How Was Your Commute Today?

[Biciclista]

I'm down to one commute a week. But i lucked out today and last week, Friday. The weather has been bad, lots of rain and cold too.

Today's a beautiful day and I came to work on my bike. YAY

[Melalvai]

I miss my bike. But I have had lots fewer flashbacks & anxiety attacks, so staying off the bike is good for now. Yesterday and today, I walked home with the pink setting sun. A row of deer ran across the road. Traffic stopped on both sides. Several deer, and another, and another, and another. I lost count but I guess 15-20 in that herd.

I like walking. It's a different pace. Since we moved here, I kept intending to walk some days instead of bike, but it is always inconvenient to change modes. If I want to walk I have to bring lunch, because it's too far to walk home for lunch. If I walk I can't throw everything in my basket, I have to figure out how to carry it all. If I walk I have to come home before dark or remember to bring a flashlight. All these things would be second nature if this was how I traveled all the time.

Even walking, I have some anxiety. Moments of a crystal clear image of an approaching vehicle out of control...but of course that doesn't happen. There's no urge to dive into the ditch, and it doesn't happen as often as on my bike. Walking a good way to travel for me right now.

[blackhillsbiker]

Lovely 30s & 40s today. Sometimes the commute home feels like a chore. Tonight it felt like my bike was a part of me. Hard to explain, but marvelous when it happens. Work has been incredibly stressful lately. I'm so grateful to have my commute to look forward to.

Deb

[Tri Girl]

I wimped out this morning. hit the snooze 3 times and kept rolling over. So to punish myself for not commuting I rode the trainer for 1:45. That will teach me to get out of bed tomorrow morning for sure!

[Crankin]

Melalvai, get a headlamp for walking. I have a cheaper one, from EMS, that cost around 25.00. I use it for walking, hiking, and as a back up for dark rides. That, plus some blinkies are good.

[tulip]

I wimped out this morning. hit the snooze 3 times and kept rolling over. So to punish myself for not commuting I rode the trainer for 1:45. That will teach me to get out of bed tomorrow morning for sure!

Oh, we do we feel the need to punish ourselves?? Really? It's okay to sleep in. It's okay to not be perfect. It's taken me 43 years to figure that out, and what a relief it is!

TriGirl, you are inspiring people even though you may not know it. When I lived in DC, I commuted by bike regularly (3-4 times a week) to and from my job 14 miles away. I just went along my regular life without thinking about inspiring anyone. It was a way to get to work; the best way in terms of time, fun, budget, and parking.

One morning, when I was slugging up a hill at the beginning of my route, a lady yelled to me from her porch. I stopped (I was almost stopped anyways because of the hill), and she came down off her porch in her pink bathrobe. She said that she had seen me ride my bike past her house for several years in all kinds of weather, and that because of that, she and her husband had gone out and bought bikes and were riding them around the neighborhood on nice days.

That totally made my day. See? you are probably inspiring people without even knowing it.

[DebW]

I wanted to bike to work, but the lock on my basement door wouldn't open - I have only 1 way to get to my basement, and it's an outside door. It's done this a few times before, always very annoying. I saw my landlady and asked her to open it from the inside, which she did. I thought she was going to leave it unlocked for me, but 15 minutes later it was locked again and the key stil wouldn't turn. Aarg! So ended up walking to work, 1.5 miles but busy streets with no sidewalks. I've got a reflective vest and reflective triangle on the backpack for the walk home, but all my blinkeys were locked in the basement with the bikes. I did bring a headlight.

[Tri Girl]

good for you, Deb!

Meh- it wasn't really punishment- just that I needed to ride, and I would've had to only ride the trainer for 45 min. instead if I'd ridden to work.

That's a cool story, Tulip!!! That would have made my day/week/year!

[blackhillsbiker]

My commute was amazing! It was my first ride on the Felt. I could have sworn I was floating above the pavement! I'll have to ride my Dew for exercise, though. I shaved 5 minutes off my commute and wasn't even sweating. It was effortless. The last time I rode a road bike was the Schwinn Varsity in the 80s. This one is a whole different animal!

Deb

The saddle, however, has got to go!