Yipes for the backpack and kid tale. I don't know if I'd WANT to know the full story on that one.

I'll have to remember this rock, each time I lament the weight of my commuter bike vs. my road bike. My DH feels that riding a heavy commuter is a fine thing, as it makes rides on my lightweight road bike seem more like flying. If you can slog it up that hill on a heavy bike, think how fast you'll go on a light one!

So...no doubt, THAT'S what your co-worker is doing. Training. Yeah. That's it. Training...