Back on the Bike

After my first attempt at biking into work in Edmonds back in March, the bike stayed quietly in the garage for awhile. But either I am simply determined or I have a very short-lived memory when it comes to pain, because this morning I packed my lunch, made sure I had enough bus fare on hand, then hopped on the bike, headed once again for the Aurora Village Transit Center.

And this time, my efforts were rewarded. It really wasn't that bad. Of course, the fact that I wisely chose to take the bus all the way to Lake Forest Park in the evening before finishing my commute on the Burke Gilman Trail made a huge difference. Even on the longer morning trek to Aurora Village, I managed to pick a route that minimized hills. The biggest challenge was the steady uphill climb to get to our house once you leave the Burke when heading home. After a good quarter mile or more of switchbacks, you reach the stairs. And after biking uphill for even that relatively short distance, I can tell you that carrying a bike up 196 steps is just icing on the cake.

Thankfully there is no need to climb the entire flight of 196 steps without pause, as there are frequent landings to provide the breaks I need to keep hyperventilation at bay. I try to comfort myself by telling myself what a great strength building exercise this is, but in the back of my mind I'm remembering the days in our Laurelhurst apartment, when all I had to do to get to the trail was cross the street.

But all in all, it was a successful venture. I think I'll do it again tomorrow.