Regression Analysis

Remember when I thought things were looking good and my weekly miles were finally catching up to my hours worked?  It didn't last long, and the past ten days have been brutal again. 

How am I going backwards here?  It's not hard to figure out why this has happened.  My schedule has been in place for a long time, so I should have known that busy season was going to stretch to the end of April.

It hasn't kept me from getting a perfect attendance sticker, though.  I've managed to keep riding every day in April so far.  Here's how the last 10 days turned out:

Day 11 - I rode a few blocks down the street to hang out with a friend after work.  I hadn't caught up with Brent for awhile, so if nothing else good were to come out of these 30 days, this alone made the whole endeavor worthwhile.

Day 12 - I had no real place to ride to, but wanted to keep the streak alive.  I jumped on the saddle and sprinted around the block to get a green check mark for the day.

Day 13 - We had absolutely nothing to eat for breakfast, and Turtle Bread is less than a mile from our house.  This was a perfect opportunity to obliterate two avian beings with one rock (figuratively speaking) and I took full advantage.

Day 14 - We were still out of food on Saturday, so I did a grocery run to pick up some more substantive food.  I also rode the bike into the office, which helped counter the depression that accompanies being in the office on a Saturday halfway through April.  At least I got to bike there!

Day 15 - Nothing special here, just enjoyed a short Sunday ride.

Day 16 - It was a little late when I pulled in, but decided to ride to the river to wind down a bit.  I pedaled on the West River Parkway path, peering through trees and catching glimpses of the street lamps across the river reflecting in the water like candle flames.  Very peaceful, but it was chilly so I didn't linger long.

Day 17 - I only had time for a quick spin around the block, so to mix it up, I took alleys instead of streets.  I expected to encounter a few miscreants digging through trash cans or breaking into garages, but all was calm on the alley front.

Day 18 - I had an administrative deadline to meet by midnight on Wednesday, and made it with fifteen minutes to spare.  This was just enough time for me to jump on the Greenspeed (now converted to a fixed gear) and take another spin around the block to stay at 100% for the month.  Then I came home and worked until 3:30 am.  I love my job.

Day 19 - Another short ride down the street.  It wasn't just a "check the box" ride though, it was actually to ride along with a ride who was test riding a couple of bikes. Hopefully he buys one soon.

Day 20 - Took advantage of the Nice Ride bikeshare to get across downtown to meet some up with some people after work on Friday.  Sure beats walking!

After 20 days, I've still got a perfect record, and if the weather doesn't throw any wrenches at me, I think I have a good shot at staying that way for the entire month.

Today's already the 10th

So far I'm batting 1.000 on the 30 Days of Biking, here's the rundown:

Day 1 - Did a 30 mile weekend ride on the Surly

Day 2 - Carpooled in, biked home

Day 3 - Drove to work, got home late, but rode across the Ford bridge into Highland Park to run an errand (the store ended up being closed)

Day 4 - Took a Nice Ride bike across downtown and back to grab lunch.

Day 5 - Worked late so I took a short evening ride through the neighborhood

Day 6 - Pati had the day off so I convinced her to have coffee with me in Golden Valley and I rode the bike
home in the afternoon

Day 7 - Made the most of having to work a weekend by commuting to the office by bike

Day 8 - Made the most of forgetting some papers (my business papers) at work on Day 7, so did a quick out and back to the office to grab them

Day 9 - Performed my free parking trick: parked on the fringe of downtown and took the Nice Ride to get to the office and back.

Day 10 - Carpooled in, biked home.

If it hadn't been for my pledge, I don't think I would have ridden on Day 3, 4, or 5.