New Project: Biking to Work

I need a project, something to redirect my energy into something constructive, as people wiser than me have said. Yep. i agree. Things have settled down. Commute is now routing. Work is routine. Apartment keeps coming along. Not as many loose ends. Not as many chaotic moments, or long stretches of chaos. Each day, there is a little less to worry about. A little less to stress over.

Very weird. Makes me uneasy. I got laid off last time. And now I think I’ve progressed through most of the “stages of grief” and realize that jobs join the class of “constant change.” I can only do my best to fulfill my responsibilities. I can’t control what happens after that, so trying to do so is wasted energy. Misdirected energy.

The energy still exists, though, so I need a project, a way to constructively redirect that energy.

And while there are various options, running, basketball, softball, perhaps even dodgeball, I need something all-consuming, like training for race. Except being in Canada has put a crimp in races as I can’t drive four hours, or even just twenty minutes, to a race. They involve airfare and hotel stays now. That’s more stress for something that’s my stress relief. No biggie.

So, what could be more consuming than something I’ve never done before, and judging from Twitter responses to my inquiry, know nothing about?

Exactly. Nothing! So it becomes a challenge as well as a project. W00T!

Vancouver is quite the bike-friendly city. They have bike lanes! Actual bike lanes, not the space between traffic and parked cars. The trick is finding the right path to the office from my apartment, which is about 14km (yes km!), or 8.6 miles.

8.6 miles. One way. 17.2 miles round trip. I know nothing of biking so I don’t know if that’s a typical ride, short or long. That’s putting the cart before the horse though. Before I can bike to work, I need a bike. And I have no idea what kind of bike to get. It’s mostly street riding, from what I can tell. Will have to walk the 8.6 miles one day to get a good sense. Google Maps is helpful in providing a biking route. Good starting to point so I can ask around, do some research and see what’s what.

See. Consuming. Gotta learn about bicycles. Terrain. Routes. Safety. Rules. Should probably check if there’s some kind of bike safety and rules course. Pretty much guaranteed the route will be mountainous, have lots of inclines, not gentle rolling hills.

Hrm…I think it’s time I got get myself a Vancouver library card.