We are a family who likes to stay active whether it is exercising or eating. When we exercise as a family, nothing beats the effectiveness of biking. It is truly a sport made for families. Yesterday, we decided to go out to W&OD bike trail around the Ashburn area.

When we bike long distances (meaning more than 5 miles), our 7 year old son gets too tired and cannot keep up. So we ask him to sit in the bike trailer with his 2.5 year old sister. All together with the trailer, they weigh over 100lbs. I usually don't have a hard time pulling them during our bike rides. But yesterday, was the first time in 2009 when we decided to take a long ride. All started out fine. 8:30AM in the morning, not too hot, slight breeze in my face. Not too strong to hinder my ride, but just enough to gently cool me down.

Mile 2, 3, and 4 --- a good mix of hills and straightaways. We got to W&OD from Claiborne Parkway. Joined the trail and rode to what used to be a bike shop in downtown Ashburn. The bike store is now a furniture shop and the friendly owner is gone. We decided to head back home and looked forward to the next 5 miles.

I am getting tired at this point. These kids keep drinking water and I think they at least gained 40lbs in the last hour. I stop to drink some water as well. I look up the road and it seems all up hill. Why is that? Why does it always feel like I am biking up hill with the wind blowing in my face--- both ways? Where is the tail wind?

Mile 8.5. I am finished. I start to get angry at the wind. I try to bite the wind with my mouth like a dog riding in his owner’s car. My wife, happily biking 1/2 mile up ahead. She is wearing her watch that tells her what cardiovascular zone she is in. She keeps screaming “I am burning fat in my zone 2.” I say, “I am in zone hell.” I want to kill someone, anyone. I finally scream “Help me!” My wife takes over from mile 8.5 and brings the kids back home at mile 12. Still mumbling, “I am not supposed to reach my anaerobic threshold. That’s just burning sugar. I must burn fat. Stay in zone 2, stay in zone 2.” By the way, if you are reading this and laughing, you are in zone 2 already.