I’m attempting a little experiment this week—biking to work.

Now granted, I’m not in terrible shape. In the last few months, I’ve been running or walking at least 2 miles a day. But actually, 2 miles isn’t that far as far as a fitness runner is concerned. Neither was I running to win a race or increase my speed—I must have been putting in a 9 or 10 minute mile.

So, it is with some trepidation and the realization that this biking thing just might be hard, that I am writing.

Watch the flabby girl get so stiff she can’t get out of bed in a couple days, and go ahead, laugh!

Day 1:

Morning.

It took longer than I thought.

I am a little out of shape, and I have to admit it—at least a little. Yes, I used to weigh 105-110 lbs, and now I’m 115. And I can hear those who are larger just moaning internally—oh, another skinny woman complaining about her weight—she needs a better, healthier attitude! The fact of the matter is, to those with a naturally slim build, that’s not a small amount of weight. It’s usually heavier women, like Oprah, who get to spout what they think about weight gain. The rest of us should just shut up and live with our little flab, I guess.

But women like me do have a perspective as well. I personally like the feeling of being healthy and to be able to move easily. I usually equate that with being a little slimmer. I also don’t like the extra bit of stuff that was never there before in places I will not mention! So, if I come off “as one of those women,” my apologies, though I don’t think that is in order.

(Enough of that tangent.)

The fact of the matter is--the 4 mile route to work is on a gradually elevating, long hill. The terrain is a bit rougher than what I am used to “back east,” and I was huffing and puffing a little bit. Will the last hill never end? Why did they have to build this place on the top of some stupid Arizona high country butte?

I get there, get in the building, just a tad late, and am almost immediately informed that the place where I have stored my bike presents a security risk.

That’s OK; I take it up the elevator with me and store it in a cubicle. Everybody is so impressed! (Is this a benefit or a trial?)

Evening.

Now is when I realized, actually, what a hill (or series) I’m up against in the morning. For most of it is smooth sailing, all the way—all I have to do is coast for the great part of it. Course, I have to deal with all the commuters fighting each other and almost crashing their cars around me to get home. This, I guess, is both a statement and malady of modern life.

The Verde River looks beautiful with a slight bit of mist just above the water when I ride over the bridge. In the evening, I get to look at things and take it slower. I stop off for a coffee ¾ way home.

OK, I’m thinking, I can do this—I think. I didn’t break anything yet and I’m not in any real pain. I actually felt good when I got there this morning—energized, when I usually feel sluggish. Still, the thought of doing it tomorrow is a bit much. Maybe I’d feel better about it doing it every other day? But then, I most likely would stop doing it all together—that’s the psychology.

Nights are so short. Sometimes I wonder how people allow their jobs to have so much of their lives. I’ve got to finish with this and then create a quick hub page—I’ve decided I should actually give the bike commute at least 45 minutes tomorrow morning. I’m not looking forward to the hill again at all.

So ends the first day. I hope tomorrow morning I don’t have DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). Ouch!

Day 2:

Morning.

Oh. My. God. I gotta admit, I slept like a baby over night. But partially, that's because I was wiped! I also ate more than I usually do for dinner (hopefully I burned that off?). I'm not out the door 15 minutes earlier, like I wanted to be, but oh, well. I also am finding I have one of the nicest bosses (that is, the one directly above me--not sure about the others yet) on the face of the planet. She doesn't care about lateness--I guess because we are salaried, and as long as the work is getting done.

So! The hills. The hills were worse today. I'm sure that was primarily psychological, since now I know what I am up against. And I got up the first hill fine. Didn't even notice it; just road up it successfully. Then I'm out on the highway, and I'm getting tired just thinking about those awful two or three to come. I admit, I walked a couple! (Oh, for shame.)

I guess, a word here about wardrobe. I am a shopper and I like nice clothes. I think you can somewhat tell that by a few of my other hubs. But you really are a bit limited when biking to work. I've been wearing a pair of yoga pants and trail running shoes to actually bike in. When I get to work, I do a quick presto change into a pair of slacks and heels.

You find your hair is kinda flattened, too, if you are wearing a hat for the cold weather. Quick! Whip out that spray gel and take a brush with you. Other than having to carry these items in a messenger bag or whatever one would carry with (the messenger bag works well because you can sling it over your shoulder diagonally and isn't bulky like a backpack), it really hasn't been too bad, even if a little limited fashion-wise.

I get inside and take the bike into the elevator with me immediately. Another morning done.

Evening.

Heck, the ride home is so easy it isn't even that memorable. I stayed a little later tonight because I had meetings. Still, I'm out the door before it gets dark. Arizona has this dark skies ordinance, so needless to say, things are not that well lit--anywhere in town, but especially the highway.

And you don't want to mess with an Arizona highwayscape. There is desert, and then some more desert, and lots of sage and creosote, rocks, ridges--and! Mountain lion and coyotes that have been known to attack people's pets.

I mean it is barren in stretches, the likes of which nobody from the Midwest, or the coasts can know about, really, until you see it for yourself. So, probably not a good idea to be traveling alone on a bike in the middle of the night.

I stop off for a coffee after I coast down the hill. It is beginning to be a habit. I see a couple older people riding incumbent bicycles and they give me a biker's salute. I'm thinking a recumbent (that's a bike you sit in like a chair with your legs out in front of you, peddling) has got to be more comfortable all around, even if they are odd looking on the road.

I get home. I'm tired and I'm eating a lot again! That's 8 miles a day I'm riding. That's about all I did as far as mileage in an entire week running! I'm surprised, but in some ways, I'm holding up OK--I'm not even that sore, which IS a surprise.

More to come...

Day 3:

OK, should I lie or tell the truth? I didn't bike today. Somebody insisted on picking me up early in the morning for something to do with work, so, fortunately or unfortunately, I didn't have to confront the hills. Which, actually may be a good thing.

Beginner's manuals will tell you that you should give your body something of a break when starting out on a training schedule. Because, essentially, that is what this is, even though it also doubles for transportation (I love it when I get more than one thing out of something I do--ie, like eating yogurt. It's both good for breakfast and it keeps your digestive system in good shape with probiotics).

What I am surprised with, frankly, is that I have not been sore basically, at all. Even though this is a relatively expensive Shimano bike, the seat still isn't that comfortable, so I wouldn't say I'm completely without pain! But, still. I was expecting my thighs and calves to be stiff and painful--and it hasn't been the case.

What I notice most, I guess, is that I am physically more tired and want more sleep, however. Other than that, I seem to have more energy during waking hours.

Tomorrow, I will have a go at it again. Demon hills, here I come.

Day 4:

I'm backed up with writing about this little odyssey and am playing catch up. Hopefully, I can remember what occured!

This was the day the boss went to the TV station, as so wasn't there, and lucky for me! As I was slow in getting up (it happens towards the end of the week) and barely made it out the door. I was late. I kept wondering why ridng felt so difficult today when it had been easier on previous days. I mean, hard. But I was so concentrated on getting there, I didn't think there might be another reason other than I'm out of shape, and (!) it is getting worse instead of better.

I store my bike in a vacant cube at work. There is another guy who bikes (8 miles, and in an AZ summer, OMG) and it was he that noticed I'd completely blown the inner tube on the back wheel of the bike. It must have slowly been leaking air all the time on the ride to work, but I hadn't noticed it.

He insisted on giving me a ride home, and I accepted.

I didn't have time to go out an buy what was needed to fix the problem that night. One note, though: Evidently this is a huge problem on AZ trails and highways. It is a rough terrain. Sharp volcanic rocks, cactus splinters even; even in places that seem even but which can surprise you. David (that's the bike guy/fellow employee's name) says he travels with a few tools so that he can fix the inevitable problems that will occur when mountain biking).

Oh, lucky me! For I have another bike--not as nice as this Shimano I have been riding, but adequate. And this is for Friday's ride.

Day 5:

Morning.

This bike is far cheaper than the Shimano. The seat is not very comfortable at all, but I get going, anyway. First thing I notice is that there is a lack of stress cushioning (I know there is a much better term, but it escapes me at the moment). This is why a person who rides a lot might want to consider a more expensive bike if at all possible.

I don't do well at all today. I'm kind of worn out, and only had five hours sleep. Must have been all of the fighting I've been doing in the hubpage forums that did it! Partially--also just the fact that I am a night person, and job schedules have never coincided with that very easily.

So, I'm walking it some, dragging along my kind of stiffly constructed bike. It could be that the construction is not conducive to the hills and rough areas I travel, as well.

I don't notice the scenery today; I could care less. I want to get this Friday over (supposedly going to be an easy day) and get home.

I get to work, and discover--oh, no! I'd left my change of clothes at home. This means I wear my pair of black yoga pants--sweats-like, all day long. This is embarassing. They, I guess, can pass as a pair of black slacks (I remembered the change of shoes), but I end up staying in my area most of the day chatting it up on e-mail so I don't have to be seen very much.

Yeck. I hate all the management rule stuff about dress codes, frankly, but it is not my natural inclination to be a slob (or to be judged on this, either).

Evening.

I talk to David about work and biking some before going home, so I get out of there at about 6 pm (Thank God, escape).

Again, I know it is going to be a coast, so I just do it. At 6 pm, it is getting a little dark, but the traffic is much lighter. Except for the fact that on this cheaper bike, the ride is still a little harder, even going downhill, the evening ride is uneventful.

I stop off for coffee. I actually have to walk the one uphill area to the store. I coast home, but am almost run down by some idiot teenage biker trying to get around me. Don't care for the output of energy. Maybe because I'm tired, have to work and what would some stupid kid like that know about this? Then I laugh at myself.

I remember this art professor I had who biked 7 or 8 miles to work every day. He was older, but had the physique and energy level of a young man. It must have come from the biking.

I am thinking I want to keep this up, but perhaps not do it every day, as I seem to be losing energy by having to output so much physically every day. I am considering different routines to see how I can fit this biking thing into my life better.

But at least I know that this biking to work thing is doable. It just, admittingly, makes for a kind of hard week.

I konk out about 10:30 or 11:00 on a weekend night with all the lights on in the house (my partner is gone for the week on business, so there is nobody else to see to these things). Did I say I was tired?

I dream, and there are visions of Arizona hills dancing through my head.

Update:

I have been biking almost every day--going home from work--since I first put this article together.  That's an average of 22.5 miles per week, or 4.5 or 5 miles a day, and I find this completely doable.  I get dropped off in the morning with my bike, :), and change into biking clothes in the evening to ride home after work.  I no longer even feel it is a little bit difficult, so I'm evidently getting healthier.  I am know thinking of ways to work a cross-training work out into my week somehow.