Thursday, July 16, 2009

Ordinary Canal Biker

DAY 12
Time: 37.45min going
40.59min coming back
Weather: Spectacular, not normal

Extraordinary Gig
To the American audience, this bike riding gig is extraordinary, ha, perhaps. Riding a bike or walking is just not done in Texas. Too hot. And just not enough bike riding going on. No place to ride safely.

Sea of bikes at Utrecht Central Station, if your bike is inside this square, it cannot be removed by the city
Daily Transport Choice
In Holland, biking is a normal, ordinary, daily mode of transport. Holland has 16 million people and 16 million bikes. I have 4, and 75% of the tires are flat. Holland has been infrastructured and planned so that we can ride pretty much ANYWHERE on the bike and on a bike path with no cars.

Common Broohaha
I have settled into my ride now. I am not so physically exhausted everyday. The weather makes this easier too. Taking the bike is just what people do here and I am making a big hoopala uhmpapa broohaha unneccessarily.

Friendly Repeat Biker
Have become so common, predictable, that Pim from Day 10 Friendly Canal Biker surprised me on the big bridge today. Pim found the blog and realized that I was keeping time and counting my overtakers on the canal. Pim was my pacemaker, made sure we rode faster than Monday. Lovely, eh?

Forfeit
About 10 months ago, I tried to ride the canal. Then, I chose the canal path because the bus also follows the canal all the way to work. I thought, if I get tired, I will jump off the bike, lock it and catch the bus.

Quitters Never Win, Winners Never Quit
I did that twice. I got way tired. Stopped twice. I have now passed that point 18 times without stopping. What is extraordinary about that? Back then, I was so tired at this point that I got off my bike, leaned it on the brick wall and quit. In the time trials, this spot is just 10 minutes from my house.

Beat the Bus
Almost sure I can beat the bus to the city center, especially during traffic jam hours. Or at least make it a good race. The bike keeps moving, the bus stops. Cars stop. I may win.


Just Being Normal
I am out of mental game, rodeo clown antics today. I don't have to ride fast everyday. I don't have to write volumes everyday. I can be normal. Ordinary. This is what I do. The Dutch have a saying, "Just be normal, that is crazy enough." I am damn pleased that this crazy idea is becoming normal for me.

Trip in: 11 passed me, I passed 1 ding dong who stopped to get her music.
Trip back: 16 passed me, must have been 0 that I passed or I would have celebrated.
Song of the day: Foundations by Kate Nash

9:00a.m. Leidse Rijn Canal

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