Monday I plan on doing something I’ve never done in my life… Ride my bike to work. Actually I will be riding my bike to the light rail station, riding the train down, then biking it the final leg to work.

Yesterday I timed the trip to the initial train station. It is 3.3 miles and it took me 25mins to get there. I needed to make sure that I am physically able to do it. I didn’t have much difficulty. I don’t normally do cardio so I honestly wasn’t sure about this.

I will definitely be adding some time to my commute. It normally takes me 45mins by car. I am expecting the new bike/train method to take 1 1/2 hr (hopefully).

The Route

leg 1: Biking it from home to the light rail station [3.3 miles]

leg 2: Riding the train with my bike [? miles]

leg 3: Biking it to work from the train station [2.3 miles]

Why am I doing this?

• I complain about public transportation not being viable all the time. I should make an honest effort to see how it is, how plausible it is, and just experience it.
• It is good for the environment. I will be using 0 of my own car’s gas, using mass-transit and a bike.
• It is good for my health. Unless I get hit by a car or get caught in the rain this is a good thing for my body.
• It is cheaper. Though this does not really register as a motivation, I’ll save around $2-2.50 in gas.

My Normal Drive
Below is my normal drive (16.5 miles and 35-45 mins)

Preparing for the Worst

I need to email my manager and let him know that I may be late if I have “difficulties” in my commute. Hopefully I will be able to withstand the Texas sun and not pass out. I have Google Maps on my Treo 650 now. I’m glad they finally released the app for Treo’s. [Go to www.google.com/gmm from your phone to download it.] That will help me if I get lost. I will be a newbie and carry some water with me and some granola bars. Its no Tour ‘de France, but its more than I normally do.

Leave a comment and tell me how easy/difficult it is to commute by bike in your city. Any tips for us newbies? Leave a comment. I’d be happy to hear from you.

Wish me luck readers!

Update [7/28]:

I was able to get the exact distance I’d have to bike from the train station to work using gmap-pedometer. My brother pointed this site out to me a year ago. It’s a cool Google Maps mashup that allows you to manually track your trail on a Google map. This can be useful for joggers, bikers, etc.

Update [7/30]:

I have a scheduled task right after work at 6:30 so I chose not to experiment today. I will be biking it tomorrow -7/31

Update [7/31]:

Rain ( Will try again tomorrow. I’m not up for venturing through rain on my first go at this.

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The below is a video made by the Latvian Dvinsk free running clan from Daugavpils

[youtube]cYLipYc4tOE[/youtube]

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Today I saw an advertisement for a drug discount card in the Wall Street Journal. I found it somewhat interesting to see this ad in this paper considering the average income of a WSJ reader was $191,000, an average household net worth of $2.1 million [as of 2005] per Wikipedia. These readers would not qualify for this discount card.

What the Together Rx Access™ Card is

A FREE prescription-savings card for eligible residents of the United States and Puerto Rico who have no prescription drug coverage

• A public service program created and sponsored by a group of some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies
• Most cardholders save 25%–40%* on brand-name prescription medicines and products
• Savings on generics are also available and vary by pharmacy
• No maximum usage limit, no hidden fees,
  and no monthly charge

In a nutshell that’s what the discount card is. If you don’t have prescription benefits check out the Together Rx Access card. You could save a few bucks the next time you visit the pharmacy.

The program is sponsored by some major pharmaceutical companies.  What a great service to the public.  Big companies do things like this sometimes to belay government price control.

I’m still scratching my head on the WSJ advertisement, but then again if I didn’t see it I wouldn’t have been sharing it with you here now.

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I have to say as I am waiting, I have nothing to do. Luckily I have a Sprint EVDO car in my laptop enabling me to have mobile broadband. (Sprint if you’re reading, you should give me some credit on my bill for this free plug). So I sit here writing this blog entry about my experience.

My Top 10 suggestions as I sit observing in your waiting room:

1. Give me some distractions. It is freaking boring when you’re waiting. It can also be stressful. Give me wireless internet or an internet station. Computers are so cheap these days. Much cheaper than the $200/sq ft you pay to rent your office space or the $100K you pay each year in malpractice insurance. It will keep me quiet and distracted from the wallet rape I will encounter over the next hour when I pay my bill. I’ll probably be groggy and weak. What a great time to ask me to pull out my checkbook. Anywhere else and you’d think it was a well-plotted scam.

2. Paint your walls a color other than sanitarium white. I’ve grown up and gone through the usual institutional suspects – grade school, college, hospitals, etc. Give me some color. Hire an interior decorator and do something pleasant for me while I wait.

3. Give me a couch. I don’t necessarily want to sit in an arm chair. It almost makes me feel like a number. I’m not a lego block. Sometimes I want to be a little more relaxed. Hell I want to be more relaxed than what I’m feeling now as Lego #5 by my estimation.

4. Get some good magazines. I don’t want to read what you read necessarily. Go look at the magazine section sometime at Borders or Barnes & Noble. See that? There is more to magazines than Sports Illustrated, Golf Digest, and Time. Surprisingly this office has no business magazines which probably would have satiated my magazine appetite. I guess its no surprise as Dr’s are famous for their inadequate business sense.

5. Offer some coffee or something in your office or at least a water fountain. By my estimation the 3 cups of coffee I drink while in your office probably will cost you no more than $1.00 assuming you use a coffee service to maintain it for you. Now take the $35 copay I just paid you + $240 of uncovered charges for a total of $275 and that doesn’t include the $600 or so that my insurance company will pay you. I don’t think its too much to ask for a $1 worth of comfort.

6. Do have some soothing music. Your office has no music, no good magazines, no charm. I don’t want my senses to be numbed just yet. The shot will do that.

7. Start on time. With all the modern technology, how come you guys don’t have a rough idea of how long things take? We as patients meticulously take time off work so that we can get to your office a little early just to make sure we’re on time. The reality is we rush over here to sign in on a piece of paper and wait 30mins to an hour. Why is my time worthless, but your time so valuable that I have to throw away time whilst your receptionist gives me evil eye if I’m 10 mins late. “ummm your appointment was at 3:45. I’ll have to see what I cand do (as the receptionist thinks LOSER in her head).”

8. Give me options. Explain to me what the hell is happening. Don’t assume I just want a pill or a quick fix. Tell me I can excercise. Tell me to eat fruit. Trust me, even if we’re all healthier for it we’ll still come to you guys. I know some of you will IF I ASK what my options are. Why don’t you just tell me? Some of you on the otherhand will look dumbfounded if asked. I can hear the dialogue in your head Mr.Dr. – “I told you take 2 of these red pills a day. I’m not here to be your advisor. My drug rep doesn’t give me free pens so I can tell you not to take medication.”

9. Scare me. Tell me what could happen if I don’t show up for my follow up. Don’t tell me its normal. I don’t want to hear “Alot of people get heart-attacks at your age.” No. Tell me “Wake up or you will die if you don’t heed this advice.” I promise I will try not to have a heart attack when you are honest with me. If I do, I think I’ll take some of those pills now.

10. I can’t think of one. This stale environment is making me sleepy. You really need to get working on that coffee. If you put a donation can I may even pitch in some loose change.

Luckily, I brought my laptop to the Dr’s office.  I was able to distract myself (mostly) from the sterility.  When I left home I thought I was being silly for bringing my laptop.  Damn I’m good.  Best move ever.

So Dr. if you’re reading, I’m available to help you fix these problems. Admission of a problem is step 1. I think I saw that in an AA phamplet at another Dr’s office. What an AA phamplet was doing in an obstetrician’s office is beyond me. I guess kids can lead you to that. My hourly rates are more than the Geek Squad, but less than your malpractice insurance.

I’m a great investment when I’ve had my coffee.

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Here’s a vid I found on youTube of some training.

Now that’s some Jackie Chan $hit right there. I should probably buy a big bottle of glucosamine now.

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The main difference that I can tell is that overseas sugar usage is prevalent as a sweetener. In the U.S. high-fructose corn syrup is the sweetener of choice. Sugar is more natural and broken down easier. I’ve known that for years and I suspected that was the main cause of the quick weight. However this article points out some other bad properties of HFCS that is worth a read.

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11 Tips

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