A much-needed Wet Steep SlowRoll

After spending the weekend moving boxes and unpacking and getting very little sleep on what was one of the most stressful times of my life, I was exhausted, suffering from back spasms and leg cramps and generally depressed.
I sorely needed to get away from the cardboard boxes and the chaos. A bike ride was a prescription. SlowRoll was this evening!

I rode from Polish Hill down to the building where I work because I'd left my headlamps there as well as my padded gloves. This was also a test-run for a work commute, it took roughly 25 minutes.

Before I left, the radar looked good, storms had left the area but as soon as I arrived at Market Square, it began pouring intermittently while the sun shined brightly. I didn't care that my hair was getting wet, I felt bedraggled and grungy from moving boxes.

It felt so good to be on the bike after an entire week neglecting Fizz.

I'd not thought to map out the best way to return to Polish Hill from Squirrel Hill, but Marko and Ray helped get me back home via Ellsworth and Melwood and kept me off the main arteries where I might have found myself using otherwise.

I made the mistake of thinking I could ride up Hancock Street. It's the only hill I've attempted that I simply couldn't tackle. I managed to stay upright when I began to roll backwards and then I just watched in awe as Marko pedaled effortlessly past me and to the top of Hancock.

I'm still unaccustomed to not having a curfew. I could stay out as late as I wanted.