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Monday, April 16, 2012

Update #2 on #30DaysOfBiking

It's now April 16th - the start of the second half of 30 Days of Biking.  And I have been on a bike every day this month so far... barely.  On day 9, I....  Well, I'll get to that.  Here is an update of how the month is going so far....

Day 5 - View Of a Bridge
My daily bike commute take me under Johnson St along the Yahara River in Madison.  The river is just out of frame on the left.  There is another underpass at E Washington two blocks away (which is, honestly, a nicer bridge).
Day 6 - Blood Run
It was a 10 mile ride each way to the Red Cross's donation site on the east side of Madison.  I rode over late Friday morning, spent 86 minutes on the apheresis machine donating a triple dose of platelets, then rode back home.  Great way to spend the day off!
Day 7 - Grocery Run
Rode to the grocery store with my favorite partner.  We took a different route and didn't always agree on which way to turn, but we made it there and back.  And even got all the groceries we needed for supper.
Day 8 - Late Night Spin
It was late on Easter Sunday.  And I hadn't been on the bike yet.  So I hopped on and took a spin around our neighborhood (about 5/8 mi) at 10:30 p.m.

Day 9 - no pic
No picture for today.  I spent most of the day doing chores and running errands.  By the end of the day, I realized I hadn't ridden.  So I went to the garage, grabbed the bike closest to the door - Olivia's old 20" and rode it around our cul de sac.  This really shouldn't count as a ride.  But I was on a bicycle.  Even if only for a couple hunderd yards.

Day 10 - Capitol View
Madison is a beautiful city, as evidenced by this pic of the isthmus with the capitol dome standing out in the blue sky.  This view is from Maple Bluff Park on the east shore of Lake Mendota in the Village of Maple Bluff.  I ride past this view every day I commute to work by bike.  (I work a block away from the capitol.)
Day 11 - Tulips
After an incredibly mild winter, we had freeze warnings two nights previous to this pic being snapped.  The temps stayed at about 30 and the tulips survived.  Always great to stop and smell the roses.
Day 12 - Park-N-Bike (car)
Sometimes my schedule necessitates that I not commute by bike all the way from home to the office.  Doesn't mean I can't still ride part of the way though!  On this day, Pre got to ride on the rack into Madison and was used for the last couple of miles to the office and back.  And yes, I did make it on time to where I needed to be after work.
Day 13 - Loving the Bike
It was a little cold yet this Friday morning.  Cold enough for leg warmers under my shorts and long sleeves on my bike commute. 
Day 14 - Late Night Spin
Olivia had a dance competition allll day loooong on Saturday.  We left at 6:45 am and got home at 10 pm.  But that's no excuse for not getting in a ride of any kind.  So, the girls went to bed and I pulled Pre out and we went for a short ride.  Pleasantly surprised by the speed, btw.
Day 15 - Legs
Finally, a "real ride" - on Candi. Even if it was too short (just under an hour), it was a chance to do a road ride and stretch my legs just going.  This was Sunday morning, before we had to leave to go to a volleyball tournament for a big chunk of the day.  Thankfully, we didn't have to leave until 10 am and were home by 7 pm.
Day 16 - Winds Are Blowing
After a gorgeous weekend (sunny w/ highs in the 70s both days), the weather turned overnight.  It was a little breezy this morning - enough for whitecaps on Lake Mendota.  The wind was out of the SW this morning and is changing to out of the N this afternoon.  Great.  Headwinds both ways on my bike commute!  I guess, I'll consider it resistance training.

There you go.  My month on the bike so far. 

How is your month going? Getting in some great rides? Taking time to check out the world around you? Feel free to share your experiences in the comment section below.  I'd love to hear how your 30 Days of Biking (or just 30 Days of April) is going.

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for reading, Matt! And nice pics! Thanks for sharing. MnIronman and MS150 are two big rides. I'm skipping the MnIronman/MGF this year. I have a ride scheduled for 4/28 to benefit a local food bank and the UPAF Ride for the Arts in Milwaukee on 6/3. Looking forward to those.

    Stay safe and Pedal On!

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  2. Good job, Bob....great to see your update on here (even though I've seen it all coming together on Facebook). Keep it going.....we're so happy to have you on Team #LovingtheBike.

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    1. Thanks, Darryl! Proud to be part of Team #LovingTheBike. This, and every, month!

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