My morning commute to work

I have been biking to work around 3-4 days a week, and have really been loving doing it. I have not ridden my bike on a work day other than going to and from work because of not having enough time. Commuting to work by bike is saving by fitness, and I have much more fun than sitting in traffic. Here is a link to a map of my route! Or just look below.........

The route I take is almost 14 miles, and takes me about 50 minutes. Driving to work usually takes me 30 minutes, if there are no wrecks. The way I see it, I am giving 40 minutes of time to biking on days that I commute, but get a solid 2 hours of cycling workout!! At 8 hours of biking during the workweek, this means that I have the potential to ride 16 hours a week during peak training. The is more than enough to keep myself in racing shape.

Right now I am taking my morning commutes really slow and easy (the offseason!!), but can potentially use this time for interval training and sustained efforts. Because of the complications of time constraints, I am contemplating getting a coach to help design a workout plan that really works well and maximizes the time that I do get on the bike.

I encourage EVERYONE to ride to work if you have the means. If you live in Austin, you have no excuse. Things like showers and lockers help immensely, but a lot of companies don't have these facilities..... yet. I think people should ask for these things! Commuting by bike is great for the environment (very 'green' policy) and help keep employees in shape, reducing medical costs and sick days. The initial investment of a small locker room and a bike rack would more than pay out over time.