L-I-V-I-N

I was rained out of my morning commute, but packed my bike in my wife's Element and was able to commute home at lunch and back, so I got in about 8 miles today. I have rain gear, but some mornings it just doesn't feel worth getting soaked to the bone, redressed in a bathroom stall at work, or facing the chance of a car not seeing you in the rain.

With it being a slow day in the saddle, I thought I would explain the name of my blog. At first glance, it may seem that I just got lazy instead searching for another name when "Living In The Bike Lane" was already taken. That's where you are wrong. I actually wanted this name. The way I see life, there is living and livin. You can go through life surviving at the bear minimum and just going through the motions, or you can actually experience what life has to offer you.

Of course the term livin was personified perfectly by Matthew McConaughey's character, Wooderson, in the movie Dazed and Confused, "The older you get, the more rules they are going to try and get you to follow. You just gotta keep on livin', man. L-I-V-I-N."

I have found that hitting my bike first thing in the morning helps me clear my head and prepare me for the day ahead. Not only do I have to focus on riding and keeping yourself safe, but the slow speeds allow me to take in the morning and just feel the wind on my face. Cycling in to work doesn't allow me to eat behind the wheel, listen to the radio, talk on my cell, write notes about work, etc, I only get to enjoy the sights and sounds that you get in solitude at 20mph. Once you get in the zone, you can find your own nirvana, and start L-I-V-I-N!