Refreshing... and Tiring

My favorite part of the day, without question, is when I am riding my bicycle to work.  First I have to get past the part that I have to wake up much earlier than I would if I was driving.  After my morning hygiene routine I have to deal with all the small details.  Pack the lunch, double check that I am bringing all the clothes I need, functionality check on the bike, walking the dog, etc.  Then, finally, I get to pedal off.

Once I am on my way to work I always feel relieved, refreshed, energetic, you name it.  There is no television in the background, no text messages or phone calls to worry about and no clients breathing down my neck.  It is just the machine and I doing our thing.  I suppose the lack of television noise is replaced by the wind, the phone is replaced by honks and impatient clients are replaced by drive-by F-Bombs, but when I am riding my bike it does not get to me.

Upon arriving at work the sunshine quickly gives to rain clouds.  It usually starts with an innovative "Hey, Lance Armstrong, whats up?" and the four or five times I hear "How far did you have to ride today?" or "Isn't it dangerous to be riding your bike on the street?".  I guess in a way it is cool having people being interested in the fact that I ride my bike to work, but I really don't want to talk about it every day.  I'm no Lance Armstrong, I don't do drugs.  I never give a straight answer as to how far I ride because it doesn't really matter and riding a bike on the road, for some people, is probably far less dangerous compared to how they drive.

I know you are thinking, "But this has to have a good ending, there is still a bike ride home."  Once I am out of work I am tired.  I solved client's problems all day while mine stacked up.  There are times when I don't even feel like changing my clothes again and just want to ride home in what I am wearing.  As convenient as that sounds my body would be hating me within minutes.  The ride home is enjoyable, sure, but it doesn't have the feel that it had in the morning.  It is a stress reliever in which the issues of the day fade away and I get to clear my mind.  If only riding home felt like less of a chore.