I'd say I biked close to 25 miles today. The normal bike to work--just south of Downtown Minneapolis to the St. Anthony Park neighborhood in St. Paul, near University and 280--took about 20 minutes. Then, I got a call from my surgeon's office, notifying me that I needed to have a pre-op physical. So, I quickly scheduled an appointment in Downtown Minneapolis. There is no real "quick" way to navigate this route.
I bolted west down University Avenue, through campus and Dinkytown, crossed the river on the Stone Arch then zig-zagged to Nicollet Mall, where I cruised South to 8th Street. After my appointment, I took the same route back to the office. We had a training in South Minneapolis, near Lake Nokomis, after work today. So, I hopped on my transport and headed West on Franklin Avenue and then darted South down Cedar Avenue to my destination.
After a nice, little barbeque with the fellas, I dropped my helmet on my head and switched on my strobe and jumped onto the Grand Rounds and rode North, parallel to Minnehaha Parkway. After cruising past the Lake Harriet Bandshell and around Lake Calhoun, I think I hit almost every red light in Uptown. I rolled past Rudolph's and Mortimer's and moved up the hill to the Steven's Neighborhood. Then I was home. Now, I did pretty much everything you did today, or at least relatively the same stuff. The difference is that I rode my bike everywhere I went. So, here is a top ten list of reasons why you should bike.
10. Beat traffic.
9. It gives you time to reflect.
8. You get to judge people in cars for not doing their part to help the environment.
7. Be more productive at work. Biking gets your endorphins moving.
6. It beats sitting on the couch.
5. It gives a different perspective on your community.
4. You feel like a kid again.
3. Reduces your carbon footprint.
2. It's amazing exercise.
1. It's super fun!
