Monday, March 28, 2011

Commuting

I live only 2 miles from work and I've always driven to work.  I tried commuting by bike a couple years ago but it didn't seem worth the hassle for only 10 minutes on the bike.  Then, last week while running around the neighborhood I wondered why I don't just run to work.  It would be a good way to start the day and I'd be able to easily add 20 miles a week to my training load.  Plus it wouldn't add much time since there is a lot of stop and go when I drive.  I decided to give it a shot.  

There were a few things to consider.  First was my boat anchor of a laptop that I need to take home each day.  It's a 17 incher and is pretty heavy.  Luckily when I remove the water reservoir it fits perfectly in the CamelBak H.A.W.G NV that I bought last year for the Hut to Hut ride from Durango CO to Moab UT.  It's a good pack with a waist strap that I can tighten enough to keep it from bouncing around while I run.  The other thing to worry about was clothing.  The dress code at work is pretty casual, but I don't think I can get away with wearing running shorts and dri-fit tee's all day.  But I don't want to change clothes when I come and go.  The idea for the commute is to be hassle-free so I'll stick with it.  

This weekend I bought a few pairs of Kuhl pants that are light and comfy enough to run in and look good enough to work in.  I also got a Mountain Hardware jacket for rainy days.  I think I need to get a few lightweight shirts for this summer, but equipment wise I am good to go.

This morning was my first run to work day and it was really nice.  Took about 15 minutes and with the cool temperature it felt really good.  My only problem was that I ran to the door and as soon as I walked in I started sweating.  I think I'll have to walk in the last block or so to allow a proper cool-down to prevent that.  I'm pretty happy with the idea but we'll see how this works out.

 

1 comment:

  1. You may need to consider a sink bath or wet wipes to clean up with once you get there. I commute by bike, and there's no way I could go straight to work without a shower. Luckily, we have one, so I'm good.

    Heck, if I was only two miles from the office, I sure wouldn't be driving either.

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