OK, so not in the traditional sense of the phrase... but it got your attention. :)So on Thursday, I had this bright idea to walk to my "neighborhood Target." *sigh*
In my whip, I get there in 5-10 minutes, tops. On foot, it was a 3-hour adventure. I went thinking it was about a 4 mile round trip journey... so without Googling, I strapped the sun into his stroller with a couple snacks, some ice water and my iPod. The object of the mission: get an armband for said iPod, a nightlight for the sun's room, and a battery for my sports watch.
I left my home at 6:20. I returned home at 9:30 (to my credit, I spent more time in Target than expected cause I wanted them to change the battery and when I got into my watch it was a complicated mess to get the battery out and THEN I stopped at the local currency exchange to get quarters for laundry). I arrived dripping buckets of sweat with tense quads. Yikes. I Google map the route... and found out my presumed 4 mile walk was actually a SIX-MILE walk round trip... owww!
As probably expected, I didn't do laundry that night... but I did take a hot shower and sit my ass down somewhere. Friday, I walked to the stores and back a brisk two-mile adventure to stay loose. And did my laundry, finally. Saturday, I just chilled and stretched waiting for Sunday.
Sunday morning, my alarm clock went off at 4:30 a.m. and I told her to shut her trap. I laid back down and then my BODY'S alarm clock woke me at 5:20... I remember hoping that I heard rain on my rooftop so I would have a good reason not to go. I looked out my window... no rain. *sigh* Then I said, "well, the people I was originally riding with aren't doing it anymore... I'll be lonely; I should stay home." 10 minutes later, I got out of bed tired from excuses.
In my car on the way to the expressway to go downtown, I had the bright idea on how to avoid traffic, parking woes and tickets, paying for meters etc. by just driving my bike and I to 47th and Lake Park in Hyde Park and riding in from there. It seemed like such a good idea at 6 in the morning. My bike and I hit Lake Shore Drive in all it's windiness at 6:20 a.m. I trecked from Chicago's luxurious Hyde Park neighborhood (southeast)...
all the way to Chicago's uppity northside (where the ride turned around) 20 some odd miles away. Before doing so, I met up at the official beginning (approximately 10 miles away from my start) with a friend who by the glory of Facebook met me down there so I wouldn't do the ride alone. Thanks God, for Facebook status updates.We biked to Bryn Mawr (the official turn around spot) and stopped in the rest stop for bananas and muffins and H20... somebody who will remain nameless didn't bring any water bottle and I told him if he thought I was getting back on LSD with him to head back another 20 miles he was sadly mistaken lol. But in essence, it was a good idea for BOTH of us cause that sustenance really helped us get back. Without it, we would have been in a world of ish. 35-40 miles later I was back at my truck, wondering why my butt was in so much pain... it still is, right now. BUT I did it. AND Chicago's Lake Shore Drive in the morning, is beautiful. More hilly than I remember it ever being when I drive my car over it tho. lol A great workout. My legs have put in so much work the past couple days, so many miles (hence the title) if I didn't keep it going, I would have to kick myself.
It did give me the courage to think I could brave bikers on a consistent basis. I admittedly was nervous about it. I'm going to get some padded biking pants to see if that helps any... cause more than anything, the ass area was the worst part of it all. It is why I gave up spinning classes... just real rude to the ass. Next time out with my bike is scheduled for Wednesday morning. Sporadic rides will condition me (and my ass) for my next big ride in July. I found friends to do it with while in Grant Park recovering before the ride back home. See...
The bike path (I had to take the bike path back to the south side/car because they were clearing off bikers to make way to open it up to the cars again) behind Lake Shore Drive is beautiful... riding right there next to the lake, behind the museums, riding past the Chicago Fire Fighter's tribute... very calming even with walkers (walking two abreast) who refuse to move over ANY when you say, "on your left!" knowing you can't pass them because traffic is coming from the other direction. Assholes.
The pleasure is in knowing, I could do exactly what I did before, parking near the drive and getting busy. It was a lovely day ass pain aside. After we loaded the bikes into my car, we went for brunch where I enjoyed a spinach and feta cheese omelet, wheat toast, turkey sausage and hash browns and more glasses of water. And was home by noon. I slept the rest of the day though and finally got up to stop by a holiday BBQ around 7 p.m.
I was back in bed by midnight... pooped!
