Cycle Girl

On Thursday last week I had to go into the city. I popped into Hype shoe store and looked at the purple Vans longingly, then thought, what the heck, they are the shoes I originally wanted. They had none in stock (they had them the week before) so they had to send away for them and I had to pay for them then and there.... Thing is, I knew money would be tight this week and I didn't know if I would be able to get into the city before the Hard Ons played to pick them up... I really want to wear them to the gig. So Hype rang me on Monday to say the shoes had come in... I didn't have a cent to get to the city by bus so I thought, "To hell with it, I'm riding my bike!"  Along the Brisbane river is a bike track. Years ago I had a friends who lived not too far from the bike track/walkway and we used to walk into the city all the time. I watch people ride along there now and I have always wanted to ride along there too but had no idea how to get down to the bikeway from here.  I now know a bike path near here that will take me to Indooroopilly, so on Tuesday, I Googled how to get to the city from Indooroopilly. Big mistake. It was all through the back streets of the suburbs, very hilly and winding roads. I won't ride on the road, so I rode on the footpath. Over sloping footpaths and slippery drive ways and it rained. It was horrible. I had to constantly look at my directions and inevitably, I got lost. I can't read a map to save my life and I can't even listen to directions and stick to them. Totally useless.  In hindsight, I think I wasn't actually lost but up ahead there was a big chain across the road with a big sign "Road Closed". Maybe due to the recent floods...There was another road but I thought it was a road into this golf club and instead of investigating and going closer, I panicked and asked a bus driver who had pulled up if he knew where Indooroopilly Road was. I had assumed I had veered off it. I don't know where the hell I was, I think I was in Long Pocket. I think I may have been close to the Brisbane river but I think I may have been heading away from the city. Anyway, the driver offered to take me to Indooroopilly Road  but I just ended back where I had came from. So I was all sulky and decided to just turn back and go home. I made another wrong turn but eventually got home. I felt like such a failure. I felt that I am too fat and out of condition to attempt something so ambitious, so I lay on my bed and blubbed like a big girlie sook. Then I thought, "F**k it, I NEED those Vans and I am going to ride into the city if it kills me!"  So I Googled up bike tracks from my suburb into the city and thank heavens, there is a bike track all the way around the motorway into the city from here! I was still nervous, as I had ridden for three hours the day before and had gotten no where need the bike track along the river. But it was great! The bike track is barricaded off from the motorway and it is just bushlands along the other side most of the way to Toowong, so it is a really nice ride. Big wide flat bike path. Some inclines but I didn't have to get off and on my bike like I did going through the hilly suburbs. And as I didn't have to worry about people backing out of their drive ways, I could listen to my music, which always makes exercise that more bearable and enjoyable. Once the bike path along the motorway ended, I just had to follow one road down to the river, so it was impossible to get lost, thankfully. I tell you, the sight of the Brisbane river was the most glorious sight I had seen, I was so relieved to finally get there, I thought "Whoo Hoo, I'm living the dream!" lol, can you tell I was excited!! :)  It is a 12.3 km ride into the city along that bike track apparently and it only took me just over an hour to do it. I walked my bike into the mall and picked up my Vans and I was so exhilarated with my achievement. The ride home was a bit harder but I think in time, I will get used to it. I loved it so much, I have decided to do it once a week. Tho' I think I will wear three sanitary pads next time!!... Ouch! My fanny is so sore .... and not in a good way, lol! I don't know how men ride bicycles, they must be giving themselves testicular cancer if they do it all the time, ouchies! My butt is sore too, I've got enough padding there, can't understand why it hurts so much, lol. But I am happy, I have my Vans, I might have to get some purple laces coz I look a bit like I was washed ashore Gilligans' Island. I wore them to pick the girls up from school today, to wear them in a bit before Friday night and the buggers have given me blisters, *sigh* but I will hopefully fix them with a shoe stretcher before then. Anyway, have to go make tea for the family. Can't wait till Friday, first my cousin's wedding and then the Hard Ons, yippee!! Oh, and if you were wondering, yes, my bicycle is purple!  :)