The Winner of the Buffalo Marathon

 

We held the Buffalo Marathon today here in beautiful Buffalo, N.Y. The results are in.

The winner is me!!

I do not think anyone in the world, let alone in this city, topped what I did today which was bike 30 miles.

Not only that but I biked it on a Reddy Bike. You burn a million calories just hauling the heavy thing up and down curbs.

I did not intentionally win this race and set this record. The fact that the marathon was going on necessitated that I bike downtown to Mass in the morning. All the streets are closed off every year for this race. You just cannot get anywhere. Last year, I remembered, I made the mistake of driving and only a miracle got me there just in time for the opening hymn. If I was going to spend hours in transit, I may at least enjoy myself while I'm at it. And I do enjoy riding a bike!

The 7:30 a.m. bike trip, on one of those city Reddy bikes, went well. The rental bike's gears did not work -- there is always something. The only gear was the one you use on hills, a gear I have never used. However the good news is, I got used to it, and it was kind of pleasant, because when I was riding uphill, I really didn't notice. Also, I have to admit, it was nice having no traffic on the roads. They enforce this race. I kept seeing motorists being pulled aside and interrogated. Not me! I just sailed through on my bike.

I enjoyed that ride so much that later I ended up attempting to bike to the Outer Harbor to meet my friend Brenda. What could possibly go wrong? La la la la la la la.

Long story short, after an idyllic ride down Niagara Street and a glorious segue along the riverfront, a lot went wrong. Hence the 30-mile daily total.

Thirty miles! It was like biking to Niagara Falls and back.

Top that, Buffalo Marathon runners!.

The secret neighborhood

I have a new tradition going with myself. Every evening I go for a bike ride and I sketch.

Those are the only two rules! The bike ride may be long or short. It can be a workout, or not. It can be my own bike, the beautiful Huffy Harvard Limited, or it can be one of those red rent-a-bikes.

About the sketch: I can do one the way I did last night, or I can do three as I did two nights before that. Or more. The important thing is just to do one and -- this is important -- not to sweat it. I want to relax and have fun.

One night I ended up riding 15 miles. Another night it was just a mile or two. That was the night I drew the building up above. The wonders that are in your back yard! That is Medaille College, just around the park.

Medaille College's cornerstone reads 1922. I seem to remember reading that it was originally a convent. Those nuns must have had some money. It is a beautiful place. And I had fun drawing it as darkness was falling.

That night I did a lot of exploring that area on my bike. I noticed that on Agassiz Circle, right there by Medaille College, there is a fascinating little neighborhood. It is hidden. There is a small network of cul de sacs and it is the most enchanting thing. 

It looked so private that I was not sure I could bike into it. Then I thought: I do not see any sign that says I cannot. So I biked on in, on my Huffy.

It was hushed in there with magical houses right on the sidewalk, with shaded front porches. Lights were twinkling on in the yards. Was this really only two minutes from my house?

I cannot believe the secret things I find.

You discover so much when you go out drawing on a bike!

Sketching on Niagara Street

I do not know what attracts me to old factories but something does.

Yesterday when the temperature was in the 80s -- gasp! -- and it felt for once like summer, I celebrated by grabbing one of those red rent-a-bikes and pedaling down Niagara Street. My niece calls these bikes "city bikes." I like that term.

I stopped and did some city sketching!

Today it is back in the 40s and 50s so it kills me with nostalgia, remembering. The city had gone crazy because of the warmth. Boom cars were blaring and people were roaring around on those awful loud motorcycles and even the average person who passed you on the sidewalk had some kind of stupid personal stereo blasting. But still.

I was so happy to be out and drawing I hardly noticed!

Plus I had to keep reminding myself I was not in the best and quietest part of town. Niagara Street just calls to me. I love the smell of the river. I love the old industry. Everywhere I looked I saw something I wanted to tackle.

Eventually I zeroed in on this beauty.

I am not sure what they used to make there. More accurately, I have no idea. But I liked the shape of the place and the stuff on the roof. Plus there was a bus stop right there and I could sit on the bench outside it.

Tomorrow I will post the picture I did. Looking at it I just want to do a couple more things with it.

Just look at that old place.

I wish it were yesterday!

My favorite fountain

This being Sunday when we are supposed to relax and enjoy, I went on an evening bike ride.

I love biking through Buffalo's Central Park neighborhood. It reminds me of when I was a kid and used to bike around Snyder, only it is, dare I say, perhaps just a little bit nicer. Vast stretches of it are so quiet, which makes it wonderful this time of year. In August you get the crickets and the cicadas.

This evening I pedaled around aimlessly on my Huffy Harvard Limited. Did I tell the story of this Huffy? I do not think I did. I will have to. Anyway, I came to a stop at this idyllic little park where I took the picture above.

I always admire this park when I pass it. I keep meaning to stop one of these days, and sit on that bench, and attempt a painting or a sketch.

Here is the park from another angle.

I was so happy to see the fountain going. The last couple of times I pedaled past, the fountain was not going, which made me worry. This may be the tony Central Park neighborhood but it is still Buffalo. And in Buffalo when something breaks it takes a long time to fix.

So, nice to see the fountain making a splash. And to pedal through the golden streets.

Besides being a peddler's helper I am also a pedaler.

What a beautiful summer this is!

The funky bike path

Today I rented one of those Reddy Bikes and took a ride on the funky bike path.

I mean the Scajaquada bike path, that runs parallel to Scajaquada Creek. As Charles Dickens would say, it is the best of times, it is the worst of times. The path gives you great views by the History Museum ....

.... and then you get views such as at the top of this post, where you feel alone in the world and surrounded by graffiti and worry you will be beset by highwaymen.

The path takes a turn and you think: Oh, no, it continues?

I passed a person pushing a shopping cart. And two kids who, all I could think was, they looked like Halloween goblins. Just up to no good, you know? And a couple who, they were having a tense moment. Just standing in the bike path arguing, making up, you couldn't quite figure out what.

The path spat me out on Niagara Street, as I knew it would. I was hoping to find my way to the Riverwalk but I never did. I made it to Niagara Street and could go this way or that way. The signs, if there were any, were vague. Down one way was a threatening-looking guy loitering under a bridge, so I nixed that. Going the other way, I ran into a family coming out and I asked them where the path went. They said it was a dead end and we were laughing about that.

Now this is the greatest. I made my way to Broderick Park and saw this:

Oh no!

That was what I had been hoping to find, a path right by the water. There it was! And it was closed.

But you know what? I had fun.

It reminded me of being a kid, just bombing around, riding down Niagara Street, looking at things. Eventually I had to tell myself, Mary, you have work to do, you can't just go riding aimlessly around Buffalo forever.

I honestly could have kept at it all day!

Riding the Reddy

Today I took a break, borrowed a Reddy Bike at Canalside, and rode down to Tifft Farm Nature Preserve.

What fun! I love taking a ride like that, particularly in a sun dress and sandals, which I did today. You get to go over the Ohio Street bridge. I always ride over the grating so I can see the water beneath my feet.

Landscapes like that one up above, I love it.

I want to have a picnic here.

That is the Cotter at left, our 1905 fireboat. Here is another pic I took.

Sometimes I like the take the boat north from downtown, to LaSalle Park. But now I am seeing that south is the way to go. I love the grain elevators, the Old First Ward, the Outer Harbor. There are endless bike paths. Which, those bike paths are not everywhere. Everyone loves to tell you, we are all connected by bike routes. That is not true.

I ride Reddy Bikes so much they lose money on me. I love them so much I did a story on them for The Buffalo News. Plus if I take a ride at lunch time I can skip the gym at night, giving me more time to work on important things.

"Fun!" That is what I exalted, sailing down that ribbon of highway.

It is!