Transit Strike. Day One

20 blocks = 1 mile. From my apartment in Hell’s Kitchen to work near TriBeCa area = just over 60 blocks. According to HopStops.com (a great transit link for walking, trains, bus) I’ve walked 5.68 miles round trip today. 2.84 miles one way. 1 hour and 17 minutes. Pretty much how long it took me to walk down the West End Highway. I’m a bit sore – that was one real exercise. My thighs, calves and feet are sore, but not complaining much. Least I can still move, walk without groaning. My back hurts but not as bad as I thought it would.

Bundled up with my yoga pants under my cotton pants, a long sleeved shirt under an (old navy fakey) angora sweater, warm socks, LLBean sneakers, a H&M (now I’m starting to advert here..) goose down coat, a woolen cap (played hell with my hair – static, oy!), my coat hood up, and a thick pink yarn scarf knitted by a consumer of mine, wrapped around the lower half of my face; I had a mission to go from Point A to Point B without means of transport aside from my feet. I was all warm and no place for the cold air to penetrate through the swaddled bod of mine. Only two things I had to contend with; a runny nose and leaky eyes. Not bad. After an hour and half, both my pagers slowed down from the 21 degree weather this morning. My sturdy and resilient wyndtell shut down several times once I arrived into the warm environs, and now it’s almost next to good as new.

I was the one of the few people who were hoofing it down the west end. Most of the people, which were not many, rode bikes or skated. After a mile in, I began to almost distinguish those who were regular bikers and skaters and those who used the mode of transport as an alternative. One guy who obviously have the build of a hockey player glided smoothly down the bike path and another man skated awkwardly especially over a curb. Saw few people like that in varying degrees. Same goes for the bikers. The stop time was 9:03 am. Not too shabby eh? Left home around 7:45.

We were let out of work early to allow time to travel home.. I trudged up the island and by the time I reached the lower 30s I was exhausted. My legs were buzzing from friction and my head, a bit woozy. Stopped for some munchies with OJ, get some calories back in. I eventually made it home, 20 minutes longer. I made a couple pit stops and walked up 9^th and 10^th avenues. It was nice in the morning at the West End looking at the Hudson and the lovely Jersey shores but it became quite monotonous especially with the highway and boring modern buildings. Give me a rustic riverfront or an European style riverfront (those were the days before the automobile.*sigh*).

This was a good day. I hope the strike ends tonight. Thursday is really pushing it.