Chandri MacLeod (chandri) wrote,
Chandri MacLeod

  • Mood:

Ow. Legs.

I rode my bike 10 kilometers today. Well; 10 each way, so actually 20 kilometers. Not because I particularly wanted to - more because I wanted to see if I could. Answer: yes. Second answer: ow, my legs.

I've been running more or less regularly, by which I mean "three times a week." Ever since the revelation that many of my pants no longer fit, I've been doing Couch to 5K, which is both easier and harder than it looks. I am currently on Week 4. I'd be on Week 5 but I sometimes take more days off than I'm meant to.

Because of all this healthy exercise, I thought that perhaps I could do the ride. I could do... most of the ride. Unfortunately riding a bike uses rather different muscles than running, so while my stamina has definitely improved, my knees still kind of feel like they're going to fall off.

The reason I was trying out the ride at all is because I have a job interview tomorrow. 1. Yay! 2. If I get it, I'd have to be at Broadway and Granville (about 10 kilometers from my apartment) at 5am. Of course transit doesn't run that early, at least not usefully. The bus could deposit me there no earlier than 5:15am, but the nice lady I spoke to on the phone suggested that many of the employees ride their bikes, so I figured, what the hell?

Things I have learned:

1. I am no longer any good with hills. Next time I will set the route planner to No Hills. Apparently this is actually possible.

2. Vancouver has awesome bike paths (I knew this already), but I actually would have gotten there quicker if I'd taken main roads (no surprise either).

3. Oh dear, but my bike needs to go to the doctor. Badly. I know the brake pads need replacing, and I think it likely that all the cables do too, but I think I need to take it to the shop just so they can look it over and tell me whether it's worth fixing, or if I should just trade it in for one with a few less rust spots. However, this will wait until I have had the interview and I know whether I need the bike at all in the near future.

4. When you call maelie and tell her you're riding past her house and could you please stop by just to collapse on her couch for fifteen minutes, she gives you lemonade, because she is fabulous.

Re: the interview: don't get excited. It's a bookstore, which is Not Exciting. Except for there being Books, which is not too bad for the time being.

I didn't actually make it all the way to Granville today, either. I reached Cambie before I punked out and turned back, partly because I was tired and partly because of the godawful screeeeeeeee noises my brakes were making and the judgey looks all the Proper Cyclists on West 10th were giving me.

I think if I end up riding to work I'll have to test out the much flatter route a few times before actually trying to do it on a schedule, as I think most jobs need you to have working legs. Also, P.S. I hate arriving at work all sweaty. I really don't know how proper cyclists do this.

IN OTHER NEWS: I have committed fic! But I can't link you to it, because it's a secret. Instead you're going to just have to go read all the mcshep_match stories and try and guess which one is mine.

Guys, I am so sick of being unemployed I could just cry. I would really like one of the Real Job places to call me. Soon. Now, even.
Tags: cycling, exercise!, fic, irl folk, job, life, sga, vancouver

  • Post a new comment


    Anonymous comments are disabled in this journal

    default userpic

    Your IP address will be recorded