Bicycle (and Train) Lifestyle 2014

I wrote about a year ago about wanting to abandon car commuting and adopt a bicycle lifestyle.  Here are the results so far in 2014.  All the workouts marked in red are bicycle days.  The olive green are hikes.  The purple are walks.  Blue are either class workouts (Zumba) or runs.  One of my favorite workouts I called Train Yoga.  We missed the 4:35pm train home by just a few minutes and had to wait until the 5:32pm train.  In the hour wait time, I did some amazing sun salutations.  Wish I had recorded it.

One of the many great things about traveling by train is that you can meditate on the train.  I have a small Sansa clip and I downloaded a bunch of 20 minute meditations (for free).  I don't do it every day but sometimes it is really nice to set a positive intention for the day, either in the morning or on the way home.

I love stretching on the train, there are different train cars with handles in different places.  I try to do what my sister calls T's I's and Y's where you stretch your shoulders in a doorway or against a wall.  The T is with your arms 90 degrees from the rest of your body.  The I is with your arms straight up and the Y is with your arms making a 45 degree angle from your head.  I feel like the gentile rocking of the train is good for increasing flexibility gently.

We always cheer when we see a train with a bicycle car and groan when we see a doorway with a pole in the center.  But we have NEVER yet had a problem getting our bikes on the train, even loaded down with all the books, clothes, and papers that we carry back and forth to CSUN.

We have an informal Bike train at Northridge.  There are 3 of us who ride together from the first train of the day (from LA) to campus.  It's great cameraderie and better for safety.  Last week it was so hot, the cars were making dangerous decisions.  I was grateful not to be riding alone.  Even though it says our monthly pass costs $221.00, we get a discount from CSUN, paying only ~ $120.  As you can see, a one-way ticket is $8.50 so it's definitely worth it for us to get the monthly pass.

I'm remembering the time(s) I took the train out to Claremont with my bike.  The ticket I have saved was $19.00 and I think that must have been round-trip.  I used to have a problem with motion-sickness and I still feel it every now and then, but I've become adapted to grading papers on the train and it's such a short trip that I don't normally have any problem.

I heard that the exposure to carbon monoxide on the freeway is what makes heavy commuters groggy in the mornings and when they arrive home at night.  I can't say we've been perky and perfect every day, but commuting by bicycle has certainly changed our lives.  I am happy it is National Bike Month and I am looking forward to "Ride to Work" day.  Hopefully we can ride there (and maybe take the train back), depending on the weather.


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