Between a concert, class, and stuff to do, I didn’t really have a second chance to ride my bike to work. Until yesterday. I used my Damen/Milwaukee/Halsted/33rd Streets route and it went really well, a bit under an hour each way. I really should time it more precisely and keep track, but it’s definitely much faster than the Lakefront Trail.
I was nowhere near as wiped out when I got to work, and was feeling pretty good too. By the end of the day I could tell I was a bit tired from the morning ride as I “felt the burn” sooner than I do on fresh legs, but when I got home I was still functional, albeit a bit exhausted. The nice thing about the streets is that I get to stop now and then, which perhaps slows me down but also gives me a chance to catch my breath. My legs thank me. There are still lengthy stretches where I don’t stop, and I get a good workout. (In contrast to Amsterdam, where riding a bike feels almost lazy)
Once home, the exhaustion I felt was a happy one. I had pushed through and rode well the whole way. I do look forward to building more leg strength though; I’m a slower rider than I’d like.
After getting home I attended to the yard, which is rather a chore with the crappy equipment available to me. The landlord really should do this, but he won’t be showing up anytime soon and it’s just easier to do it myself. Actually, it’s easier to not take care of it, which is the usual state of affairs, but we’ve got our big party this weekend, and knee-high grass isn’t on the menu.
And after a break for some super delicious tomato salad and bread, I vacuumed… pretty much everything. All the floors in our apartment as well as the entry and stairwell. And I helped with some laundry. At which point I was ready for a shower. And after that… well, I was totally spent. But I haven’t felt that good while so exhausted in a very long time. It makes me want to ride my bike everyday, although realistically it will be less than that.
And for the worriers out there, I’m sufficiently assertive while riding to get where I need to go fairly efficiently, and be noticed and respected by drivers (or at least as much as possible), but not so aggressive as to do things that risk my status of “no broken bones.” Really.
