Monday Commute - 33 miles

Chris's parents came to visit over the weekend and we had a really lovely visit. Unfortunately I didn't get any cycling in. However, we did do quite a bit of walking and the weather was perfect to be outside.

On Monday I rode my bike to work. It was so warm I didn't wear a jacket. That was a nice change because I really, really hate the cold. (To put it in perspective, cold is in the low 40's and on Monday it was in the high 50's...I love Arizona's winter!) The ride was pretty normal except that I'm feeling stronger. There's a big hill within the first few miles of my trip and I noticed that I wasn't winded until I got 3/4 of the way up the hill. This is a big improvement for me!

I was also pleased to run into another young commuter (a 20-something male on a single speed no helmet or bike specific clothing) about halfway to work. I stopped behind him at a light and to be honest, I don't think he knew I was there. That's the funny thing about bikes. They're so quiet, you can easily sneak up on someone. Especially with plenty of loud cars around. I should have said good morning to this commuter, but I felt shy and didn't say anything. He did brighten up my day though!

After work, I rode to Tempe to attend a class at the bike co-op. I learned how to remove, repair, clean, and replace the bottom bracket. It was a good class though I was a little more tired than normal. I think I need to pay more attention to my diet when I'm riding this much. I either didn't eat enough or didn't eat the right stuff on Monday evening. On my way to Tempe, I saw another bike commuter as I was on a bridge going over the expressway. He (late 30's with helmet and lots of spandex) was going the opposite way and we only had a moment to greet each other.

I also had my second encounter with direct harassment while riding. A teenager leaned out of the passenger side of the car and barked at me like a dog. There was laughter from the other teenagers in the car. I suppose he was just trying to be funny. The first encounter was a few weeks ago when I was locking my bike up at a grocery store. Some teenage boys walking by made sarcastic comments about how "hot" I looked. (My bike helmet isn't a fashion statement.) Ahh, random teenage boys harassing me in the street means I'm definitely old.

After class at Bike Saviours, I went out to the polo court and caught up with Chris. Polo was played until the park closed then we went home. We went to bed pretty late so I drove to work today (in order to sleep a little more). Chris opted to ride to his work so I'll be picking him up and driving him home. I think we're getting a nice little system going though I wish we could do more riding together.