Another option, which is probably more realistic, is to slowly eat less and try to still find ways to burn calories between the obligations of life. One thing that was lacking on the trip was vegetables. So I think if I’m able to increase my vegetable intake and decrease the amount of carbs, I’ll be on my way to a healthy balance. Each night during the 60-day trip I set an individual spending limit on dinner. Sometimes I would crave a salad, but I knew it would never be enough to tide me over until breakfast and the ride energy needed in the reserve tanks. I also think the amount of fried food we consumed is not sustainable if one is not exerting tons of energy. While I don’t think my metabolism is decreasing anytime soon, I do think choosing my food options is going to be key to transitioning back to a lifestyle that doesn’t burn calories like dry leaves consumed by a fire.

I did try on some of my pants and shorts when I got home, and well it seems the thigh circumference is greater. We took measurements at the beginning of the trip at the ski lodge on White Pass, but there was an unfortunate mishap with the cellular device used to record the measurements. Needless to say, I think my leg muscles have expanded and are definitely firmer. My brother (when he was a teenager) once told me I’ll get cellulite if I ever stop doing sporty stuff, talk about motivation to keep moving!!