Now that was a ride!
Today was a day of major cycling. I rode a grand total of 33km today, which I think may be an all-time record for me. That was a combination of five trips - three short ones earlier in the day (to a meeting with a client, then to an ill-fated coven meetup for potential new members, to which no potential new members showed up, then home), and then a longer trek in the evening - down to the Asian Night Market on Cherry Street, about 12.3 km by the route I took, and back again.
I now hurt in muscles I didn't even know I had. Usually long bike rides just leave my quads sore, but this time I think nearly everything from the waist down is sore, and my lower back more than anything. Going from sitting to standing or vice-versa currently involves stabby back pains, major leg soreness, and either whimpering or swearing. I did a whole bunch of stretches when I got home, so I'm hoping that will help some. Contemplating a hot bath, but I'm tired enough that I'm more inclined to just go to bed.
My bike is locked outside because carrying it up the stairs was already clearly NOT an option by the time I got home.
Ironically, I'd intended to not ride all the way back - I was going to just ride over to Shaw and take the Ossington bus back up, since the buses on that route have bike racks on the front. But I kind of started riding north, and kept telling myself "I'll just head over to Ossington once I reach Dundas... College... Harbord... Bloor..." and then not doing it. I did nearly cave and take the bus at a couple of points, but each time thought "I'll just go a little bit further first..." And eventually found myself walking the bike up the Davenport Hill, which is the main thing I would have taken the bus to avoid, so by that time there was really no point.
So I guess this is a small taste of the sort of thing I can expect as I start going on longer rides in order to gear up for doing the Ride to Conquer Cancer next summer... And really, despite the soreness, I really wants to do more rides like this. Especially the parts involving the Martin Goodman Trail. Riding along the waterfront is really wonderful, except for the nasty bit from Spadina to Yonge, where the trail disappears, and for much of that stretch there isn't even a bike lane on Queen's Quay the way there is west of Spadina and east of Yonge. Clearly the lesson in that is to plan longer lakeshore rides, so that the part I don't like will compose a smaller proportion of the overall distance. :-)
I have, in fact, a crazy idea in mind, to at some point ride from my dad's place, just north of High Park, down through the park and onto the waterfront trail, and then as far east as I can manage - possibly all the way to foxesdaughter's place. That would be a distance of 18.9 km, according to Ride the City. Definitely longer than I've ever ridden in a single stretch before, but nearly all of it either downhill or flat. The way back, not so much... I suspect I'd have to ride to Union Station and then take the subway, or something like that. But it would be a seriously cool ride.
I now hurt in muscles I didn't even know I had. Usually long bike rides just leave my quads sore, but this time I think nearly everything from the waist down is sore, and my lower back more than anything. Going from sitting to standing or vice-versa currently involves stabby back pains, major leg soreness, and either whimpering or swearing. I did a whole bunch of stretches when I got home, so I'm hoping that will help some. Contemplating a hot bath, but I'm tired enough that I'm more inclined to just go to bed.
My bike is locked outside because carrying it up the stairs was already clearly NOT an option by the time I got home.
Ironically, I'd intended to not ride all the way back - I was going to just ride over to Shaw and take the Ossington bus back up, since the buses on that route have bike racks on the front. But I kind of started riding north, and kept telling myself "I'll just head over to Ossington once I reach Dundas... College... Harbord... Bloor..." and then not doing it. I did nearly cave and take the bus at a couple of points, but each time thought "I'll just go a little bit further first..." And eventually found myself walking the bike up the Davenport Hill, which is the main thing I would have taken the bus to avoid, so by that time there was really no point.
So I guess this is a small taste of the sort of thing I can expect as I start going on longer rides in order to gear up for doing the Ride to Conquer Cancer next summer... And really, despite the soreness, I really wants to do more rides like this. Especially the parts involving the Martin Goodman Trail. Riding along the waterfront is really wonderful, except for the nasty bit from Spadina to Yonge, where the trail disappears, and for much of that stretch there isn't even a bike lane on Queen's Quay the way there is west of Spadina and east of Yonge. Clearly the lesson in that is to plan longer lakeshore rides, so that the part I don't like will compose a smaller proportion of the overall distance. :-)
I have, in fact, a crazy idea in mind, to at some point ride from my dad's place, just north of High Park, down through the park and onto the waterfront trail, and then as far east as I can manage - possibly all the way to foxesdaughter's place. That would be a distance of 18.9 km, according to Ride the City. Definitely longer than I've ever ridden in a single stretch before, but nearly all of it either downhill or flat. The way back, not so much... I suspect I'd have to ride to Union Station and then take the subway, or something like that. But it would be a seriously cool ride.