July 11th, 2016 - Down 15# and finding the CVG again

View from docks on Argue Street looking west at the Port Mann Bridge

View from docks on Argue Street looking west at the Port Mann Bridge

Bart having a rest.

 Hume Park just before the hill that I refuse to ride down until they remove those damned bollards.

Which side do I ride on?

Winston Street Bridge crossover.

 Bart on a bridge.

 CVG so nice.  Still Creek area.

 Olympic Village to the left, Telus Science World ahead.  Bart having a rest.

So nice.

 English Bay!  The umbrellas and beach chairs are to the left.  I was going to rent one, but thought if I did, I might fall asleep and not wake up in time for the train. LOL

English Bay again.  I can smell the smokie dogs.

I'm on the bench, eating a smokie dog and relaxing in the shade.

Well, it's been almost 4 weeks since stopping sugar intake and reducing bad carbs in my diet.  I'd say I've been "free" from these for 3 full weeks.  I didn't ride my bikes much during this time and in fact, have just started back again, as work has been pretty busy and it's either monsooning and muggy or hot and muggy.  I don't do muggy very well.  Rain and hot, I can handle, but muggy drives me buggy.

Each time I ride, I find that my breathing is vastly improved and it'll only get better, I assume. I also find the power I have cycling has increased and it's becoming easier to keep a steady cadence.  Hills aren't the best and never have been, but they're getting easier, as is walking. LOL

I can now fit comfortably into the liner shorts and biking shorts that go over top and they're getting looser.  My new Showers Pass Rain Jacket that I bought in November, in a mens XXL because the women's was too small, is now loose.  I'm feeling really good and sleeping at night is better and better.  I wake up feeling awake and ready to roll.  I had stopped having sugar in my coffee, but chose to use stevia for awhile, which I have now stopped and I've stopped having cream in my coffee and now take it with only coconut oil and find that is my wake up without the jitters.  I'm only having one cup of coffee per day now, instead of the usual 3-6 because I'm actually staying awake, alert and "with it".  I feel cognitive awareness is also improved and I'm taking about 75% less Advil/Robaxacet combo than I did before and my sinusitis/rhinitis is down to almost nothing, unless I forget and leave the air conditioner on all night.  The psoriasis on the bottoms of my feet, that I've had for 35 years is pretty much cleared up too and my hair is thicker and lots of little sticky uppies of new hairs coming in.  My bike shorts that I bought 3 sizes too small are about 5# away from fitting nicely and then I have another pair 3 sizes smaller again.  Those will be a little while to fit.

I have ridden a couple of longer than commuting rides and last Wednesday, July 6th, 2016, I decided to go on a longer ride of "discovery" and not only see if I could find a connection to the CVG from Argue & Shaughnessy Streets in PoCo and also see how my breathing and pacing is.  I didn't load my bike up and took an energy vegan bar and some trail mix, all low carb.  I filled up my Camelbak with High5 sugar-free, low carb electrolytes and water.  4 tablets for that.  Large water bottle 2 tablets and smaller waterbottle 2 tablets as well.  I did finish my coffee and coconut oil and find that if I don't, I have zero energy after 20 minutes.

I haven't been over the Pitt River Bridge for awhile, but it was the fastest I've ever done it and I wasn't puffed out at all!  Hot though.  Muggy and carrying a camelbak always used to wear me out, as it heats me up, so I'll stay at a good cadence where I don't crap out too soon.

I found the cyclists dream of a bathroom on Argue Street (don't ask unless you cycle and you've found it, because I'm not explaining myself).  I did a little photo taking on the river at the sight seeing docks they have there and then decided to see how the Mary Hill Bypass was and see if I could find a route to Lougheed Hwy., that is marked on the maps, but I've not used since the Port Mann was mostly finished.

I found that I could ride on the Mary Hill Bypass for a bit past Shaughnessy to United and they have a cycling signal and crosswalk and took that, which took me to the bike path on Lougheed Hwy., which I continued on until King Edward, which I rode over, after stopping to pick up tree limbs in the bike lane and continued west on United Blvd.  What a great way to get to IKEA!!  The Bailey Bridge is replaced now and there is an actual walkway for peds and bikes that isn't hindered by a light like the old one was.  The pathway that's paved, continued for awhile, then onto the roadway in between trucks, cars and such.  I cycle defensively, which is necessary.  I saw other cyclists on this road as well.  I found the pathway that goes behind Braid Station and up the hills to Hume Park in New West and I'm feeling pretty darned good, so I decided to check out the CVG, as it's been awhile to ride it from New West.

The CVG is pothole free! and nice!!  No more construction vehicles and really really nice and wow! I'm so glad I found out a quick way to get here again.  I got to Burnaby and decided to motor on.  On the little longer hill on Winston, I did walk some of it - still need to rebuild my legs after time off from steady long rides that I was doing a lot like last year.  I got to the bridge over Winston and up I go and stopped at the top to take photos of Bart on a bridge.  I decided to keep on going and see if I could make it to English Bay and see what changes had taken place on the CVG and there were lots!  All very positive too.  Really a nice ride.

I made it to Vancouver and the sun is shining and it's nice and warm out and so so awesome to be here again and I'm going to English Bay.  I ended up there and had a non-low-carb smokie dog.  I shouldn't have eaten the bun, but I did.  I need to find more snacks of the low-carb variety to take with me.

I ended up doing just over 68 km and took the West Coast Express back and found I had more money on my Compass card than I realized and it too, can be used for the train now - another plus!!  That smokie dog was so delicious!  I did drain the camelbak pack, plus small water bottle and half of the large one.

A really great day off from work and a lot accomplished - way more than I thought I'd get done.