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Archives 2008: | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October |
November | December | 2007: | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October
| November | December | |
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August 2007 |
May 2008 |
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I began ‘The Daily Commute on August 20, 2007. That is, I began
commuting through Preparations: At first I had no Idea if this was going to be possible. I had been
riding daily since May and had ridden as many as 27 miles a day on the
weekend at that point but to actually have to make it happen quickly enough
to make it to work on time was a different story. Because I work in an office, there was no way I could ride in August
without having the ability to shower. There are no showers in the building I
work in so I join the YMCA on August 15th. Needing fresh clothes, shoes and toiletries, I packed it all in a
standard book bag and strapped it on my back. This would quickly change
though because the bag drove me nuts (More on that later). The Ride: Front door to front door, the trip is 6 miles. I average between 35
to 45 minutes. Add in 30 minutes to shower and dress, the total endeavor
requires about an hour to an hour and an half. The car ride to the garage was taking anywhere from 25 to 40 minute
dependant on traffic. Then I had to walk to the building, another 10 minutes. Because I am required to use Hwy 169 for the majority of the ride, I
had to accept that necessity to be part of traffic. This was very
intimidating at first, not because of any self doubt, but because of the car
horns. Not a simple Beep! Beep! How you doin’? But
a BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! “Get the @#$%! Out of the road!” Middle Finger Extended! Realization: “Day 1 complete and I am still alive!” There is a scale in the locker room at the Y that on day 1 I stepped
on and realized that I had put on some weight. At 5 foot 3 inches and 225
pounds, I realized that what I was doing was way over do. Three months in and the motorist, for the most part, have come to
accept me as one of them. There is an occasional incident here and there. It is mid-November and more gear will be required for the colder
months, but I will continue as long as possible. Gear: To make luggage more realistic and dump the book bag, I purchased a Topeak MTX EXP trunk bag. This in conjunction with a Topeak OS Tubular Rack with a quick release system, I
am not wrestling with bungee and straps (I should contact Topeak
for advertisement royalties). The bike itself is a 2006
GT Avalanche 2 minus the disc breaks (Damn all the free advertisements). Clothing: Clothing varies with the weather. I try to dress as light as possible
but certain things are ‘must haves!’ A Rain Jacket is a requirement year around. Though in the summer it
is not quit as comfortable. Winter clothing consists of Gloves, Toboggan, A wind Breaker jacket
and Pants and what is called a Gator for my head and face. Today: I feel fantastic! I am losing weight, building stamina and eating
better. I see physical improvement daily. I get all of this in before work.
At work, I am better focused and more productive (Others may say otherwise). With the increase in oxygen and endorphins, I get a decent buzz most
days and this lasts a good part of the day. See you on the Road! |
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Update: May 1, 2008 Wow! I initially doubted that I would have it in me to keep this up
so long. The amount of determination that I have amazes me. We are in the
midst of Spring and it is getting pretty exciting. I have extended my ride by
3 miles in order to take advantage of the wonderful Greenway that runs
through Other detail: I have lost 55 pounds (57 really) as a result of the commute, yoga,
swimming (Indoor pool at the YMCA) and some dietary changes (see the Archives
for details on the diet). I hope to maintain a weight of about 165. I can’t
really express how great I feel and the amount of energy I have. Granted, my
day starts around 6:30 everyday making it difficult to keep my eyes open past
10 PM. For the sake of History, Gas Prices are at an all time high at an
average of 3.472. A year ago today gas was averaging 2.807. It appears that
these prices will continue to climb, we’ll see. To further the frustration of High gas prices, a section I-40 was
shut down at midnight last night for what is being called Smart Fix 40. This
project is intended to take 18 months. Traffic will be heavy on the secondary
roads and should make the commute a bit more interesting! |
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Archives 2008: | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October |
November | December | 2007: | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October
| November | December | |
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