A Rite of Passage - A Lunchtime Spin

Who knew I would need a lunch hour bike fix?

It's a common occurrence to run or walk during one's lunch hour. Some people tend to errands, the only free time to accomplish certain tasks, especially at businesses whose hours align with our own office schedule. And on occasion I've jumped on my bike to mail a package at the post office.

But as a regular bicycle commuter, the idea of riding for exercise at noon is a foreign concept to me. Changing from office attire, swapping skirt for socks and lycra leggings only to reverse the routine 45 minutes later, just for the sake of additional miles, is not an appealing concept. If anything, I spend my free time reading, walking, sometimes checking out what's new at a nearby Goodwill store, or on a whim, hit up the nearby Dunkin Donuts if I get a hankering for an iced coffee.

That is, of course, until the day arrived when time constraints, after work hours, necessitated driving the car to the office. So, planning ahead, I realized that I couldn't pass up a bike ride in beautiful Spring sunshine, the allure of roads I hadn't ridden in quite a while, and brought my bike and riding gear along with me to the office.

I left promptly at noon, changed, and pedaled a loop which included climbing hills, a straight shot south along a ridge with open Lake Champlain vistas, then dropped downhill, rolling along a quiet segregated path, then back north along busy highway with reasonable bike lane. I got back to my cubicle five minutes late, but felt reinvigorated, happy I'd made the effort.

I much prefer to commute by bicycle and leave lunch hour for other things. However, I now know that it's possible to sneak in a few mid-day miles to satisfy my soul, something that hadn't really occurred to me until a disruption in my regular routine. It's nice to know the option is available, should I need it in the future.