I live less than two kilometres from where I work and given all the things I like to do and hope to do in the future (like biking around NFLD) you’d think a small thing like biking to work would be a choice I’d make. Nope. I really like biking and walking, especially when I’m walking my dog but you know what else I like? Sleeping. Sleeping is one of my most favourite activities, especially in the morning when I am not supposed to be sleeping. So often, in spite of my best intentions to wake up 15 minutes early (that’s all it would take), I press snooze and take my car.
I feel like part of what I’m doing with this post is publicly shaming myself for that. Most of my good friends and lots of my fellow bloggers bike, walk and run to work. It’s certainly the more “virtuous” thing. And also, we are human and we just don’t alway live up to our virtues. I’m cool with that, you should be too. However, I’m also aware that I have planned this really cool trip and I don’t want to die. Consistent biking around my town during the day would go some way to keeping me moving in useful and constructive ways. it will also make it easier for me to get out on the weekends for more substantial training. It’s all about the baseline. And yet and yet, nothing.
Sometimes the solution to persistent motivation problems is to create a “safe emergency” situation. Lucky for me, the opportunity presented itself this week. My delightful son, who has just completed his second year of uni, had dutifully got himself a job as a labourer at a farm. What we hadn’t really worked out was how he was going to get there. His day starts at 7am. Remember that I like sleeping more than biking, walking and getting up early. So, There was no way I was going to get up at 6:30 in the morning so I could drive that boy to work, just to drive my own self 2 hours later. I did what any good middle class mom would do, I gave up my car to my kid. Yes he is spoiled rotten, his work is only 10k away, he could be biking up there, but selfishly, I am not letting him bike. I’M biking! Even though I had to give up my car to get myself to do it.
It’s only day one and there are going to be more than a few days of exceptions when we will have to figure out something else. It only goes until June, conveniently, just before I leave for the epic trip. Maybe by then it will be a habit that I can stick with.
Wow, the bike tour you’ve got planned sounds amazing! I have to admit I’m a little bit jealous 😉
Also, I totally sympathise on the sleeping thing. Doing 15 minutes of yoga or a bit of strength training in the morning is something I should easily be able to do… except on the days I convince myself I can’t, and just “have” to snooze another 15 mins. You wouldn’t think it would be this hard, it’s just a quarter of an hour, but it is!
You will live well. Believe me. Otherwise you can borrow the car or do you have car share?
We have been car-free for last 27 yrs. I’ve been car-free longer than partner..last 35+ years. I’ve lived, worked and enjoyed living in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary in this lifestyle.
The suburban town I live in and my connections to driving distance places means that I need a car. I have hope of moving back to TO on the next few years and then I will either have a tiny little electric vehicle or I will car share when I need it.