Photo: a winter storm front looms above downtown KC. Cool winds out of the north are colliding with humid air from the south here in the midwest. Hard to believe they're predicting a mild ice storm overnight, considering the fact that I'm sweating right now wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I'm definitely swapping over to the heavy but sure-footed Diamondback Sorrento tomorrow, just in case.
One of my co-workers asked if I was going to ride my bike tomorrow since they're predicting ice. I'm pretty sure he was hoping that I'd say "Of course not!" but instead, I answered "I won't ride THAT bike tomorrow, my other one will probably do a lot better on the ice." He looked at me like I'd grown another head. I love that. Co workers that think I'm crazy keep me motivated.
It's the oddest phenomenon, though. I am short. I'm visibly out of shape. There's nothing special about me, and my co-workers have this perception that I'm some kind of uber-athlete. Truth is, on my most trying days I might put in 20 miles, and most days, at least while it's cold out, I ride 6 miles, give or take. Almost anyone in my office could put three miles on a bike twice a day if they wanted to. It's all in their heads. Sure, it might take them 30 minutes to cover those 3 miles the first time out, but they could do it.
What's sad is that they probably know it's all in their heads, but as long as I continue to ride regardless of weather, they still don't have a good excuse. I think that's why people start prodding me when the weather gets bad.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Clouds are rollin' in
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1 comment:
Noah:
Enjoying your blog so far.
Appearing at work, day after day, with the bike reminds co-workers of what THEY should be doing.
It gets some people interested ... but triggers defensive mechanisms in others.
Sample defenses:
- "too cold ... too hot to ride" (can't ride unless the weather is perfect?)
- "you must really be in shape!" (I'm not)
- "you must live really close...." (I don't)
- "aren't you scared?"
I find the last comment the most interesting. I have recognized that, just by showing up each day, I am proving that riding on city streets is not "suicide".
This encourages people who are willing to try something new to take the bike out of storage and plan a route to work.
Hopefully, getting "critical mass" at your workplace will not discourage you from riding. ;o)
... Nate Briggs - Salt Lake City
nate.briggs@ichotelsgroup.com
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