Public Square

Cyclists.

Shortly after my trial run, my foot began to ache again. Not much, just a bit. So once again I found myself wonder what the best course of action should be. Do I have a stress fracture? I committed myself to contact the doctor, but also told the wife that I would refrain from running, at all, until I knew for sure what my condition was in.

That's good, she said. What will you do instead of running to keep yourself from getting depressed.

I said, I will ride my bike.

Bought this thing in the mid-90s. Had it tuned up two months ago. Haven't used it yet. ast week Mark had this crazy idea about cycling downtown during the Republican National Convention. I loved that idea. So today we actually did it.

Distance: 20.6 miles
Miles Per Hour: 9.7
Route: Public Square Loop

"Life Is Sharing The Same Park Bench" (1969)

My general practitioner, who is going on vacation today, agreed to see me at 7:30 am, bless her heart. They X-ray-ed my foot and sent it to a sports medicine doctor. At 9:30 Mark stopped by and we headed out.

The first half was familiar, practically the same route I take when I run to Lakewood for marathon training, down Mayfield to Little Italy, through the cultural gardens and onto the Shoreway. Once we got to Ninth Street we had to figure out the best way to get to Public Square.

Lakeshore was a Security Zone, and St. Clair. Passes only. Superior was clear, and we rode past the library to the square, which was bustling with protesters, onlookers, officers, and a ridiculous amount of media. The media were the sketchiest looking people, because everyone else was clearly identified as to who they were and what they were doing. Some reporters had stations ID'ed on their mics or cameras, but many did not, and any guy with a camera on a selfie stick and professional-grade mic attached could be broadcasting images to absolutely anywhere in real time.

We watched a few staged events. Many of the protesters were handing out water, sports drinks, fresh fruit and handmade breakfast burritos. Mark and I each had one of those, and though I would have asked for hot sauce had it been offered, they were really good, with a lot of egg, peppers and potato. They were also not poisoned or drugged. I know this because I am writing this blog post.

Playhouse Square

I needed to get back to take the boy to an event, and so Mark and I parted. He wanted to hang out a bit longer. He recommended I try Euclid to save time, and I did and it was great fun. The bike lanes that start around East 30th Street are very helpful and though I made a few errors in timing I felt entirely safe. We took about an hour to get downtown, and it took forty-five minutes to get back -- and much of the last part was uphill.

Climate: clear skies and hot
Weight: 165 lbs.
Goal: 160 lbs.
Mood: very good.

I had received a voice mail from the sports doctor on the trip and listened to it when I got home. There are no stress fractures or any other fractures or dislocations in my foot! My foot is not broken!

Love using that, bike though.