Before I rode bicycles, I rode motorcycles. Well, okay, I rode bikes when I was a kid, but...
Sportbikes are a blast, and my F3 begged to be bounced off the redline. I loved long rides on a beautiful twisty road out in the country. I loved dragging a knee at the track. It was a great adrenaline high, and the amount of focus it demanded was a welcome break to the stresses of the day-to-day. But ("and"??) I hated city traffic, so I "got the heck out of Dodge" every time I threw a leg over. It was soooo refreshing to enjoy an afternoon in Brown County, or a week in the Smokies.
Then my doc and I had a heart-to-heart about my heart. It about broke my heart. My cholesterol was over 325, and I needed to elevate my heart rate with something other than adrenaline. ...Oh, how I hate exercising! I tried running, I tried going to the gym, I tried and I tried until I very nearly cried.
Finally, I dusted off my old klunker of a bike, and nearly cried again. It hurt, I hurt, and we just didn't get along the way we had oh so many years ago. The three-mile sprint to class during college made my mile-and-a-half slog to Broad Ripple seem like a marathon. Argh!
But I stuck to it, and eventually managed to start looking forward to it. And I found that instead of coming home from a motorcycle ride and crashing on the couch, I'd get back from a ride energized and in good spirits. (My wife was happy for that!)
All of a sudden I was healthier and full of endorphines. What a buzz! If you're reading this, you're probably already a believer. But have you considered commuting by bike? People 'dis' Indianaolis' bicycle commuting situation, but give me a break-- the classes I was commuting to were in Chicago, of all places! We have just celerated Bike To Work day, and Indianapolis has miles and miles of newly-minted bike lanes just aching for riders. Getting to work with a good ride under your belt is wonderful. As Randy Clark, BGI's owner said in this video interview "A day when you bike is just a different day."
Jim Hotchkiss, of San Diego has this to say about commuting by bike:
It's a win-win!!
Sportbikes are a blast, and my F3 begged to be bounced off the redline. I loved long rides on a beautiful twisty road out in the country. I loved dragging a knee at the track. It was a great adrenaline high, and the amount of focus it demanded was a welcome break to the stresses of the day-to-day. But ("and"??) I hated city traffic, so I "got the heck out of Dodge" every time I threw a leg over. It was soooo refreshing to enjoy an afternoon in Brown County, or a week in the Smokies.
Then my doc and I had a heart-to-heart about my heart. It about broke my heart. My cholesterol was over 325, and I needed to elevate my heart rate with something other than adrenaline. ...Oh, how I hate exercising! I tried running, I tried going to the gym, I tried and I tried until I very nearly cried.
Finally, I dusted off my old klunker of a bike, and nearly cried again. It hurt, I hurt, and we just didn't get along the way we had oh so many years ago. The three-mile sprint to class during college made my mile-and-a-half slog to Broad Ripple seem like a marathon. Argh!
But I stuck to it, and eventually managed to start looking forward to it. And I found that instead of coming home from a motorcycle ride and crashing on the couch, I'd get back from a ride energized and in good spirits. (My wife was happy for that!)
All of a sudden I was healthier and full of endorphines. What a buzz! If you're reading this, you're probably already a believer. But have you considered commuting by bike? People 'dis' Indianaolis' bicycle commuting situation, but give me a break-- the classes I was commuting to were in Chicago, of all places! We have just celerated Bike To Work day, and Indianapolis has miles and miles of newly-minted bike lanes just aching for riders. Getting to work with a good ride under your belt is wonderful. As Randy Clark, BGI's owner said in this video interview "A day when you bike is just a different day."
Jim Hotchkiss, of San Diego has this to say about commuting by bike:
I have tried to be a bicycle commuting evangelist with very little luck. The chief objections I hear are:
1. I am afraid of traffic.
2. I don’t want to get all sweaty before work.
3. I need my car.
4. It’s too far.
I usually try to encourage people to start slowly. Find a park-and-ride parking lot close to work. Drive your car to the park-and-ride with your bicycle in the back. Ride from the park-and-ride to work and back.
Once you feel that distance is pretty easy, find another park-and-ride a couple of miles farther from work. Work your way up to commuting the entire distance. Use the trolley, the Coaster or the bus to reduce the amount of mileage you commute. Just give it a try.
It really does pay dividends.
...And this to say about commuting by car:I would get home in a foul mood, having dealt with the aggression of freeway driving and it would take me an hour or so just to unwind. The bicycle has no problem with traffic and the exercise is an endorphin high. I get home in a much better mood.
It's a win-win!!
Powered by Compendium
Comments for Endorphin buzz, anyone? Commute by bike, not car!