Two recipes

Recipe 1: Skirt on a Bike's Big Bowl
This is also taken from the Eng*ine 2 Diet. I have modified it for myself and my own tastes. I like it because it does not require cooking, is quick, healthful, and filled with fiber and slow-burning complex carbs.

In your favorite bowl add:
1/2 cup raw oats
1/4 cup Uncles Sam's flaxseed flakes
2 Tbls. Grape Nuts
1 Tbls. ground flaxseed
1 cup chopped fresh fruit (I have used raspberries and blackberries all summer. Bananas, peaches, etc also taste great!)
3/4 cup non dairy milk (or dairy if you can drink it)

Enjoy! (This littel cereal alone will keep you, how shall we say, regular)


Recipe 2: Slow-cook Tuscan Sausage and Bean Soup

I found this in a Weight W*atchers recipe book last year and it is so easy and so tasty that I thought I would share it. I use my crockpot to cook this in so that all I have to do is assemble in the AM and when I come home at night my hot dinner is waiting for me. I especially like this in the fall and winter.

Makes 6 servings

12 ounces turkey kielbasa cut in 1/4 inch thick rounds (I went to Hy-Vee and bought italian sausage and used that and it was awesome. To cut the fat, I boiled it first and drained the fat off before adding to the crockpot. If you don't cook the raw sausage first, make sure to put it in the bottom of the crockpot so that it cooks by evening. Venison might be really good here too).

2 cloves garlic
1 onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
I celery stalk
1/2 medium bunch kale, chopped (about 4 cups)
3 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15.5 ounce) can great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15.5 ounce) can kideny beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5) ounce can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes
1/2 cup dry red wine or water (the alcohol cooks off but the flavor remains)
1 teaspoon dried basil

Put everything together in the crockpot, stir it up (unless cooking raw meat which needs to remain near the bottom near the heat source--in that case, first stir up all other ingrediants and pour over meat in the slow cooker).
Cook 8-10 hours on low

Per serving (1/12 cuprs): 241 cals, 5 g. fat, 5 g. sat fat, 0 grams trans fat, 37 mg chol, 1,258 mg sodium, 31 g. carb, 8 g. fiber, 19 g. protein, 158 mg. calcium.

Miles: 7
Stuff I saw: A red fox crossing into the woods as I cycled into my complex last night! That is the same area the groundhog hangs out.

Day 29: The last day of my 'No Car' Challenge

Last week I was notified that I might have to ride out to a town about an hour from Columbia in order to help gather data on a research project. At the last minute we did not have to go so I didn't interrupt my 'challenge'. However today we did have to go so my "official" No Car Challenge was over. Since I started a few days before September I met the 30 days, just not all in September. (It was strange to be in a car on the freeway. I had forgotten how fast everyone moves and how big and heavy the trucks are! How can anyone believe that highway travel is safer than riding a bike? Talk about a mass delusion.)

For me, the bigger issue is that I want to keep on going! I want to see if I can carve out a car-free lifestyle for myself. Since I don't have to drive to this research location myself, I can bike to the meet up location and ride with the lead investigator. For my own personal no car challenge, I want to bike through winter and see what the next six months hold---if I can make it everywhere I need to go by biking or walking (possibly bus as well).

The adventure is really only just beginning!

Day 28: Cafe Berlin move

Today I spent the morning helping out with the Cafe Berlin bike move. I wanted to see the possibilities for moving by bike, and it was amazing! I was so impressed by the heavy loads that were possible to move without a combustion engine! The camaraderie and good spirits were contagious and I had a blast. There were several younger kids there who moved large loads---total rock stars!

I also have to report that yesterday at church, I ran into some friends and they got to talking to me about biking everywhere and one of my friends (who doesn't know about this blog) said, "What is so cool is that you never look like you just biked here!" I was chuffed! My Masterplan is working!

She and I talked a lot about bike commuting. She has started to walk to work several times a week and is really curious about it all. We might have a convert!


Miles:
Monday:17.83 (that is almost 18 miles people!! The farthest yet! Wa-hoo!)
Sunday: 9.42

Day 25: Beautiful day

Yesterday was a hard day--just didn't feel well. Today I was up and at em' early--rode into MU for a 9 AM meeting then back out to Forum for another meeting at Dunn Brothers then over to Jazz for lunch with a friend (Chapel Hill Rd). I have decided that Chapel Hill Rd is my new nemesis. I am going to conquor that hill soon.....even if I have to use a low gear like in the pic above! ha ha ha

The sun feels so good today!

Miles: 6.45 miles

Day 24: An ah'HA' moment

Yesterday two co-workers and I went to lunch and out of the blue one of them asked me, "are you are still riding your bike to work"? I was glad to hear her question because it meant I didn't *look* like I biked in (I was wearing a new pair of black slacks I bought specifically because they don't crease easily, are smart looking, and don't require dry cleaning, etc. along with a nice shirt and sweater. I have curly hair that resists helmet head and I had non-smudged makeup so all-in-all I looked professional).

When I said, "Yes, matter of fact I did bike in today", she was surprised and gave me that up-and-down look which I find so funny. She then wanted to know how I brought in my laptop, heavy books on my bike, did not look sweaty, what did I wear, etc. She said she would love to bike in herself but wondered how to handle all the gremlins that seem insurmountable on the other side of the saddle bag. We spent the rest of our walk back to campus talking about how I managed all the concerns she brought up.

I was so glad that, after only one month of bike commuting, others see possibilities for themselves! That kinda rocks. :-D

Miles: 2

Yummy sweet potato dish

I got this recipe (and tweaked it) from R*ip Esselstyne's book The Engine 2 Diet. I am not a vegetarian but like the focus on green things so I bought this book to learn more about cooking veggies, etc. I forgot the name of it in the book, but here is how I make it:

1 can of pinto beans (use any beans you like)
1 cup corn (I use raw sweet corn cut off the cob but you can use frozen or canned)
1 avocado (I only use 1/2)
2 baked sweet potatoes (chopped up roughly)
I handful of chopped fresh cilantro
1 red bell pepper (chopped)
Juice of one lime
Salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar to taste

The original recipe called for black beans and for one mango but I don't like mango so left it out.
I like this dish at room temp--I baked the sweet potatoes and then let them cool down a little bit so when I chop them up they stay firm and not mushy.
You could also add brown rice to this if you wanted a complete protein.

Enjoy!

Day 23: CRON (Calorie Restriction Optimal Nutrition)

The more I bike everywhere, the more I want to have more energy for it and feel better. So, in an effort to get a handle on what goes in the ole' pie hole (and I literally mean 'pie' hole here people) I decided to use some nutritional software for awhile so that I am better educated on calorie intake and nutritional values. I found a freeware application called CRON-O-METER that I downloaded and like quite a bit (there are mac and pc apps).

I know that some people rely upon calorie counting alone but I want to go one step further and make sure that I am getting enough of the right nutrients. The nice thing about the software is that you are given a pie chart and graphs to clearly show you where you are too high or low in any given nutrient (you would be amazed at the nutritional value of just one cup of leafy greens and raw vegetables). I am supposed to eat between 1200-2000 calories per day. I am shooting for between 1200-1600 per day but with the highest nutrition I can get.

I also bought a food scale and some excellent powdered vitamins (AOR Essential Mix) to make sure I get what I need each day. I especially want to see how much stronger I get on the bike when eating well.

Miles: 6.0

Day 22: It was a dark and stormy night....

Okay, well, it was a dark night.... :-) Today I rode downtown on some errands, then by MU, then back on the trail to Forum to get over to Rockbridge High School for an art class. I knew I would be riding home after dark so I brought all my stuff (vest, etc) and I have to say that the ride home was awesome! I brought a change of clothes in case it rained as I don't have any 'rain gear' to speak of but I did not need it. On the way to the school I came by a bunch of sheep grazing on the corner of Bethel Rd and Green Meadows: they looked like this:


I also saw a very large flock of Canadian geese on the lawn near RBHS. They were very elegant.

I biked home the last leg of the ride on the trail and I was alone almost the entire way. It was both spooky and fun. My MiNewt is wonderful and really lights the place up. I could hear lots of animal noises and it was very peaceful. I like night riding more and more.

One question: What do my two faithful readers wear when it rains? Do you bring a change of clothes, etc? Are there "special" clothes that do the trick? I need some advice.

Miles: 13.61 (the most yet--I am so chuffed!)

Day 21: Bike commuting and culture

I saw this update over at Reno Rambler on an NPR segment on biking in NYC. I did not agree completely with Bike Snob NYC who was answering the questions on NPR as I am more with the "spandex is a privilege not a right" crowd, but one thing he wrote was funny and interesting:

BIKE SNOB NYC: .....the entire notion that we have to build a transportation infrastructure around allowing people to show up to work clean in suits, why? Who cares?

We do have some funny cultural rules about appearance. And it gets me to no end when I see people at work who do *not* look put together at all (quite slovenly) and I KNOW have driven into work, who look at me with my helmet in my hand like I am an alien. "Did you BIKE in"? Then they really look at me......up and down. I just stand there and let em' look.

Miles:
Saturday: 6.50
Sunday: 0 (stayed home all day)

Stuff I saw: In the tunnel under Providence I have noticed that they painted some white paint on the path going through
the tunnel. I thought it was weird. Then tonight, as I rode through, all the lights were blazing and I could see how
the white paint reflected the light making it that much brighter. Somebody had their thinking cap on and I thank
them.

Stuff I heard: Girl 1: "He saw me, I saw him, and that was it!"
Girl 2: So'd ya do anything?
Girl 1: Nah, we just looked at each other all night. ((laughter))

Day 18: Fall arrives

Today was a wonderful day to ride! So incredibly beautiful! I love fall, especially further north because it comes sooner and stays longer. Today I rode a lot (for me) and enjoyed every minute of it. I did have two interesting interactions with cars today.

Scenario # 1: On my way to campus, I was on a side street when a USPS worker in a little USPS jeep came right up on me as I was getting ready to take the lane to get around a huge parked work truck. The USPS guy backed off but seemed really put out about it (he was on the right side of his car so he gave me a good glare when he passed). I was ahead of him and did not cut him off so I don't know what the problem was (maybe his little blue USPS shorts were too tight?). He was handsome though, so I'm gonna let it pass.

Scenario #2: On my night ride home on Broadway, I was riding far enough to the left to keep 3 feet between me and the parked cars on the right side of the road. This nitwit in a gray jeep wrangler decided to pass me with barely enough room between us. He was so very close to me. I could feel the air change as he passed me--he was that close. He had a woman and a young child in the car and I wondered what in heavens name he was thinking?! I really moved over then and TOOK the lane. I had a shiver for a bit thinking about how easily I could have been sandwiched between that guy's car and the cars on my right.

Miles: 12.60

Day 17: Car Drivers Share Tips for Cyclists

After the intensity of my last two posts, I decided to lighten up and post something funny. :-D I found this video over at Commute Orlando blog and found it quite funny. I especially love the yellow pedal car.

On the cyclo commuting front, Word to your Mother: Don't let your front light die by leaving it on during the day and then have to cycle home in the dark. Not fun (especially under the Providence tunnel)--it was spooky in places.

Miles: 7.08

Stuff I saw: Turtle right in the middle of the trail, a dead rodent on the side of the street (had long hair...maybe long-haired
rat?), a big toad and a little toad in the MKT off Stewart, a 50ish year-old woman cycling very strongly up Stewart

Stuff I heard: Birds singing, "Heeeeey babeeeee" (from the 'bouncer' outside of the Tin Can Tavern off Elm Street).

Day 16: The Elephant in the Room

John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods, recently published an article in the Wall Street Journal outlining his problems with the national health care service being championed by President Obama and offered his own opinion about what we can do to solve the health care crisis in the U.S. Mackey's article infuriated members of the food industry who immediately began attempting a boycott of Whole Foods.

Now, I have never stepped foot into a Whole Foods and have no stock holdings in that business, but something is terribly, terribly wrong when someone urges U.S. adults to take responsibility for their own health and is terrorized politcally and economically for it.

Michael Pollan has also recently published an article in The New York Times, Big-Food vs. Big Insurance where he delineates the same scenario as Mackey: that 75% (SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT!) of our national health care costs come from personal behaviors and lifestyle choices that directly contribute to obesity, cancer, heart disease, and type II diabetes. Pollan points out that in the U.S. "we are spending $147 billion to treat obesity, $116 billion to treat diabetes, and hundreds of billions more to treat cardiovascular disease and the many types of cancer that have been linked to the so-called Western diet.

I have YET to be convinced that we need socialized medicine if the main problem with the system is that we won't eat whole, natural foods that contribute to robust health and start putting our folks down when it comes to foods that clearly do not support health. However, I also realize that this comes down to what I wrote about yesterday: networked behavior. I think that reforming a cultural system that is built around a car-centered, cheap, unhealthy food system would go much farther towards ending our "health care crisis" than simply spending more money to give people pills that we aren't even sure work, are incredibly expensive, and have side effects that can kill you.

What is most alarming to me is that school systems are now part of a system that hooks kids into eating crap at school (but hey, it's cheap crap that has been subsidized by the government!) so that they have a harder time learning to discriminate between healthy and unhealthy foods, as well as develop a palate for healthy food. When I did research in two middle schools a year ago, I stopped eating the school lunches when I visited because although they were cheap at $2.00 a tray, they were packed with processed, fat- and sugar-laden, products. There is nothing sadder than watching an 11-year-old with a tire of fat around his middle eating hamburgers, french fries, and fruit-in-sugar-syrup, followed by potato chips and ice cream (for sale every single day during lunch and after school). There was not one, single fresh fruit or veggie to be found unless the child brought his/her lunch from home.

Our health care system does need help, but not by pouring more money into it for pills and acute care of people who have eaten themselves into the grave, but rather through some restraint and common sense.

Miles: 6

Day 15: Is healthy behavior 'contagious'?

Birds of a Feather by Nomoco

The New York Times recently ran a piece posing the question, Is Happiness Catching? The article interviews Eileen Belloli, one of the participants in the most famous longitudinal heart study ever conducted: The National Heart Institute's Framingham study which has followed 15,000 residents and their descendants, bringing them into a doctor’s office every four years, on average, for a comprehensive physical. The Framingham study is the one that helped doctors and medical researchers understand the relation between cholesterol level and risk of cardiac arrest (total cholesterol level over 150 mg/dl increases likelihood of cardiac infarction). One of the topics that researchers in the study have been looking at, is how social relations affect our habits (both good and bad). Clive Thompson (2009) writes,"by analyzing the Framingham data, Christakis and Fowler say, they have for the first time found some solid basis for a potentially powerful theory in epidemiology: that good behaviors — like quitting smoking or staying slender or being happy — pass from friend to friend almost as if they were contagious viruses. The Framingham participants, the data suggested, influenced one another’s health just by socializing. And the same was true of bad behaviors — clusters of friends appeared to “infect” each other with obesity, unhappiness and smoking. Staying healthy isn’t just a matter of your genes and your diet, it seems. Good health is also a product, in part, of your sheer proximity to other healthy people."

When I was growing up, I was alway urged by my Dad to be careful who I hung out with because I would become like them over time. And he was right. The problem today is that we have a culture where this principle is still at work, but in the opposite direction. By that I mean that as a culture we have "networked" a car-centered, fast-food lifestyle which shapes people's choices and actually limits their physical activity and food choices to a degree. Anyone who tries to step outside that network is met with resistance because it is outside of the norm. Now, there are a network of negative behaviors around us, and they actively define how we live. If you don't believe me, just do two things: (1) Cycle or walk to work one day and don't hide the fact, and (2) when everyone else is eating/drinking [insert dessert dish or alcohol here], refuse to eat any. You will find out very quickly how the pack mentality contributes to network behavior.

After reading this article though, I am more convinced than ever that it is important that I contribute to a positive network by living a healthy life. Cyclo commuting is just one activity that demonstrates, in a tangible way, how easy it is to create positive networks rather than negative ones. The more others see how manageable and enjoyable active transportation is, the more they can picture themselves doing it too. In this vein, I have started urging my students to bring healthy foods to class each week rather than sugar and fat-laden, brain damage inducing, snacks. I have another student who goes outside and walks around vigorously during our lunch break and this has encouraged others to step outside and exercise during the break rather than sitting inside and eating junk. In this way, it is like when birds fly, or cycling in a pack; we slide into the slipstream of others who are moving in a direction that we want to go and this helps us get to our goal as well as become part of that network. But we have to consciously choose where we want to go and locate others in the right 'networks' so that we can 'catch' those positive behaviors and harness them for our own lives.

Miles: 8.25
Stuff I saw: Man on a seated bicycle who zoomed past me on the trail and admired my blinkie light.

Day 14: Smoothing out the wrinkles

Saturday I biked to work to teach. This is the first time I have had to navigate biking and dress clothes and I was worried. In my profession, it is important to maintain a professional appearance; this usually means suits or dress clothes such as a dress or dress slacks, heels, and a jacket. Fewer women wear heels today in teaching (try 8 hours on your feet in 2-3 inch heels) but looking professional is important. So I ironed my dress slacks and packed everything carefully, and biked into school in outdoor wear. I packed an iron in my panniers (no, I am not kidding). When I got to school I hung everything up in my office, steamed out any wrinkles and cleaned up in the bathroom. I ended up looking as professional as I ever have (hair in place, makeup, etc). I don't believe anyone could tell that I had biked into school. This was a triumph to me because it was one hurdle I felt I needed to get over on the way to a car free life.

Next hurdle? Winter riding.

Miles:
Saturday: 7 miles
Sunday: 10 miles
Monday: 11.87 miles

Stuff I saw:
Saturday: A man, 50ish, in street clothes, sitting asleep in the tunnel with a beer can beside him, a young marine-looking man
with a GetAbout bike pin on his packback, a puppy in a backyard near West Blvd that has not been there before.
Sunday: A groundhog, a black snake on the trail, wildflowers, another bike in the rack at church
Monday: Tons of wildflowers on the MKT, two female cardinals fighting, a man studying corn in a field, a little blond-haired girl who heard me sound my bell on the trail and turned-wide-eyed- and exclaimed: " A BELL!" from her stroller.

Day 11: Bikey wonder

Sometimes, after a long, tiring day, I feel like the guy in this cartoon when I bike home. Somewhere between mile 1 and 2 something happens and without realizing it, I am not thinking about any frustrations or worries but focusing on what is around me, the sound of my breathing, and the effort of my body. I start noticing the texture of the air and wind, where the sun is, sounds, and colors. All this happens without me realizing it and once I get home I am in a better frame of mind. This never, ever happened in a car.

Today I biked up a hill I have gone up frequently, only today I did not break into panting or struggling even a tiny bit. I did not realize how much my fitness had improved until today. I just chugged up that hill without even thinking about it. I never thought that would happen.

Miles: 7.0
Stuff I saw: Man on a bench in flat branch park sitting with his laptop on his lap--sound asleep, man on a riding lawn mower staring at me, five cyclists with no helmets on, a beautiful guy with dreadlocks, a leaf that looked like a rat from a distance

Stuff I heard: (two college girls on the MKT)
Girl 1: (panting slightly) I have ridden my butt off today! It's gonna fall off!
Girl 2: Me too! I WISH my butt would fall off!

Day 10: Cycle recycle rewind

Biked into town tonight after my meeting to work on bikes at CR. I am lucky to have patient teachers to help me learn more and don't do everything for me. Bikes are a beautiful lesson in physics. There are tension and countering principles running through the whole design. You don't realize the intricacies until you learn to fix what is broken, to see where force and energy are interrupted.

Biked home at 10:00 PM in my magic vest. Cool breeze, full moon, quiet, silent in spots.

Miles: 8.0
Stuff I saw: A young man completely ignore a hot chick, a young man completely ignore ice cream, a young man in a suped up car try to pass me on the right, my favorite house on Stewart lit up by the moon

Stuff I heard: "Hey, Nice vest!";

Guy: "When I get to Colorado, I'll find a girl and go on a date".
Girl: " If you are only there a few days, is it really a date?"
Guy: "I'll prove it by bringing back pictures."

Day 9: Even more night riding!

Today has been challenging but ended on a good note. I had a workshop tonight at MU and then had a long dinner with a good friend and biked home by moonlight (and MiNewt) at 11:30 PM. It was an awesome night ride: the moon was out, a cool breeze was blowing, almost no cars, quiet, and beautiful. I feel a lot stronger on hills and getting around in general.

Miles: 7.65
Stuff I saw: the full moon behind some dark clouds, a big hairy spider on the ground as I passed through the park, a huge frog on the road, and a guy riding a skateboard alongside his friend who was on a bike.
Stuff I heard: "Momentum just carries you and then you just carve out a line"

Day 8: Night riding

Today I rode in to MU and heard the pileated woodpecker but could not see him. I ended up working until 8:30 PM but because of my awesome MiNewt , I am not afraid of riding in the dark. Night riding is fun--especially when it is a full moon. My only concern has been that I cannot seem to find a decent class II or III reflective mesh vest. I found this one, but I have to buy about a dozen! It is the same everywhere I have looked. They are out there but you have to buy enough for an army. I might just get some reflective tape and make my own. :-)

Miles: 7 miles
Cool stuff I saw: (1) An older gentlemen on a sort of reclining bike with long handles--riding down the trail. He was wearing a cool hat and yelled "hallo!' to me when we passed. (2) They have installed lights in the tunnel under Providence Rd which is cool. What is not cool is that the 'trigger' for it is located near the trail side of the tunnel, so if you are entering from Elm, it is pitch black until you exit the tunnel, thereby triggering the lights so they can shine on.....no one. Doh!

Day 7: Pileated Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpeckers: Male on the right and female on the left.

Today I have gone everywhere on foot. I walked a couple miles on the trail and then to the grocery store. I found today that walking to the grocery store only takes me between 7-10 minutes one way. If I incorporate that into a workout, it is no extra time out of my day at all.

The best part about today though was that as I was walking down our spur to get to the trail, I rounded a corner and heard this very loud ringing call off to my right. It was LOUD. I turned and there was a pileated woodpecker on a dead tree. There were a cluster of dead trees in that area and he/she flew from one to another. The woodpecker stopped and called out again and to my left I heard another pileated woodpecker answer back. So the male and female must be there in those woods together. About then the one I could see flew overhead to a phone pole in front of me and started pecking away on the phone pole. Eventually the woodpecker flew into the wooded area where I had heard the other woodpecker and out of sight.

A good morning and once again, I saw cool stuff I would never have seen in a car!

Yesterday, I biked to Walmart off Grindstone with the burley and got some stuff I needed. I was hungry for dinner and stopped first to eat at Fudruckers. It was hard to attach the bike to their black railing but I got it done. People looked at first and several folks checked out the trailer as I left. It was funny. I kept thinking that yesterday would be a 'long' ride but it turned out to only be 8 miles. Surprise! It *felt* longer than 8 due to the hills and load I guess, but it was fun and I got what I needed without a car and with a lot more fun.

Day 5: No car challenge

Sometimes when I see the Andy Singer cartoon above I think I spend way too much time in a 'box'. I sit in either one of two small offices all day writing manuscripts, grants, conference proposals, email, grading papers etc for 10+ hours per day then I (used to) jump in the car to drive less than a mile to workout inside, then drive home, and be back inside again. I hated it. I swore when I finished graduate school that I was not going back to sitting all day, my back aching, and spending maybe ten minutes total outside everyday (and then only to walk to and from the car). Getting around by bike or walking has been the answer for me for a life 'outside the box'.

It has made me realize why so many academics are unhealthy. Academic life rewards the mind and intellectual pursuits-creating a strange division between mind and body (thanks for nothing Descartes!). I found in grad school that many, many of my peers were on either depression/anxiety meds or high blood pressure meds. Matter of fact, these were the two most prescribed meds at the University Health Center. And this was a crew of 20-30 somethings! People far too young to need HB meds. (I know that some people have these conditions genetically and have highly improved quality of life due to innovations in medications. I am only referring here to people who are sick because they sit all day, overwork, eat crap, and wonder why they are depressed, overweight, etc.)

I made a pact with myself during my second year in grad school that I would not resort to meds in lieu of exercise and a healthier lifestyle. While my diet needs some serious, serious improvement, I have kept my pact to this day in regard to using adequate rest, exercise, and healthier means of warding off stress and high blood pressure. That is part of why I prefer a car free lifestyle. By using my body to get around, my heart is healthier and attitude better. I also spend time outdoors everyday which is important to me. I don't think a person can be truly healthy sitting at home in front of the TV, or inside an office, or in a car all day. It just is not a prescription for health.

Miles: 4 total by bike (not much) but fun! I have a longer ride tomorrow which I am looking forward to.

Day 4: Walking and Cycling

Today I walked about a mile total to my writing group meeting and then to Subway and the grocery store. It is weird how many people from my complex all drive to the grocery store (literally less than .25 of a mile!) and back. Many get out of their cars with one or two small bags--- hardly enough to merit cranking up the car to go pick up. It baffles me a bit because they probably also drive to the gym as well (just like I used to do).

Walking or biking over is far superior in my experience. Just the physical experience of using your own steam to get somewhere and enjoying being outside. The shopping center I shop in and live near is right near a really nice wooded area and I see all kinds of cool wildlife. It is refreshing and relaxing to walk/bike and listen to all the wildlife back in there.

On another note, I am getting ready to switch to clipless pedals. I hope I don't end up like the guy in the Yehuda comic strip above! :-)

Day 3: Cycle Recycle

Today was an great cycling day and then tonight I went to the Cycle Recycle meeting at GetAbout. Cycle Recycle is a community event that takes place twice a year in Columbia. Throughout the year, GetAbout receives used bikes that need repair, repairs them, and offers them back to the community at the Cycle Recycle event. This year it will take place on October 18, 2009. Most every Thursday evening there is a group of dedicated, mechanically talented, and politically savvy people who meet to repair donated bicycles for the Cycle Recycle program. (However, anyone interested is encouraged to attend and they clearly allow the less mechanically savvy to participate :-) It is also a great way to learn about bike repair and mechanics. I have had two very awesome teachers thus far and enjoyed myself a ton! I also like being a part of a program that gives back to the Columbia community.

Total bike miles today: 7 miles
Cool stuff I saw: A small turtle sitting on the side of the trail, his head raised high basking in the sun. If I had been in a car, I never would have seen the little fella or enjoyed a wonderful day of bike commuting. Life is good. :-D

Day 2: No Car Challenge

My sister called last night and when I told her about the September No Car challenge she became completely silent (as the younger sister I recognized this as her "speechless" mode) and then she uttered rather sarcastically: "Good Luck" and we both broke out laughing. (Only an older sister knows how to unleash true sarcasm at its finest.) We then began our usual debate style: I began with how I had been practicing for this month all summer, bought the Burley bike trailer, etc but she then started in with "the rain" (already biked in the rain and lived to tell the tale last week) and then with what about "biking in the dark" (already did that last Thursday night--it was wonderful) and then I started in on the cost of owning a vehicle and how many people are not only "house poor" but CAR poor! Most folks don't know the true cost of car ownership but I won't go off on a rant about that today.

Besides, the truth is: I love it because it's just so much darn fun!

Today I biked downtown to get my sweet No Car challenge 'benefits' card (!), then to MU, then downtown, then home. 7 miles total. Not much but I got everything I needed to get done by bike. Nuff said. :-D

First day of 'No Car' Challenge

Today has been the first day of the September 'no car' challenge and for some reason I noticed how many people were on the road with one person in one car. Even a guy driving a Prius! I biked to a meeting at Green Meadows shopping plaza and home (40 minutes and 4 miles) then later that afternoon I biked to MU and home (5.0 miles total and 40 minutes). That is more exercise than I get going to the gym. I don't know why this feels so 'empowering' but it does. I am far more relaxed for some reason when bike commuting no matter how stressful the day has been.