It is truly amazing how unfocused or just plain ignorant drivers, cyclists and walkers can be.
Mario and I went out for a bike ride around UBC, Stanley Park and Spanish Banks yesterday, which proved to be a rather busy, traffic-congested day. Wasn’t really much of a surprise given that it was the unofficial second last day of summer. Not only were there eager students moving into residence, there were tons of families, couples and singles crowding the areas, wanting to get as much beach and sight-seeing time in as they possibly could before school starts up again.
We were keen to catch the last rays of summer too.
Mario and I were on high alert. Had we not been, had we been riding in la-la-land like so many of the other leisurely cyclists and others on the road, we more than likely would have been ending the ride on a stretcher.
In the little more than two-hour jaunt, I was cut off by repeated jaywalkers, as well as a Mercedes Benz as I sped down the hill at Prospect Point, and a guy on a fixie coming off the crowded sidewalks up from English Bay. I was also sandwiched by a roadie on one side and an asshat recreational cyclist on the other passing me at Spanish Banks, and was harassed by a topless guy in a bright orange souped up Dukes of Hazard car, as he impatiently revved his engine behind (so obviously in a hurry to get to Wreck Beach) wanting me to move over, despite there not being any room for me to move over – he even honked his bloody horn at me and then shouted out his window for me to move the hell over when he finally did pass by. Mario (being the knight in shining armour that he is) gave topless guy the one-fingered salute!
And then there was the super cute cruiser bike chick, with her sundress, big sunglasses and scarf, who jetted out into the crosswalk without looking both ways. I’m betting she wouldn’t have looked quite so cute with Lapierre’s tire tracks stamped all over her face. Just saying…
Seriously people, is it really so hard to register a bike is coming your way? Really?
YESTERDAY’S RIDE:
- 11:45 p.m. BG before: 7.0 (3.5 hours)
- Temp. basal: -80 per cent
- Distance: 55 km
- Average pace: 21.8 km/h
- Time: 2:23:55
- BG @1:30 p.m.: 4.6 BG @2:30 p.m. 3.2
- 4 p.m. BG after: 9.1
- Temp. basal: +50 per cent (2 hours)
Despite the traffic, it was a beautiful day for a ride in a beautiful location with a beautiful person that helped take my mind off the fact I wasn’t running. I just wish my blood sugars would have gotten the beautiful memo. Mind you, the BG drama wasn’t overly surprising.
My body’s sensitivity to insulin almost always goes extreme when on the bike, and as such I have to lower my basal rate drastically, sometimes shutting it off altogether. But I didn’t want to turn it right off, knowing I’d be on the road for a few hours, and would inevitably face a post-ride high as a result of such a prolonged reduced rate.
However, because I was contending with a low BG reading an hour prior to the ride, it was a little more tricky figuring out the perfect insulin-exercise equation, as my BG could shoot up with the additional sugar intake, or drop down once I started pedaling. As well, I also had to guesstimate a lunch bolus half way through the ride for the best tuna waldorf sandwich EVER and a chocolate chip cookie the size of my hand. Unfortunately, my guess wasn’t the best guess … especially when my belly, as much as she wanted it, could NOT finish the whole cookie!
It’s a sad day when the belly denies the chocolate chip cookie.
About a half hour back on the bike after lunch, I was feeling the shakes, and had to pull over. Good thing I wrapped the remainder of that cookie up in napkins. Hello sugar 😀
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