Resurrection——Cycling to Work
So, the last time I hopped on my bike and decided to have a lovely bike to work experience, the adventure was over soon - before it had a chance to actually develop into something long term. It lasted a day. And a sweaty day, full of cycling disappointment it was. Almost three years later I was ready to give it another shot.
I was quite happy with my car and congestion adventure until this May and yet another inhuman increase in gas prices. The fact that my colleague from work kept babbling on about all the wonderful benefits of cycling in combination with flashing her lovely cycling legs, just made me more determined to try again. I can do it, damn it! I too, with as little effort as cycling for 20 kilometers to and from work every single day, can have legs like that!
Well, needless to say, my adventure began not like any adventure in any of the movies that Hollywood is able to produce. My once lovely little city bike became almost unusable after withering away for almost three years in a dark building basement. Tires were ruined, brakes lost their function and the chain fell off completely. This was mildly annoying, but I kept reminding myself of the fact that once I get everything in order, a blast of an adventure is about to begin. Away Silver!
After paying a ridiculous amount of money to turn an old, shaky city bike into a little less old and still fairly shaky bike, I decided that this was it and I am finally on my way to concur my own laziness, fear of cars swooshing bay and a dozen other similar fears for which I`m sure of - were major scares of all bike to work enthusiasts and adventurers par excellence! Off we go!
It was quite exciting actually, choosing two sets of wardrobe, compiling all the beauty and cosmetic products I was going to need to transform myself from a totally sporty girl biker into a decent business woman in just ten minutes and under! The excitement went down a bit, I`ll admit, once I realized that all the things compiled for my transformation cannot for the life of me fit into a quite large sport bag that is sure to tip me over of my bike when I hit the first curve on the road. Hmm, how do those other adventurers do it? Moving on!
Now, I consider myself nearly sport-ish, so I was more than surprised when, after a little just over two kilometers, my calves started to burn severely. Mildly annoyed once again, fairly concerned, but still quite keen on finishing my first day of adventure with flying colours and with a happy and healthy smile on my face, I continued to pedal as if someone or something was chasing me. In your face, co-worker with nice legs!...
Pedaling on, muscle soreness got worse, but I managed to convince myself that this will pass. I should probably, well, increase speed? After indulging in what was clearly a wrong decision, I became aware of the fact that my legs will probably become unusable for the next few days bursting with muscle feverish pains.
Due to the fact that I was now neither in a position to turn back home, cursing and grunting all the way, or to give up, I continued my inner struggle as I was approaching a big intersection on my 7th kilometer. Nearly there!
Intersection in itself would not have been a slightest problem, if it were not for the stupidest life form on the face of the Earth (or so it seem at the moment!) - pedestrians. I found that, during those brief yet engaging encounters on the four stop lights on my way, a group of them will always and without an exception block your way, thus disabling you from crossing as the green light fades away. Also - and this is what I found compellingly interesting - should you come to a great state of cycling speed and easiness of mind (Yay! Thou shall not be late for work after all!), there is almost a 100 percent chance that a pedestrian will sharply change his or her direction and you will be forced to stop abruptly or run them over. Now, at the state I was, my option was without the slightest hint of doubt the latter, but I simply could not afford to lose any more time. Not to mention the fact that there was always a real danger that my oldish, shaky yet stylish little bike would give in and fall apart while his owner would scream and roar and try to imprint bike tires on an innocent pedestrian whose only guilt is -walking!
The rest of the trip was nice actually, or could have been - except I was not sure whether my calves were still attached to the rest of my legs.
After leaving my bike on a bike rack in the street, feeling immensely proud of my accomplishment, with just a little limp, with a sport bag that pulled my shoulders down and pressured my spine in a weird way, wearing a T-shirt that was dripping with sweat made of fear and unbelievable cycling speed, I stopped outside the office, turned towards my little ol` bike and had a thought: "Oh, I`m so doing this again!".
I was quite happy with my car and congestion adventure until this May and yet another inhuman increase in gas prices. The fact that my colleague from work kept babbling on about all the wonderful benefits of cycling in combination with flashing her lovely cycling legs, just made me more determined to try again. I can do it, damn it! I too, with as little effort as cycling for 20 kilometers to and from work every single day, can have legs like that!
Well, needless to say, my adventure began not like any adventure in any of the movies that Hollywood is able to produce. My once lovely little city bike became almost unusable after withering away for almost three years in a dark building basement. Tires were ruined, brakes lost their function and the chain fell off completely. This was mildly annoying, but I kept reminding myself of the fact that once I get everything in order, a blast of an adventure is about to begin. Away Silver!
After paying a ridiculous amount of money to turn an old, shaky city bike into a little less old and still fairly shaky bike, I decided that this was it and I am finally on my way to concur my own laziness, fear of cars swooshing bay and a dozen other similar fears for which I`m sure of - were major scares of all bike to work enthusiasts and adventurers par excellence! Off we go!
It was quite exciting actually, choosing two sets of wardrobe, compiling all the beauty and cosmetic products I was going to need to transform myself from a totally sporty girl biker into a decent business woman in just ten minutes and under! The excitement went down a bit, I`ll admit, once I realized that all the things compiled for my transformation cannot for the life of me fit into a quite large sport bag that is sure to tip me over of my bike when I hit the first curve on the road. Hmm, how do those other adventurers do it? Moving on!
Now, I consider myself nearly sport-ish, so I was more than surprised when, after a little just over two kilometers, my calves started to burn severely. Mildly annoyed once again, fairly concerned, but still quite keen on finishing my first day of adventure with flying colours and with a happy and healthy smile on my face, I continued to pedal as if someone or something was chasing me. In your face, co-worker with nice legs!...
Pedaling on, muscle soreness got worse, but I managed to convince myself that this will pass. I should probably, well, increase speed? After indulging in what was clearly a wrong decision, I became aware of the fact that my legs will probably become unusable for the next few days bursting with muscle feverish pains.
Due to the fact that I was now neither in a position to turn back home, cursing and grunting all the way, or to give up, I continued my inner struggle as I was approaching a big intersection on my 7th kilometer. Nearly there!
Intersection in itself would not have been a slightest problem, if it were not for the stupidest life form on the face of the Earth (or so it seem at the moment!) - pedestrians. I found that, during those brief yet engaging encounters on the four stop lights on my way, a group of them will always and without an exception block your way, thus disabling you from crossing as the green light fades away. Also - and this is what I found compellingly interesting - should you come to a great state of cycling speed and easiness of mind (Yay! Thou shall not be late for work after all!), there is almost a 100 percent chance that a pedestrian will sharply change his or her direction and you will be forced to stop abruptly or run them over. Now, at the state I was, my option was without the slightest hint of doubt the latter, but I simply could not afford to lose any more time. Not to mention the fact that there was always a real danger that my oldish, shaky yet stylish little bike would give in and fall apart while his owner would scream and roar and try to imprint bike tires on an innocent pedestrian whose only guilt is -walking!
The rest of the trip was nice actually, or could have been - except I was not sure whether my calves were still attached to the rest of my legs.
After leaving my bike on a bike rack in the street, feeling immensely proud of my accomplishment, with just a little limp, with a sport bag that pulled my shoulders down and pressured my spine in a weird way, wearing a T-shirt that was dripping with sweat made of fear and unbelievable cycling speed, I stopped outside the office, turned towards my little ol` bike and had a thought: "Oh, I`m so doing this again!".
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