With the onset of the warmer weather, I have started riding my bike to the BWI rail station to catch the MARC train to work. Don't be alarmed, I am not becoming a full fledge "tree-hugging", card carrying member of PETA and Green peace. My intentions, I shamefully admit, are purely selfish. After 6 weeks of not showing any weight loss (not that I was trying real hard, there was a blizzard or two, travel to NY and Chicago etc etc) I decided that I need to really get focused on riding as much as possible. I also put gas in my 4runner Saturday and noticed that they are creeping the price of gas up AGAIN. It will only get more expensive as the summer gets closer. I am not sure what excuse they will use this year to justify their raping us again. Last year it was because they hadn't upgraded their refineries, and we use too much gas and they can't keep up with the demand. Don't get me started on that. I wish they would just tell us the truth. They need to line their pockets with more money... their 3rd mistress needs a new house on the French Riviera. I work in DC and I see a lot of people asking for money, holding signs that they were homeless vets, etc. If you give these people money, you wonder if they will use it to buy their cigarettes (which are not cheap if you have noticed the prices) or their alcohol etc. I saw one guy, sitting on the sidewalk holding a sign that said "I'm not going to lie to you... I need money to buy more wine." I would MUCH rather give the money to him because he was at least honest about it.
Not sure how I got off on that little tangent. Anyway, I rode to BWI rail station this morning with my ridding buddy Mike, who happens to work at the BWI business park. We left the Severna Park Park and Ride lot at 5:15 a.m. and took the B & A trail up to where it meets the BWI trail, which takes me right to the MARC train station. The ride was very much like the normal 5:45 rides that we do in the mornings, but it was just in the opposite direction. On our way up the trail, we got to the Rusty Bridge around the time that the 5:45 group was starting to gather. We stopped and exchanged pleasantries and then we were on our way.
On the BWI trail, there is a section that over looks the airport, and with the sun just coming up, and all the activity below it was one of those "You never see this from a car." moments.
The ride took 1 hour 13 minutes of ride time, but we did not push the speed too much because riding the new sections of trail, you never know where a pot hole has been created, or a new post has been put up. We averaged just over 13 mph and the total distance was 16.3 miles. The BWI trail is a big loop. If you look at Google maps I think it is on there. The MARC station seems to be about halfway around the loop from where we get off the B & A trail. I am going to ride the opposite way this afternoon and see if it is shorter or not.
Once at BWI, I took the first couple of layers of clothing off, draped them over the bike and put it in my bike box that I have rented for the year. I then put on the sweatshirt and sweatpants that I had previously placed in the bike box so I wouldn't look gay on the train in my bike tights. I caught the train and made it to my office without a hitch, actually earlier than I do when I ride with SPP at 5:45.
The plan is to do this routine 4 days a week, using the 5th day to replenish food supplies and swap out clean clothes for dirty ones. It will be weather dependent a little bit too. I probably won't mind riding in the rain, but if it is 'cold' and 'rainy', I may pass. The BWI railstation has a indoor terminal, which is nice, because it has bathrooms and a place to get a bottle of water or coffee if I need to. I don't plan on using it much because I don't want to spend what I am saving on gas. It is good to know that it is there if I need it.
SO, I am going green, using my bike to commute to the train station. I will keep you posted on how it is going through out the spring and summer. It will be nice to get my heart rate up twice a day as a I prepare for the New England Classic in July. More to come on that soon.
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