Day 172: See Less of Bo: The Cape Fear Heart Walk Journey with Adam Freeman and O2 Fitness!

Saturday has been a good day to me! had the most amazing painters come to paint our home. TJ Drechsel Professional Painting...he is a locally owned company and the greatest! It was awesome to have them here and I spent my day, sans an hour when i snuck out while they were at lunch, laying around and for he most part, napping! :)

they finished around 7 and I hopped on my bicycle and headed out for my ride to Wrightsville beach. It had cooled off so nicely and it was one of the best rides i have had in a while. I thought it would be nice to show you all what my ride is like;

 This is the top of the trail at eastwood and cardinal. I come on to in from the neighborhood (sometimes I cut through Autumn Hall, but this is nice cause if I go across the street, I can ride the sidewalks and turn into windemere and go through over to the gym

I keep my waterbottle handy and I am at a pace with about 80rpms at 5 and 3 on the speeds. It is a great work out and feels good on the trail as well as when I get out on the road.

I also like to see those gas guzzling SUV's as I am biking and remember that when I am using my bike, I might be making small difference in the world. Of course, this tour is about my health...but anytime I ride my bike instead of drive, it is about the health of our world!













Wilmington is not exactly known as the most forest ridden city and I miss the trees in Chapel Hill more than i can say. But on this trail, in bits and pieces, there are these moments when you don't even realize where you are! It is so comforting and beautiful! I love this time..it is my new place of serenity as well as a place for me to grow healthier. I am so grateful for this everyday!

This is one of the tricky areas. THe city did a great job with some stop mechanisms to get riders to slow down, but you really have to. This is rogersville road. In front of you, cars are whipping around the corner at lightening speed and behind they are turning on to the road from Eastwood and you are going downhill. There is this feeling of letting og and enjoying the rareity of a hill, but it is NOT cool! :) obeying the stop and being aware is here is paramount.

After the cross from Rogersville, it Parallels back to eastwood.Again, the designers did a great job with this bridge and connection and now you leave the forest and go to the beach from this point. This ride is great because you get a lot of different terrain and can really experience why this county is so special!

and as you leave the bridge, it is a look left, and there is the entrance to Mayfaire! So convenient to get around off this path. The only thing left to fight for are cross walks on Eastwood road. They are badly needed as people do not care if you are trying to get across and you really are taking your life in your hands at certain times of day...particularly with tourists and students going to the beach.

passing Mayfaire on the path.
I did not get a picture of the intersection of Miltary Cut off and eastwood. I am glad that there is stimulus money ot make that safer and it should be happening in the fall. right now, it is  NOT fun at all and literally hundreds of us are taking that trip daily. But, I have to say, if you are paying attention, obeying the lights, it works out fine. Just watch the minivans with the person in the cell phone in a turn lane...cause they are NOT watching you!

After the big intersection, I am sharing the road to the draw bridge. I do not play my ipod on the road as I want to be able, like a driver should, but able to hear anything and everything. I was reared in Chapel Hill and I remember all the bike safety we got as kids. If on the road, we are a vehicle, just like a car, and need to obey traffic accordingly! So, all is well in that regard!

It may not look like hill, but it feels like one! and going over the draw bridge is a work out in and of itself!

But the payoff is the view! :)

After the bridge, you have to carefully go to the left, because to do the loop, you have to be in the bike lane. The wonderful Alderman at the beach have passed another ordinance that you cannot be on the sidewalk with a bike at WB (you realize WB is one of the most regulated places ON EARTH!) so, in order to go clockwise, you have to begin on the let to be with traffic on the bike path. You just have to be very careful.

The bike path itself is lovely and I cannot be any more complimentary. and the "loop" that you travel is around some of the nicest wetlands anywhere.

I mean, common..what a view..any complaining can be checked at the bridge! :)

The last point before turning back to go up the other side of the loop is to go through the little area of business in WB.

All in all I am so grateful to at this level of health so that i can enjoy this! It is a blessing more than I can say...and it is only getting better one day at a time!