Plans and Goals

I blame the Marathon.  It threw off everything!

This year I have not really had many big plans or goals on the bike.  I wanted to.  I did plan to do a century ride...and still plan to eventually...but I have been beyond busy.  Lately I am working less than 4 days per week on average, and I still have no time or free Saturdays for a simple bike ride.  Thus, my training for the upcoming century ride that I eventually plan on doing, consists entirely of 3.5-mile commutes to and from work.

For this reason, I have been semi-competitive with my commute time.  As a result, that's all I have to brag about when it comes to talking to my biking friends.  It's getting old.  I need to get out...eventually.

Automatic Doors

I find it interesting that when I arrive at work on a bicycle, many people (most of whom I do not know) are willing to hold the door open for me.  "Oh, let me get that for you.", they say as they run over to help.  I often wonder if they would do the same for someone in a wheelchair. 

"It's alright, I have a system.", I respond.
"Are you sure?", they ask and they reach around or over me to hold the door open.  I appreciate their help, but sometimes they end up making the process more difficult.  I pay close attention to keep my bike tires from brushing against them.
"I do this every day.  I've been practising."

Occasionally, they stand back while I work my system, and then they say with surprise, "You do have a system!"

Yup.  I practise.

My Hobby - Mock Assists

Twice now, I have come up on the electric-assisted bicycle commuter on my route.  I caught him again at the same location as before...right at the bottom of the only short climb on the way into work.  I waved and chuckled as I passed him this morning.  I was double his speed, at least.  Hah!

Dehydration or Mental?

Yesterday my day job had me out walking in the heat of the afternoon for a couple of hours.  I did not take water with me.  Consequently, as I headed down to the locker room to change and prepare for my ride home I was sluggish and tired.  I was not motivated in any fashion to go fast.  I blamed dehydration for the lack of energy.

This morning however, I was terribly slow to wake up and get moving.  There was something else nagging at me as to why I might be feeling this way.  I historically have been affected by the change from awaking in daylight to awaking in darkness.  So, was it that, or was I still just dehydrated?

Bicycle Infrastructure

Early Sunday morning a man riding a bicycle was hit by a car in a parking lot and was seriously injured.  The driver did not stick around to take responsibility for what he had done.  This was apparently a road-rage incident.  As it turns out, the driver did eventually turn himself in to authorities and admitted what he had done. 

What blew my mind was that when the story hit the Twitter Boards, someone commented that it was a sad illustration of why we need better infrastructure!  Better infrastructure!?  As if a bicycle lane or sharrow would have prevented this. 

No, this is not infrastructure...it's responsibility.  I think it's sad that people are so inundated with fictional stories from television that they instinctively feel like they can run someone down with their car and then drive away.  Even if they didn't intentionally run someone down, driving away from an accident is just as irresponsible. 

For the record, I am not against bicycle infrastructure.  I don't believe it is terribly effective, but I'm not against it.