It's Bike to Work week! So naturally, I rode my bike to work this morning. I also rode yesterday. I didn't ride Monday because on Monday nights we shoot video for Project M, which means I could be in the office until 11pm or later. I didn't want to ride home at 11pm or later. I guess if I was really hard-core, I would have rode home at 11pm or later. I'm not that hard-core.
But I have given myself a little bit of a challenge for Bike to Work Week. Starting on Tuesday - it's "Car Free" week for Pat and possibly for the entire Gallagher household. Yesterday was the first of our car-free days, me by bike and Laura by bus and walking.
So far the challenges haven't been that great - Laura regularly busses to work and I ride to work on a fairly regular basis. For exercise Laura walks/runs the Pheasant Branch Conservancy and for exercise I ride, run and/or swim, all of which can be done without having to get in the car.
I did have to run a couple errands over the past couple days - dropping off some donations at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society office on my way to work yesterday, adding a mile or so onto my morning commute and dropping off the mortgage on the way in today, adding a couple miles to the commute.
Tonight I'm meeting my friends Matt & Julie to ride the ironman loop, which would normally mean driving out to Verona with the bike in the back of the car, riding the loop and then driving back home. There was a bit more logistics to consider this time out - with no car (ironic - it's easier to train on my bicycle if I have access to a car??). I will ride to Verona, where I'll meet Matt & Julie, then I'll ride the loop with them until I hit Cross Plains, when I'll split with them and ride home (no way would I have time to ride back to Verona with them and then ride home after). But before I made that the plan for the evening, I had to make sure they were BOTH going to be able to ride - not wanting to leave one of them to ride the last 1/3 of the loop alone - not that they couldn't handle it, it just seems kinda rude.
So, with that figured out, it's day 2 of the car-free week in the Gallagher household. Not sure if we can go the whole week, I've got an out-of-town meeting tomorrow afternoon and I have to be back in town for an early evening event, so I'll have to beg a ride from someone (hey - it still counts, I'm carpooling and not starting my car), and I know we can't make it through the weekend car free - we're headed to Green Bay to run the Green Bay Marathon with Team in Training. While I could ride to Green Bay, it would take a couple days & I don't think I would want to run a marathon and then ride back to Madison again.
This year, Madison's Bike to Work Week coincides with the National Bike to Work Week - May 14-20, so you'll see lots of cool things happening around BtWW. It doesn't matter if you are a daily bike commuter, or if you are riding to work for the very first time - there's something for everyone during Bike to Work Week.
And it doesn't matter where your ride to work takes you - the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin will be there to take care of you with Commuter Stations each morning next week so you can "fuel up" on your ride to work. All of the Commuter Stations will be open 7:30 - 9:30 each day.
WEST SIDE: On the Southwest Nike Path near Camp Randall Stadium
EAST SIDE: Ingersoll and Wilson on the East Isthmus bike path
DOWNTOWN: Capitol City Bike Path - just west of the Monona Terrace on all days except Tuesday. On Tuesday the Downtown Commuter Station will be on the Square, where Pickney and King Street intersect
So, what else is happening with Bike To Work Week?
Tuesday: It's a mass ride, with cyclists gathering at 8am on the Southwest Bike path at Glenway and riding to the Downtown Commuter Station for refreshments and a Press Conference.
Wednesday: Madison By Bike Neighborhood Rides. The neighborhood rides will become a regular feature on the cycling calendar this summer & will highlight different Madison neighborhoods with each ride. These rides will be very casual, intended to teach people some fun, safe places to ride in Madison. This first ride will start at 6pm at the Wil Mar Center and will feature a group ride to East Town Mall and back again. The ride will also include a short bicycle safety education presentation.
Thursday: Planet Bike's 6th annual "Bacon on the Bike Path!" They say everything is better with bacon...and that includes bikes! From 7-10a, the bacon will be sizzling and the coffee will be flowing. Pedal on over to the Downtown Commuter Station and join Planet Bike and the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin for "Bacon on the Bike Path!" The folks at Planet Bike will be serving up breakfast goodies (fruit, donuts, juice, coffee from Just Coffee andd Nueske's bacon) for all bicyclists. There will also be bike tech support provided by Willy Street Bikes.
Friday: The Madison Bicycling Party! Do I need to say anything more than Pizza, Beer & Bikes?!?! The party starts at 4pm in the parking lot at Willy Bikes West on W. Washington Avenue and goes until 7pm. Come on out and show the world how important (and fun!) bicycling is in Madison!
Sunday: Vermont Church Bicycle Breakfast - enjoy a variety of Vermont-style pancakes, fruit sauces, meats, rifle range coffee and other drinks. Proceeds benefit DreamBikes.
And there are a couple of deal for cyclists all week long...
FREE B-Cycle all week! Grab any of the B-Cycles during Bike To Work Week and the 24 hour member fee will be waived. If you use the bike 30 minutes or less, your entire trip is FREE. (after 30 minutes usage fees apply).
Join the Wisconsin Bike Fed! Become a member of the Wisconsin Bike Fed during Bike To Work Week and you'll receive a FREE annual membership to B-Cycle for FREE ($65 value). Join the Bike Fed online and use the discount code BCYCLE2012 or register at one of their events this week.
Finally, if all of that wasn't enough...Bike To Work Week would be a great time to join the Wisconsin Bike Challenge. Whether you ride your bike 1 mile a week or 50 miles a day, register your miles and you can earn great prizes during the Wisconsin Bike Challenge, May 1 through August 31, 2012.
Have you heard the song "Rumble and Sway" yet on Triple M?
The singer sounds like a raspy blues dude who's definitely been around the block a few times....but surprisingly, Jamie N. Commons is only 23 years old!
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Last week, I decided I would try one new, healthy food a week, and asked my facebook friends to make some suggestions.
The first thing I tried was mango. I'm sure I've had other mango flavored things, and mango as part of something else, but...
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A lot of people liked this song...
Artist: Alchemilla
Hail From: Boston
Song: 'The Wheel'
Album: Diamonds From The Penny Arcade
Sounds Like: Hole, Pearl Jam
In Their Words: "Alchemilla had been trying to write a ballad for a little while but it wasn't happening. There...
Last weeks challenge we thought went excellent! Of course we are a little biased.
The drinking song couldn't have been any better, or any less fun. We had a blast through out the whole process, and our performance rocked.
This week is an easy...
So the story goes Michael Jackson completed this song while watching cartoons with Paul McCartney. We'll just let that sink in for a moment.
Not sure what cartoons they were watching, but it must have worked because this song made it to number 2...
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Here's...
Have you heard the song "Rumble and Sway" yet on Triple M?
The singer sounds like a raspy blues dude who's definitely been around the block a few times....but surprisingly, Jamie N. Commons is only 23 years old!
He was born in England, but...
Last week, I decided I would try one new, healthy food a week, and asked my facebook friends to make some suggestions.
The first thing I tried was mango. I'm sure I've had other mango flavored things, and mango as part of something else, but...
There's only one thing that might be worse than the Neil Diamond/Barbra Streisand duet "You Don't Bring Me Flowers." And that's Jonathan Suttin doing his best crooning...doing both parts. Most unpleasant.
A lot of people liked this song...
Artist: Alchemilla
Hail From: Boston
Song: 'The Wheel'
Album: Diamonds From The Penny Arcade
Sounds Like: Hole, Pearl Jam
In Their Words: "Alchemilla had been trying to write a ballad for a little while but it wasn't happening. There...
Last weeks challenge we thought went excellent! Of course we are a little biased.
The drinking song couldn't have been any better, or any less fun. We had a blast through out the whole process, and our performance rocked.
This week is an easy...
So the story goes Michael Jackson completed this song while watching cartoons with Paul McCartney. We'll just let that sink in for a moment.
Not sure what cartoons they were watching, but it must have worked because this song made it to number 2...
The Dalai Lama is back in town, sharing his message of peace and kindness with likeminded individuals, and the Wisconsin legislature. He also held a private meeting with Gov. Walker, who said he mostly listened to what His Holiness had to say (wise...
This duet by Ol' Blue Eyes and his daughter went all the way to number 1 back in 1967. It seems a little creepy that Frank and Nancy Sinatra are singing a love song. However, a lot of Triple M listeners were in the mood for it.
Here's...
