Yesterday, I was on my bike for almost five-and-a-half hours, volunteering for Open Streets in St. Louis. Five-and-a-half scorching, 100-plus-degree heat index hours. It sounded like a good idea when I signed up in April. Get up at 6am after a late night at Opera Theatre and spend lots of hours out in the sun? Fabulous idea.
All complaining aside, I enjoyed the opportunity to experience, and help with, Open Streets 2.0 — a great day for bicycling (and walking, jogging, rollerblading, etc.) in St. Louis.
Headed home, a stopped train delayed our trip and increased our time in the elements. By that point, I had thrown caution (and sun safety) to the wind and removed my t-shirt to prevent death by extreme heat. Fortunately, we found a shady spot to wait it out. Eventually, the train passed, and I mustered enough energy to climb the hill and roll on home. I spent the rest of the day recovering. Lots of fluids, a shower to scrub off all of the icky sunscreen, some high-quality food (the fact that we made lunch serves as either a testament to our commitment to good food or to our insanity (perhaps heat-induced?)), and a nap — just what the doctor ordered 🙂
The next two Open Streets events will take place in September and October. While I hope that the temperatures will be a bit friendlier then, I’ve learned not to bet against St. Louis weather.
Her Green Life 