Citybiking Experiment #1 (cooldown)
So, trip home took about the same as trip there, plus about fifteen minutes of Lost as I somehow managed to miss Trout Lake Park entirely when Gladstone Trail suddenly ended. Took a different route home than there, which was better in that it had fewer gentle inclines and worse in that instead it had one or two really big ones. Ah, well. Got off and walked. Also, during the period of Lost, I stopped to have a drink in front of a little Bodega somewhere in the region of Vanness & 27th and must have looked forlorn at the news my water bottle was empty, because a tiny, ancient Hispanic woman gave me a handful of grapes from the display she was stocking. Spirit restored, I located East 18th and found myself home in about ten minutes. Hurrah!
Aftermath: Legs extremely wobbly, but no actual pain as yet - will know in the morning for certain. Possible sunburn due to stupidity of not applying any (slightly underestimated outside temperature upon leaving the house), but mostly on my face (after exertion it's hard to tell the difference) the back of my neck, not on the part of my chest where if it burns it stays pink for eight months. Score.
Conclusions: Need to do more shorter bike-trips on a regular basis. Need to remember to apply sunscreen (idiot). Need to be more religious about re-filling water bottle at Ontario Street stopover (I think it's Greys Park - there's a weird little setup with funny benches whose sunshades are giant bike seats.). Need to wear something other than jeans next time. Need to remember sunglasses going both ways.
Also, it seems I've gotten a lot better at orienting myself in East Van. The reason I got lost at the end of Gladstone was because there were three possible directions I could go and I chose the one that went towards home - this was the wrong choice, as it turned out, but technically the right direction.
Aftermath: Legs extremely wobbly, but no actual pain as yet - will know in the morning for certain. Possible sunburn due to stupidity of not applying any (slightly underestimated outside temperature upon leaving the house), but mostly on my face (after exertion it's hard to tell the difference) the back of my neck, not on the part of my chest where if it burns it stays pink for eight months. Score.
Conclusions: Need to do more shorter bike-trips on a regular basis. Need to remember to apply sunscreen (idiot). Need to be more religious about re-filling water bottle at Ontario Street stopover (I think it's Greys Park - there's a weird little setup with funny benches whose sunshades are giant bike seats.). Need to wear something other than jeans next time. Need to remember sunglasses going both ways.
Also, it seems I've gotten a lot better at orienting myself in East Van. The reason I got lost at the end of Gladstone was because there were three possible directions I could go and I chose the one that went towards home - this was the wrong choice, as it turned out, but technically the right direction.