Friday 21 September 2007

Pic of the day: I've cheated a little: This picture will be taken on Monday, but I'll have better pics then so here it goes! This is how it looks when you buy it. Not much like a bike, I admit, but it is.

Bought exercise bike

"Eat right, exercise regularly, die anyway" says the true proverb. Therefore, exercise should either be fun or lead to fun in three short steps. Consequently I have invested in a bike that is admittedly stationary, but covered in electronics. It is called Nordic 300 and was supposed to have 16 levels of magnetic resistance (not that there are any lvl 16 magnetic monsters in my house anyway) and 21 computer programs.

I was pretty much ready to order a similar but less computerized model, the Nordic Soma Special Edition, at a certain shop. But the electrical impulses in my head took me to a different shop where, much to my surprise, this model (Nordic Tour Edition 300) was on sale for a much lower price. (Well, that's what I bought. I'm pretty sure that's not what I got, but we won't know that till Monday, and besides it is still good.)

Actually the bike is still in its box at the shop. It is too heavy to just pick up and take with me on the bus. My coworker has offered to bring his car and drive it home for me, so I should have it by Tuesday. The shop guy was holding one off for me. Of course they might still try to swindle me, but most likely not. Their computer would scream and black out if they sell more than they have bought of them, and it would be too risky for an employee to take it home. Besides, it is just not the Norwegian way of doing business. So I'm pretty relaxed on that account.

This is not an attempt to buy a good conscience. (Actually my conscience is slightly worse than before I spent the money on myself.) Consequently I am fairly optimistic on the effect. After I bought the pulse watch and actually good jogging shoes in 2005, I have been measurably more active. (But gradually I have increased my carbohydrate intake to compensate for this.) I expect the same to happen now, unless some disaster strikes. Oh, I will die anyway; but I don't need to like it. And I'm not just going to sit and wait. I'm going to sit and bike.