Climbing Like a Beast

I am glad my technique has improved so that I can finally climb overhangs like these, even though I don't actually have a lot of upper arm strength. I really impressed the guys I was climbing with that day!

Grouse Grind

Rav is my crazy coworker who is so beast that she does the Grouse Grind multiple times a week. I went with her and told her to go on ahead of me. She said, "Really? You don't mind?" and I nodded. "OK!" she said, and started RUNNING off ahead of me as I watched in disbelief. I texted her multiple times on my way up telling her how I was dying, but I did finally make it to the top. I hate the Grind every time I go, but it feels so good once you're done!

102: PIZZA, GELATO, AND BIKING

What is better than a day full of eating and biking in the sunshine? Not much, except maybe a day where I find out that I've won the lottery, but that hasn't happened yet...

First, I biked with Jenny from my house to Nicli Antica, a pizzeria in Gastown which serves Neapolitan style pizza. I had the Bianca (extra virgin olive oil, parmigiano, roasted garlic, roasted onion, oregano, and gorgonzola) and it was soooooo good. Jenny had the Diavola (pomodoro, parmigiano, fior di latte, sopressatta, basil, chili oil) and that was good too.

Then we went to Bella Gelateria (whose owner attended Gelato University in Italy), where I had Philippine mango sorbetto (tasted exactly like Philippine mangoes), and Jenny had a chocolate cake from Giovane - both places are located by the Fairmont Pacific Rim. We sat underneath a cherry blossom tree to enjoy our treats.

I didn't realize there were so many bike lanes set up downtown. I know a lot of people don't like Mayor Gregor Robertson's expensive bike lanes, but I applaud him because how are you supposed to attract people to bike more, if they feel that it's too dangerous bike on shared roads? I feel that the perception of being able to bike safely on the streets is so important in getting people to commute by bike. It was my first time biking on the separated bike lanes on Dunsmuir as well as on Carall street, and I really enjoyed them. If I lived and worked closer to downtown, I would bike all the time!

Then it was time to bike the grueling way home, but not before having some fun with our bikes.

What a beast day - I live FAR AWAY from Gastown. As in very very south Vancouver. And Jenny biked all the way from Richmond!

15: TODAY I DIDN'T DROWN

Sporting my new goggles

What a relief! I was anxious about going swimming today, since I can't really swim. And then I was ravenous after three hours of climbing in the morning so I had a big lunch (ROAST LAMB SANDWICH). Just thinking about going swimming after that made me very nervous. But it turned out okay, and my friends didn't let me drown. Now I just need to practice swimming because I need to be ready for when I learn how to sail a boat (my long term aspiration in life).

279: OVERHANGING FEAR

It looks even more daunting in person

Today, I managed to climb up the giant overhang at Cliffhanger! I was so happy because it was my first time going up that stretch of wall, since the routes are usually way too advanced for me. I had tried to do it last time but didn't have enough arm strength left that day - I ended up letting go near the start of the overhang, which was a bad idea because it led to me swinging around wildly in the air. It was so scary! What made it worse was that I couldn't gain enough momentum to get back to the wall. There I was, swinging in the air, frantically pumping my legs, trying to grab a rock or a clip attached to the wall, but to no avail. I just started spinning around in the wrong direction.

After some time, Anna started yelling at me from the ground, and then Bryan and Aaron, who were at the other side of the climbing gym, also started yelling at me, and when I looked down, I saw a LOT of people watching me with smirks on their faces. A guy climbing up the route beside mine even tried to give me advice on how to get back to the wall, but it didn't help. I did eventually end up getting a hold of a rock on the wall, but it just took a very, very long time. And then by that time all I wanted to do was to clip in the rope and to come back down, because all that swinging around had really freaked me out.

But today, I overcame my fear of falling and swinging from the overhang, and I forced myself to climb all the way up without letting go. I made sure I climbed it with fresh arms. SUCCESS. Now I can't wait to go back and re-climb this route.

253: BLOODBUZZ OHIO

I had an awesome day! It started out with a leisurely bike ride with a friend in the morning, starting at Granville Island and going along False Creek past the Olympic Village, Science World, Yaletown, and finally Stanley Park, and then going all the way back to our starting point. I think it's about a 25 to 30km bike ride, but it was flat and therefore fun! Plus, along the way, we stopped at Sciue (an Italian cafe) for brunch and had panini and a ciambella, and then had gelato at the end of the bike ride to reward ourselves. My friend lives two blocks from Granville Island and I am so jealous of his new condo, especially the location. I want to be his neighbour so I can do that bike ride every week!

Lions Gate Bridge from the Stanley Park seawall

Afterwards, I went home, met up with another friend, and went all the way back to Stanley Park for an outdoor concert. We got there when the gates opened and managed to get front row spots. One thing I hate about general admission in concerts is that tall people alway block my view, but I was so glad I didn't have that problem this time! The National was really good - I LOVE the singer's deep voice.

215: BIKING TO STEVESTON

Today I biked 32km. And this is why my mother, when she saw me in shorts, exclaimed, "Your thighs are big like Beyonce's!"

Anyway I biked to Steveston with the Jens, and we had the BEST frozen yogurt.

We saw a giant dandelion(?) that was the size of my hand.

Along the dyke there were lots of cows with long eyelashes.

Happy BC day!

208: THUNDERING THIGHS

I biked 80 blocks from my house to Cliffhanger, climbed for 3 hours, then biked another 80 blocks home. I need a nap.

195: MY FIRST CARGO

I biked 60 blocks to pick this up and then 60 blocks back home with it on my rear bike rack.  A shop owner saw me struggling to attach it to the rack so she came out of her store to help me and even gave me extra plastic wrapping to make sure it was tight. Surprisingly I was fine biking with it; my only problem was that whenever I stepped off my bike, it would tip over due to the weight.

First it's kitchen appliances, and next thing you know, I will be hauling furniture on the back of my bike!

180: AM I BEAST YET?

Biking across the Fraser River on the Canada Line pedestrian/cyclist bridge.

This morning, I went rock climbing and managed to finally do some 10b routes, after months of being stuck on the 10a's. That destroyed my arms. Then when I got home, my friend and I went for a bike around my neighborhood. When she left my house, I decided to go for another bike ride by myself, this time across the bridge to Richmond. And now I am pooped and in need of a nap.