Friday, June 13, 2008

Panoramic Park

So lately I've been going out for early morning bike rides around Prospect Park. Here is an aerial view of Prospect Park.



Here's another fun image.


Prospect Park is Brooklyn's Central Park, you could say. It's smaller. Prospect Park is 526 acres and CP is 843. Prospect is more natural and CP is more man-made. I live about a 7-minute walk from Prospect Park. The bike path is 3.3 miles around and each time I make it to about 3.2 miles. It's pathetic. There are up and downhill slopes along the path but the last stretch is KILLER. Just as I think I've made it, I get to the foot of Mount Doom and it really is my ring of fire. I'm going so slowly, pedaling one foot per minute I swear, and it's amazing I can still maintain balance. I am going slower than mud. I get to the point where I have to stand up and use my whole body, not just my legs, to pedal. I am huffing and puffing, sweating everywhere, and it is a battle of will. "Go, Jen! GO! Just keep going!" i tell myself. (not outloud, don't worry) I wish someone would just pick me up and take me the rest of the way. But i have to pull over because i start getting nauseous and i figure that's a pretty good indicator to pause.

But, I love it. And I love being at the lovely park so early in the morning. This picture was taken when I had to pull over at the 3.2999 mile mark before I passed out. I took some pics and read my book which helped me look like it was my plan all along, to stop at this EXACT spot and take a picture. Nevermind the fact that I'm wheezing and keeled over. The sad thing is, I didn't know how close i was to the end. When I finally got up after taking pictures and reading my book, i rounded the corner and was there. I was like, OH pfffffft! shameful. Oh well. Here's a picture of where I had to pull over. I entered and exited the park at that big roundabout thing that the arrow is pointing to.



And here's my attempted panoramic shot. I will pretend that I meant to have it be all choppy like that. It's more "artsy." Of course my camera actually does panoramic shots but like I know how to use my camera. Here you are. What a gorgeous morning.

6 comments:

Joel said...

Why don't you start at Mount Doom next time and go the other way? Get the hardest part over with while you still have your energy.

Natalie R. said...

So CP is bigger than PP?? Dang, someone told me that PP was bigger and I was really excited about that. Oh well, I'll just have to be more careful not to continue the falsehood.

Awesome pictures, especially the artsy panorama!

)en said...

I had heard that too (that PP was larger), but not so, apparently. It kind of looks it though, doesn't it.

Yeah, I was trying to think how I could start with that big hill at the beginning but in order to do that i'd have to totally backtrack and go the opposite direction of traffic and risk losing my life. And there aren't many park entrances over on that side. So, oh well. I don't mind though. It's something to work on until one day, it'll be no problemo.

MelBroek said...

You know what? I have faith that you can overcome this hill. just ask yourself this: "What would Spano do?" I actually have some wristbands with the acronym: WWSD? they're really classy.

O and P.S... I added your blog as a link on mine... I couldn't live with myself if i kept the hilarity and sheer joy that is your blog all to myself. Hope you don't mind...

)en said...

Not at ALL. Yes, please share the joy of my blog. Just kidding. Maybe, share the item to waste people's time. And I have added yours as well. You had me at "what would Spano do" and your passion for Star Trek.

Kimber said...

Are you morally opposed to a family of three camping in your jungle?