It looked like this yesterday, and felt like spring, with the high temperature on its way to 60 F. The forecast called for more wintry weather starting in the evening and through the evening.
“Might want to get out for a ride,” John said as he left for work.
I did just that and spent a glorious 45 minutes in the early afternoon wandering the neighborhood at will. I found a new, moderately hilly training route in the process and thanks to my iPhone’s map, didn’t get lost even when the road I followed took some unexpected turns.
Since December 1st I’ve been my own boss. Here’s my website if you want to check out what I’m doing. Many changes accompany going from employment to self-employment. Two of relevance to this post are 1) there’s no commute, 2) the proprietor of a 1-person business fills all roles from AA to CEO. The first means bicycling is not automatically a part of the day. The second means you are working multiple and ever-growing to-do lists. This isn’t a complaint, it’s a big part of the fun. These two things added together create a challenge in finding time for biking, particularly during the workweek.
So, I can hear you saying, what’s the problem? You’re your own boss. Just take a biking break every day. Yes, exactly. You are right! I need to work on this. In part it’s a matter developing a new approach. I have 30+ years of habit that dictates working from morning to evening, with a lunch break if you can fit that in. It’s taking some focused effort to remember I can schedule in a 45-60 minute biking break in my day. Or even a 20 minute break, if things are really busy. Sure, some days its just not possible. But, let’s say that 75% of the time it can be done.
Maybe if I think of these breaks as bike commuting for the self-employed I’ll do better at scheduling them in. Just as you have to commute somehow to get to your office, if you work at home, you have to “commute” so you are fit to keep working. It’s good for energy, stamina, focus, creativity and productivity.
This morning we have the wintry mix as promised. Glad I “commuted” yesterday.
Mid-Atlantic Bike Commuting 