Week 16 (March 9 - 13)

Monday - Car & LRT (AM Carpool)
Tuesday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Wednesday - Car & LRT (AM Carpool)
Thursday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Friday - Bicycle

I have to admit that if I had gotten a better start to the week, the past five days could have been more productive for bicycle commuting. But there were two significant obstructions to my plans this week: daylight saving time and crazy Minnesota winters.

I found it especially difficult to get up and going each day, and actually had a cup of coffee each day this week. Then, by the time I was settling into a mid-week groove for my morning routine, the temps plummeted to a low of -3 on Thursday morning. Thankfully it warmed up on Friday to avoid a goose egg for the commuting week.

Since I didn't feel like I got on the bike enough this week, I've decided to make this a car-free weekend. It makes it easier since Pati is in Des Moines (Ivy, enjoy my wife!) and I don't have to try to convince her to ride along. I rode to St. Louis Park for a haircut, then came back through to the office downtown, simulating my old commute on the Cedar Lake trail before closing the loop going home, netting just under 20 miles.

I really miss that commute. Scenic, natural vistas of Cedar Lake and paths through the prairie sure beats the urban industrial wasteland along the Hiawatha LRT line.

I've got three weeks left until the official end of busy season, and the next two weeks at a client site is another significant challenge. The route there looks to be similar to my current commute, and if I am able to get the 5 speed up and going, I might shoot for riding in my accountant attire on Tuesday, which looks to top out at 55 degrees.

If that doesn't work, I could probably go multi-modal and ride the bus in with a commute home to keep the streak alive.

Finally, here's a shout-out to Erin in KC. I've gotta say I'm jealous of your forecast as it looks like you'll be hitting mid-70s this week, so enjoy it while you've got it.