Random Thoughts About Biking

Here are some things that have been jostling around in my brain while riding recently, in no particular order:

- I saw a guy riding his bike, carrying his dog in a backpack. It wasn't a special backpack for that, just a regular book bag. The dog looked totally at peace with it, unlike what I'd expect from any dog I've met. Matt and Sophie's chill cat Bradley might be okay with it. (But he's way too heavy to carry in a backpack.)

- Grand Ave has really good restaurant smells after work, and the Greenway (when passing Eat Street) and Minnehaha Park smell delicious on most weekends. The park by the river in North Minneapolis recently had women cooking whole onions on the grills. I want to know what else they were making.

- I need more than two pairs of good biking shorts.

- Librarians are nice, including the one who thought I was riding my bike too fast on our freak 98-degree, major head wind day. She thought I should take a break in the library. I haven't spent enough time in libraries since I got an e-reader. I should bike there more often.

- I not only met my MS 150 goal, but I am at 39% of my TRAM goal. You people are amazing.

- I still don't know how I injured my thumb taking off my biking glove, or how Jane the magical chiropractor knows that parts of my arm are sore.

- I'm excited to check out the Heartland and/or Paul Bunyan trails in about 10 days.

- I am thinking about removing about 7 gears from my bike. I also should learn how to adjust more things on my bike, or at least learn the names of the parts.

- I rode next to a guy for a block the other day because I liked his jersey and wanted to know where he got it. I think he thought I was hitting on him. He kept trying to ride with me after that. I had to kick it up, and move ahead.

- I like driving down my sort of busy street when stoplights are not cooperating because I can move at least as fast as the cars and feel slightly righteous about getting a workout in the time I normally would be cranky in my car.

- As I mentioned to two coworkers today, I think biking is making the profile view of my legs look like horse legs, but stubbier, since I'm not as tall as a horse. I think that's a good thing.

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/MaggieMahoneyMS150

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/MaggieMahoneyTRAM