You heard me right. I love learning about stuff like this and so are many other folks: they had full tours all day long, many demonstrations and exhibits pertaining to the rivers' ecosystems and such.
Did you know the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority has a mascot? Yeah. They do.
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| Marko, using bike power to pump water. |
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| Treated water being discharged into the Ohio |
Sunday started out as a "We'll just ride around" day. The weather was gorgeous and no higher than 70 degrees. I put off errands and decided that spending the day out on the bike would be time much better spent.
Somehow, well into the day, I realized that I'd neglected to eat breakfast. This is not like me, I'm not the sort of girl that skips meals. I didn't bring snacks either. What the hell? I'd totally failed myself. I sensed I might have a bad time and Marko helped me find food. We had stuffed peppers and fried zucchini and I worked voraciously on the basket of bread they brought out before our food arrived hoping it would be enough carbs to sustain me.
You know where this is going, don't you?
Before I get to the bonking, I'll bore you with some photos:
We met near REI. I noticed they're selling a line of bikes made by Fox called "Ghost"
Um, really? "Ghost"?
Yuck.
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| My opinion: tacky. |
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| Steel Art welding at the Pump House |
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| Ron V.'s memorial bench |
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| One of many bridges crossed |
In Boston, we happened upon Tricia and Jonathan returning from DC as they were seeking out ice cream.
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| Look closely: Tricia and Jonathan can be seen in this gazing ball with Marko and me. |
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| Glassport! |
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| Could this be any more glorious? |
On our way back through McKeesport and Kennywood, I started getting sleepy and then near the Waterfont, I need to get off the bike, walk around and splash some water on my face to try and wake up.
Then, in Schenley Park, 49 miles into the ride and slogging along at 4MP, Marko said "You're bonking! Eat something!" He offered me an energy bar and his soda (to his credit, he'd been offering me food earlier and I kept refusing it thinking I'd be fine). I took the energy bar collapsed in the grass, chewed my energy-bar-cud and I stared up into the sky... because that was about all I could do. My deprived brain looked for shapes in the clouds and noticed a satellite racing across the sky.
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| I saw a cloud like this: looked like a heart to me. |
You know I'm exhausted when I risk getting bugs in my hair.
I was even having trouble finding words... my brain wasn't functioning at full capacity: diverting resources to essential bodily functions, I suppose.
After about 15 minutes of resting and waiting for the carbs to kick in, I started feeling better and we were moving again.
So, the moral of the story is: eat a proper breakfast and bring snacks when you ride with Marko and let him talk you into extensive riding.
Despite my close call, I thoroughly enjoyed riding to new places.
New places on a bike + good friend = much goodness
That's a rather creepy mutant fish/human hybrid mascot.
ReplyDeleteIn Ottawa, we have a yearly event called "Doors Open Ottawa" where a lot of the municple buildings that are generally closed to the public, are opened up for tours. Last year, saw the inner workings of a some hydro dams. Was impressive.
Very few costumed mascots *aren't* creepy, but yes, this guy's high up on the creepy scale.
DeleteBonk or no, that is a beautiful blue sky to be out riding under. One little correction - Ghost is the name of a German bicycle company (though the frames themselves are manufactured in China) who sell their bikes all around the world. The suspension systems are by Fox who, otherwise, have nothing to do with Ghost.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info!
DeleteListen to Marko, he knows what to do when you are on two wheels.
ReplyDeleteBTW if you want curb start to act faster - - drink a lot of liquid while eating those bars or gels. Gels require full glass of water with them.