I would bike 500 miles and I would bike 500 more....

So this weekend I biked 41 miles. 

41 miles. that's 65 kilometres. 

Now I didn't do it all in one shot. half was in Niagara during a little getaway with hubby and the other half was today along the waterfront trail on Lakeshore in Toronto. 

When we plan little trips like the one we took this weekend to Niagara Falls, we try to incorporate hiking and/or biking when we can. During our stay we walked everywhere, hiked the Niagara Glen, and biked the Niagara Recreation Trail. Well, we biked most of the Trail, we were about 10 miles short of completing the trail when we turned around. It's a 32 mile paved path that runs from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Niagara Falls and runs along the Niagara River. 

I have never biked along side so many other people riding their bikes all at once in my life. It was very cool! And annoying. But it was a good experience considering the Tough Mudder course is going to be full of other people clustered and moving in the same direction. It was interesting to see the different varieties of people biking the trail too. Seeing pros outfitted in the best gear riding alongside moms on their 20 year old walmart bike pulling her toddler in a little tent trailers was really something. I used it as motivation when I wanted to swear really loud and call a cab lol.

There was a part of the trail we hit shortly after taking a snack break. That lag of the trail started with a really fun downhill stretch that involved little to no peddling and the wave of bikers cycling down the road in a huge cluster was really cool. 

Not so cool on the way back. 

The incline actually started well into the residential area at the "bottom" of the hill. I started clicking through gears, scrambling to make this as mechanically easy as possible and warned Michael this could take awhile. He was patient, talked me through the gears, and bribed me with a promise of dinner on Clifton Hill before we head back to Brampton. I knew I had to do this but the bribe helped, and I made it up that hill without dismounting my bike once.

I can't explain the elevation of this hillside. But it was long, and steep, and near the end of our ride. I was exhausted but I knew I had no choice but to just get back to the car. We had checked out for the weekend and worked in a ride before heading home, so finishing this ride meant a long drive home too. It was a difficult journey back but I was pretty impressed with myself when I rolled up next to the car, got off my bike and realized I hadn't keeled over and died but had actually made it .

And for some reason I decided to do it to myself again today.

It's the long weekend. Some people go away, some people go to the cottage and relax, some garden. We biked 22miles .

It was 27 degrees in Brampton today, 22 by the lake in Toronto. We spent the day in the sun riding along Lakeshore between Etobicoke Creek and Exhibition Place. We stopped just short of the Ex grounds, and set up camp for an hour or two snacking and playing catch and frisbee. The ride itself was crowded, a little confusing, and I fell behind a lot - I was just so exhausted, but I kept a decent pace for myself and didn't give up. Although I have to point out it's really difficult to give up when you're a long walk from the car....

Biking back felt easier. But I was burnt. I'm gonna have a sweet tan on my forearms tomorrow. I'm exhausted, but proud of myself for what I did this weekend. I never did make that work out schedule for myself, but I am going to try to wake up and do a mile run/walk followed by some yoga each morning this week and see how that goes. I need a routine! 

Maybe then these little day trips won't be so exhausting!