Running with dog...

The newest member of the family & I are getting acquainted with early morning runs. Cherokee is approximately 3 years old and appears to be pure Golden Retriever. He loves people, so perhaps not my defender but is becoming a fine companion in the wee early minutes of the day. Running is hard work for me and I find at first light is the best time for me. Running is not difficult for Cherokee but he seems content to go at my pace. I am actually hoping to improve my speed with a 4-legged partner. We are registered to run in a Paws in the Park 5k at the end of August - should be fun.

Thank you Mother Nature...

The weather has been near-perfect for Bike-to-Work wee. A bit windy Monday & Wednesday on the ride home, otherwise fabulous! Temps have been amazing - staying with highs in the low 70's in May! This is practically unheard of in Florida... the forecast says all returns to normal next week with highs approaching 90. This short reprieve was indeed welcomed.

The quest to find the best commuting route continues... So far it looks as if I will need to different routes between the arrival and departures. The morning ride is very quiet but the afternoon is a very different experience. The return ride tends to be packed with aggresive adn impatient drivers. (Note: the distractions of phone calls, texting, etc I see everyday and yes-- these drivers are dangerous!) I prefer to share the road but 5 o'clock is not bike-friendly here. I have discovered a MUP I can use for the most stressful part of my ride home. Taking the MUP is 'safer' except for the vehicles using the side streets. The path is usually fairly often by pedestrians and joggers so drivers are getting used to the idea there may be traffic on the path.

Bike to work week

Monday's ride to work was fabulous! Unbelievable cold front mid-May in Florida gave us temps in low 50s -wow! The morning commute was quiet and brisk, little traffic throughout the route. Pleasant in every way... Felt glorious when I arrived. The ride home was a bit challenging with a headwind most of the way. The temp was a lovely 72 and the ride was ok except I noticed my rear needed some air and then I discovered my pump was missing a vital component - the fitting to go on tire valve. Fortunately, I wasn't REALLY low on air and could get home. Can't understand what happened to my pump, I have another small pump to use until I replace or find missing part.

I keep looking at potential routes, the morning ride is always pleasant but the afternoons can be stressful with all the traffic. My route yesterday is primarily residential but there is a 1/4 mile section that gets tense for me. Too many people are too distracted while driving... Phones, testing, radios, etc... And this section is a connector for two larger highways. So I keep trying... I know one thing is certain - I am visible, I always wear either super bright yellow, safety orange or Hi-viz green. If folks wouldn't pass me so close I would be thrilled!

National Bike Month

Reminder: May is national bike month.
Let's celebrate bikes as valid transportation.
Use your voice in your community, let your local government know
that bicycles have the right to Share The Road.

Getting warm

Mid 80s already but only bothers me on the ride home.
Mornings are fabulous just pushing 70 degrees.
I do love Florida weather.

kept the 2mile challenge intact today

I needed to go to the store today, grabbed my pack and off I went. As I got close to the shopping center, I noticed a shortcut path the kids use and I tried it... great little footpath :-) The shortcut leads to the fast food alley and wally world. I was able to avoid one of the intersections that is so tricky going to the store. The trip took no more time than it would have with a car. My only complaint is I grabbed the wrong backpack... the pack was a softshell pack and when I put boxes in it I got poked in the back all the way home (10-15 minutes not long) -- I need to go through my packs and figure out which ones are best for the bike. I have a rear rack, maybe I could add wire baskets -- it is a thought. I figure since I am willing to ride nearly 7 miles to work there is no reason not to do most of my errands by bike either.

13.54 miles

Yep, that's what my Garmin Forerunner says today. My round trip was not any sort of speed demon time but I loved it! I found a route that's not too bad -- there's only one intersection that I find intimidating to navigate. There is one turn that is very close to a large grocery store, near the post office and the new, big Walmart -- traffic here is a bit dicey at 5pm. I will continue to look at my options --- perhaps I can find a route even better. Distance isn't the main priority -- finding the 'safest' path between the two points is the most important issue to me. I like riding the back roads -- the residential areas, less traffic and more to see. I don't care for the roads jammed with traffic and unpleasantness. The roads I prefer have the lower speed limits, less traffic, and even trees!!!

6.8 miles one way

That's what the map said - my first bike commute of 2011. The morning temperature of 38 almost kept me off the bike. I am glad I didn't chicken out. It was a great ride. The morning segment was much better than the return ride. Has been awhile seen my last commute by bike and my confidence level in traffic needs to rebuild. All in all a great start to finding my "zenonabike" again.

I am a bit sore this morning - this week I am riding every other day to reacclimatize my muscles to this activity. After a couple weeks, I will add the other days of the workweek to my bike commuting. I think this is a doable plan. I do need to review my gear tonight - possibly need to order a different pennies for carrying my stuff. Seemed awkward yesterday the way I had everything packed...

my fingers must have been broken...

Here it is nearly 10 weeks since my last entry. Have I been that busy? Nope... just super lazy. My running has eased off a bunch, in December I did a lazy marathon on gym treadmill but not much else during the break from this blog. NO excuses... I just haven't done anything. Once again, I am trying to get my rear in gear. I know that exercise, eating right and getting fit is THE right thing to do... so why do I have such a tough time sticking with it?