On this, my *thirty eighth birthday the plan was to ditch work and ride, not just ride but ride like the dickens. The goal was to hit thirty eight kilometers on my *thirty eighth birthday. Not normally a big deal in the Summer but in the Winter it's a bit more challenging. Especially on a bike in need of a replaced back wheel, and with new snow on the trails I thought that would have been the issue but my tires pulled through like a champion and I did not feel the wrath of the fresh powder.
The ride started at the Queen and was mapped out to do a figure eight to Capilano, back to the Queen, and off to Quesnell bridge and back for what would have been close to a forty kilometer ride. I had illicit dreams the night before of taking a photo of my GPS with *"38km" with my face smugly adorned with a smile proclaiming my sheer awesomeness at riding *thirty eight at thirty eight in the Winter... Well it didn't go that way and I am a tad upset because I knew it could have been done.
The ride truly was incredible. The best of the young year so far? Yes! My brain was the eventual ruiner of the *"38" mugshot picture as feeling fatigued getting close to Groat road bridge, the thought of making it to Quesnell was a tad overwhelming as I rode down river valley road thinking of the upcoming trek to my famed shiny balls bridge. That little bitch of a fourth voice (everyone has multiple inner voices right?) told me I would never make it and I exited up Victoria Park road and back to the Jeep.
A wise idea I thought to save energy for the many incredible *birthday celebrations to be had later that I would make my family endure to no end.
Oddly enough, staying on the rough South side of the river climbing hill after hill I never really bonked. Climb after climb and every straight away I felt alive, alive like a circus performer meeting his conjoined twin partner act for the first time. By the time I got back to the beloved Jeep I was exhausted, but deep down I knew I could go further. Further on to *thirty eight.
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| a festivity was had on capilano pedestrian bridge, guessing not for my *birthday |
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| lunch and warmth |
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| the awesomeness of the edmonton river valley knows no end |
