I love contests, so I decided to participate in two blogging contests that are offering a bike giveaway.

As you can see, bikes are popular in my neighborhood. Bike commuting is common in Southern California because of our great weather. It’s also a great way to go green, and to get a great work-out.

Cycling around the neighborhood keeps my muscles in shape and is a great cardiovascular exercise.

We’re lucky here, our busses have bike carriers attached to them, and we have miles and miles of bike trails right next to the ocean. The Pacific Ocean is gorgeous. (Picture coming soon)

Bicycling is one of the most popular exercises.

For the contests, I’ve included a link back to both of the bloggers posts that are sponsoring the bike giveaway–one from a fellow Iowa Avenue member, John over at Johnisfit, and the other is at Finding Flabuless.

Kudos to you guys for encouraging people to take care of themselves. Be sure to check out their websites.

Why don’t you try and combine something fun with your exercise goals? It’s a great source of motivation.

Lastly, I’ll leave you with a picture of nature’s beauty.

Hopefully today’s bike photo-journal inspired you. If you recall, Lance Armstrong, an American, won the Tour de France 5 consecutive times, from 1999 to 2005, making him the greatest cyclist in history. In doing so, he beat the previous records of five wins by Miguel Indurain (consecutive) and Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx and Jacques Anquetil. Previous to this achievement, he also survived testicular cancer, a germ cell tumor that metastasized to his brain and lungs in 1996. His cancer treatments included brain and testicular surgery and extensive chemotherapy.

Of course, you don’t have to ride competitively but riding and looking at the different sights and sounds of your neighborhood is exhilarating and good for you.

Since I thoroughly enjoyed today’s walk I can hardly wait until my next ones on Saturday and Sunday, because

After all, it’s about a healthy lifestyle!

© Iowa Avenue