Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Snow Commute



The aftermath of my Monday commute home in advance of several days of frigid weather. My studded tires are the difference maker when the roads are snowy and icy. Most people heeded the blizzard warning and stayed off the roads, so there was not much competition for the best line through the snow. I doubt I'll venture out again this week due to the forecast for pretty cold, windy weather.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Saturday Run


Every weekend runners young and old converge on the Wilson's Shelter Parking Lot at the Indiana Dunes State Park. During the summer they compete with picnickers who arrive early to stake out their turf (a Picnic table). In the winter there are few others, maybe a cross country skier or two, who care to brave the harsh winds and cold that settle in until the end of March. The lot fills with cars before 8:00 AM. Then it empties and fills through out the morning with waves of hardy runners. I shared a run with this group of ancient runners today. What a blast!

Thursday, January 01, 2009

Resolutions-Welcome to 2009

The beginning of a new year is a wonderful experience, isn't it? So much summing up of the past year and then looking ahead over the next twelve months.


1. I resolve to post more often to my blog!
  • I hope to up my readership from one to two!
2. I resolve to end 2009 in fitter health than I begin it.
  • 2008 was a tough year, fitness-wise. I went almost three months without running a step. This is a personal record of sorts for me. Since I've returned to running (in about September) my running mileage has been very low but I'm injury free. I'd like to average at least five days a week running or at least 260 days running this year.
3. I resolve to continue to commute to work by bicycle.
  • I haven't totaled up my bicycle miles yet but I had already exceeded my 2007 mileage by the end of October (I think, I need to check). I bought my commuter bike for about $300 dollars. I thought I'd paid too much at the time but it has more than paid for itself. By the way I thought about naming it Floyd in honor of Floyd Landis. Needless to say I've changed my mind. I'd like to commute at least once every week throughout the year. This will be tough during the winter as I still haven't figured out a reliable way to stay warm down into the teens. My personal record for cold is eight degrees-it was not fun!
4. I resolve to get my professional license. I won't bore you with details here. This has been a decade long process. I need to get it over, already!

What else?

Wish List (these are not goals or resolutions so much as things I think about): New bike; ride around Lake Michigan with Steve; complete Pike's Peak (ascent)-not likely this year; new job; a variety of home repairs/improvements; hike Appalachian Trail; backpack at Glacier National Park.

That's it for now. I'll be back to post my 2008 bike totals and maybe a picture from today's New Year's Day run at the dunes.


Price of a gallon of gas: $1.59