Phew!

[rhu]

I've long wondered how long it would take to walk to work. And I had left my car here last night since I walked over to the Esplanade for the concert, and then went home with introverte and the kids. And it was 65 degrees with a pleasant breeze this morning. And I haven't exercised in five days. And the T is undergoing construction so I'd have to get off at Reservoir to change for a bus to Kenmore and then back on the train, so going by T was going to take about 90 minutes anyway.

It took two hours, five minutes to walk 7.5 miles. (I know, many of you run that in under an hour regularly. Those same people also solve the NYT puzzle in half the time it takes me. :-)

7:50 Left home
(via "the shortcut" to Cabot to Sargent to Kenrick to Lake)
8:30 Washington St & Lake St (and decided to start writing down times)
8:41 Washington & Cambridge
8:53 Union Sq. (Cambridge St & N Beacon)
9:00 Crossed over the Mass Pike
9:14 Crossed over the Charles River (on River St. bridge)
9:28 Central Square
(then via Mass Ave to Main St)
9:42 Crossed the train tracks
9:55 Arrived at work

Comments

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

You walked 7.5 miles this morning? Neat.

Or you could try...

[jikamens.livejournal.com]

...doing it by bicycle, which would take less than an hour. My 7-mile ride to work takes around 30 minutes of riding time. But I'm pretty hot and sweaty at the end of it, since my goals are speed and aerobic exercise in addition to transportation.

Now that you've got an elliptical trainer your legs must be in great shape :-).

Re: Or you could try...

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

introverte talked me out of cycling to work. She points out that a friend of ours once ended up in the hospital after a van clipped him at the BU Bridge rotary, even though he was riding responsibly.

Re: Or you could try...

[jikamens.livejournal.com]

Actually, your friend didn't signal before trying to exit the rotary, which doesn't absolve the van driver of responsibility for hitting him, but does to some extent put into question the claim that he was riding responsibly.

Besides, he doesn't ride through that rotary anymore.

I'd be interested in seeing the statistics for injuries to cyclists vs. injuries to pedestrians. It seems like there are more news stories about the latter than the former, but that may be because there are more pedestrians.

Re: Or you could try...

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

Besides, he doesn't ride through that rotary anymore.

But I would.

Re: Or you could try...

[jikamens.livejournal.com]

So, you won't bik to work because one person you know had an accident along your route 14 years ago?

That does not seem entirely rational.

Re: Or you could try...

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

No, I won't bike to work because five people I know have had serious accidents while doing it. One co-worker was on the bike path when a dog ran out in front of him; he went over the handlebars. Another was "doored." Etc.

So while I don't have hard data for the general case, the ratio of "people that I know who have been seriously injured biking to work" to "people that I know who bike to work" is over 50%, and that's enough for me to say "no, thanks."

And if that's not entirely rational, c'est la vie.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Wow. Impressive! Were you still able to work after that?

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

P.S. Cute icon! Did you make it?

Re: Or you could try...

[(Anonymous)]

OK, as long as we're being all anecdotal-ish, I've been bike-commuting for most of the last 14 years (more than that if you count biking to class in college and junior high). It's been at least six years since I've had a crash serious enough to break skin or cause a bruise (riding on a rainy night, on a road that was under construction). Two years before that, I was in a "left cross" collision (see http://bicyclesafe.com/), a type of collision which I now know how to avoid. I have never broken a bone. I have never been doored, because I never ride in the door zone (I will avoid ranting here about the bike lanes in Cambridge and now in Brookline, that, contrary to all notions of safety, actually *encourage* cyclists to ride in the door zone).

I recommend anyone interested in bicycling for transportation to read Bicycling Street Smarts (http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa/index.htm) by John Allen. If you follow those guidelines (basically, just following the rules of the road, same as for any other vehicle), bicycling should be a safe activity.

Re: Or you could try...

[autotruezone.livejournal.com]

The above message was from me (for those few of you who actually know who I am). LJ somehow logged me out while I was posting.

Re: Or you could try...

[autotruezone.livejournal.com]

>>Besides, he doesn't ride through that rotary anymore.
>But I would.

You would? But the route you described above doesn't go through that rotary.

BTW, the intersection that you refer to as "Oak Square" is actually Union Square (not to be confused with other Union Squares in Somerville or NYC). Oak Square is in western Brighton, at the intersection of Washington, Tremont and Faneuil streets.

Re: Or you could try...

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

the route you described above doesn't go through that rotary.

Yes, but that's not how I'd go if I were biking. That's shortest distance but no bike paths. If I were biking I'd get myself up to the river, probably by Bridge St., and then take the bike path the whole way in.

is actually Union Square

Of course it is. My oops. Fixed above.

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

I used simpsonizeme.com -- decent likeness, no?

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

The secret is hydration. :-)

Re: Or you could try...

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

for those few of you who actually know who I am

Which reminds me: who are you? :-)

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Pretty cool! :-)

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

How many water tanks were you carrying?...

Re: Or you could try...

[autotruezone.livejournal.com]

I would have thought a puzzle maven like yourself might have figured out the clues in my LJ bio. Then again, we don't know each other all that well, so perhaps you only know me by face and not by name. I'll try to contact you offline.

Re: Or you could try...

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

Oh. Got it. Hi.