yeah baby yeah!!
This morning I woke up late and realized I hadn’t packed my clothes as I’d promised myself I would so I could begin biking on Monday.
My first thought was I’d blown it – then I got pissed off and said to myself, “no way – no way am I delaying this one more day!” Right then and there I decided I would bike to work TODAY. I think I even surprised Lori who, as I put my gear on, looked at me with a funny kinda look and asked, “are you biking today?”.
The Good:
I left at 7:15 and arrived at the bike lock-up 50 minutes later. That’s not bad at all considering it was my first ride and it takes me 35 minutes by car! I was also happy about the route since I was able to keep almost entirely away from traffic. The best part though was getting into the paved river valley trails which greeted me with a one mile downhill (talk about exilarating!) stretch where I was able to race at break-neck speed and which then leveled for another two miles of easy flat riding. It was terrific being able to shower at work too! All said and done, it was 8:30 when I sat down at my desk – that’s 1 hour and 15 minutes from the moment I left home till the time I began plunking this blog out.
The Bad:
What goes up must come down and, in Edmonton’s river valley, the reverse is true for runners and bikers! After that amazing cruise down those hills and along the flat, I had to find a way back up to the top of the valley so I could get to the downtown core. I ended up choosing the hill behind the Alberta Government Legislature Grounds – ouch – tough going! I’m sure it will get easier but this was my first commute and I know I could have run up that hill faster! My quads and hamstrings were screaming at me after that part of the ride.
The Ugly:
My toes and ears were freezing! Until mornings get a bit warmer, I will definitely have to wear a headband and invest in some warm socks. Oh – one more thing – my ass hurts!
This morning was a resounding success – I know this will be an easy habit to get into and keep!
Comment by 
Comment by Lori
Friday May 07, 2004 @
Mark! CONGRATULATIONS on finally triumphing over your “excuses” not to bike!! I know, I know, obstacles were placed in front of you, BUT you overcame it this morning!! Well done and thank you for your “blogging story”!! Was it a beautiful peaceful ride through the River Valley so early in the a.m.?