We are now officially bike commuters. Last Friday we did a trial run. We were both off work and I wanted to find the best route without the morning traffic as well as find out how long the ride would take. The Friday ride was easier than I thought going in. It's a lot of gentle downhill (after the huge downhill off the mountain bench). It took just over an hour to do the 22 miles. We found a great route with either a bike lane or wide shoulder most of the way.
Going home was killer. We were in the heat of the day - at least 95 degrees! Plus I didn't plan how to keep my energy up for 44 miles that end with a huge climb. About 1/2 way back, I told Rick I wasn't going to make it. He rode ahead and I rode to a park at the bottom of hill where he came and fetched me with the car.
Tuesday was our actual first commute day. I got a flat before we hit mile 2. This is the first time I've had a flat, ever. Luckily, my pit crew (Rick) was on hand and we were back on the road quickly. The ride was harder than I remembered. Actually, my Monday evening ride was killing me more than it should. I'm wondering if I need to get back on a supplement regimen or if all the smoke in the air is affecting my riding. Regardless, it felt good to ride in with the cool morning (still in the mid to high 70's).
My legs were tired all day. My work has a lot of stairs and I felt each mile with every stair. I was worried about the ride home, especially since it was a very hot day. Rick rode down to my office around 5. We decided to get a couple fish tacos at Rubios hoping it would cool down a bit. We then took Trax (light rail) to the end of line which got us just over 1/2 way home. I popped one of those disgusting energy gel packs just after we got off the train and felt quite good during the ride home.
Total riding time was 3 hours. It was a good learning day for future commutes. (The plan is 2-3 times a week.) I forget that riding time on my bike computer does not equal time it takes to get there. It also took longer than anticipated to get out of the house in the morning. I think better planning the night before will help. I've started taking a good multivitamin and will stock my office with quick energy snacks so I can properly fuel up before/during the ride home.
Overall, lots of fun and great exercise.
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