Commuting with Eggs, Milk, and Bike Parts

I started commuting by bike last May as part of National Bike Commuter's Month. Prior to this, the only time I got on my bike was to do a workout. I wanted to get back to riding my bike just for the enjoyment of it (not just to do hill repeats or 5x15 min intervals at race pace). I also wanted to become one of those bicycling road warriors who took their bikes everywhere. And I wanted to find a way to get in some serious base miles as part of my training for Race Across America.

Unless I'm heading to Java Dive, the local coffee shop (which is 6 miles round trip), every other commute is at least 15 miles one way. Commute to the health club? 19 miles. Meet someone in downtown Austin for lunch? 24 miles. Bike to the 360 access trail head and get in a quick trail run? 20 miles. When I started commuting I didn't realize that there was a difference between "conveniently commuting" (usually less than 10 miles one way) and "commuting on steroids" - which is what I was doing.

Fast forward to this month and I have fully embraced commuting. So much so that I look forward to coming up with creative ways to run errands and get in some good mileage. For example, today my goal was 50 miles. Ever the multi-tasker, I made a list of errands I had to run and then hopped on my bike and away I went.

I started by riding up to my friend Fred's house to drop off some bike parts (which I stored in my commuter pack strapped to my bike rack above my back wheel). On my way over to Fred's, I rode past Jim and Michelle's house. Lo and behold Jim was in his garage on his bike trainer doing a workout. So I swung in and we chatted for a few minutes. I made it up to Fred's, dropped off the stuff, and then assessed whether I needed to refill my water bottle. My two near by watering holes were either the health club OR the office building where I go for physical therapy (they have great bathrooms too!). I was good to go on both fronts so on to the next errand.

I headed up to Parmer Lane to check out a new route I had in mind for future commuting endeavors. I jotted the instructions down on a post-it before leaving home (left on Parmer, right on Avery Ranch, left on Riviera, etc.) and spent about an hour exploring a great new route that popped me back out near 620 and Great View. From here I rode over to pick up milk and eggs which are delivered every 2 weeks to a north Austin location from a farm in east Texas. I carefully packed the dozen eggs in my commuter pack and put the half gallon carton of milk alongside the eggs. I brought a towel to wrap around the eggs and milk and did my best to avoid every pothole, drain grate, and speed bump for the remaining 15 miles home.

As I neared my house, I checked my cyclometer and saw I was going to be 6 miles short. Crap. So I rode past my house, milk and eggs in tow, and headed out/back for another 6 miles. Meanwhile the voice of my mother came into my brain saying, "You better get that milk and those eggs in the refrigerator or you'll get salmonella, botulism, and the bubonic plague!!!" If it were mid-summer in Texas I would have reconsidered. But temps were in the mid 70's so I decided to take my chances.

As I pulled into the driveway, I looked down and saw my cyclometer just click over to 50.2. Perfect! As I unpacked everything from my commuter pack, and carefully opened the egg carton, it was the moment of truth. Whew. No cracks! I poured myself a tall glass of milk for a recovery drink and enjoyed every drop - even if it was still a little foamy!

Riding at Night with Disco Spiders

Several years ago I discovered the peace and tranquility that comes with training at night. It started in the form of trail running and aside from the occasional spider web in the face, strange homeless dude hiding behind a tree, or the sound of coyotes getting closer and closer, it can be a very relaxing experience. Since I began training for RAAM, I have ridden at night (or early in the morning) and discovered the same enjoyment -- except replace the homeless dude with barking farm dogs (I'd prefer the homeless dude).

There is something about the calm of the evening and only the sound of my breath and the glow of my headlamp to keep me company that is almost zen-like. Plus there's the disco spiders.

I first discovered the disco spiders while trail running. I'd catch glimpses of these moving flickers of dark blue/green/purple on the edge of the trail. At first I thought it was smashed remnants of a beer bottle or a mountain biker's broken reflector catching the light from my headlamp. But as I ran, those little shimmering lights continued along the trail. They looked like tiny little disco balls to me. I finally stopped running, bent down, and was simultaneously repulsed and amazed to discover they were small black spiders scurrying along the trail edge. Over time, I came to appreciate their company and as I ran listening to my music, I imagined the disco spiders doing the same as they jammed to "Get Down Tonight" or "The Hustle".

I rode my bike in to Java Dive this morning and it was still dark but I was not alone. There they were, those little disco spiders along the edge of the road. I was actually riding slow enough to see them, their flickering colors reflecting off my bike light. And while I am NOT a big fan of spiders, I've come to regard them as pleasant company.