So I will never again do the full ride home from work. At least not until I have some one to ride with, find a better route, and it's staying light later. So let's play a little game called "things that can go wrong on a bike ride"…

• Directions with a road closure: check and check again
• Construction: check
• Traffic jam: check
• Weaving around cars to find the next one is a cop: Check
• Sketchy areas: wayyyyy too many checks here
• Sun going down too fast: check (the directions issues didn't help)
• Random guy yelling "BE CAREFULL!" after you: check
• Thorn puncture: check (and for a bonus in the middle of a really sketchy area! which leads us to the next one…)
• A slow enough leaking flat in a bad enough area that you ride it for 5-7 miles: check
• A pinch flat: check (pothole in the dark and a slow leaking tire = evil)
• Carrying the bike: check (1/2 mile to a gas station with lights and people for changing the thorn punctured and pinch flatted tire)
• Impossible to get off tire: check (finally successful –woo!)
• A light going out: check (good thing I had 3 little front ones)
• Almost getting hit by a car: check (cell phone drivers are still supposed to pay attention to light colors I thought… and use both pedals…)
• Coming to a light where you need the foot you usually leave clipped in out (to reach a crossing signal button) only to have it not come out, and the other one unclip, but the bike falling to the attached side: check (woo cool hip bruises).
• Getting home about 1.5 hours late and missing the start of the BBQ at your own place: check

So yeah… what doesn't kill you makes you stronger… but that doesn't mean dumb risks are worth it! Yeah, I got a 1 mile and then a 10 mile ride to work (to first train station, and from train to work), and then a 40 miler (36 + closed roads) on the way home (basically took Baseline from San Bernardino all the way to Claremont). But from now on, it's a ride buddy or metrolink between San Bernardino and Fontana or Rancho stations. If I want a longer ride, I'll just ride more in the parts I know.

And then the commute today? Well, I get in right at 8:30 and then still have to shower, and with an 8:30 meeting I drove 🙁 Just to get here and find out the meeting was canceled at 8:20ish. Oh well… there is always next year (as I might not come into the office again until then… we shall see).

I had a good six mile run today though. Still need to read the papers from Libor and figure out what HR I should be running at, so I'm not sure if I'm going to count it as starting the schedule yet or not…

I finally did it! Just got the bike gear ready last night, wrote directions from the Metrolink station to work, and hopped on my bike this morning. A mile to the station by home, and then a bit over 9 miles once I reached the near work station 40 min later. Makes the commute longer, but way nicer! Only one bad thing… the whole time on the train I was thinking how I wish I had biked more… so I might bike the whole thing home. I love addictions. But man, this morning the crisp air and the gorgeous sunset were awesome. This also means that I just keep my bike at the foot of my bed instead of in the car. It's so pretty to see as I fall asleep and wake up =)

Oh and I won once I got to work as well! We have showers, and I thought I had left a towel in my office… risked it, and yup, there was one there waiting for me this morning. Which was nice, 'cause as much as I love the hard and unabsorbant papertowels we have here… it just wouldn't have been the same.

This weekend I also joined the Foothill Cyclery crew on their Saturday ride. About 36 miles (out to the Santa Fe Damn and back) with a bit of climbing. They are fun guys, and some even do a run when they get back!! I was the only girl though (*hint hint Lisa hint*).

Also starting soon: the ultra plan from Libor. Gotta figure out the max HR part though… perhaps today… I want to start it on Tuesday. Especially since I know bike training will be interrupted by holidays and travelling, but I can easily take run stuff up to the family's with me.

Wow I can feel so much positive energy. Riding beats driving by a bazillion percent!