today's commute

The seasons are changing.

I left for work at 6:05 this morning with full lights on.

Passed another bike commuter who was coming up Hwy 9 in the dark. I've seen him for the last few months. He's on a road bike with a backpack and good form. We always acknowledge each other, but have never spoken, seeing as how we're always on opposite sides and both moving pretty quickly.

Here's the GPS profile from today's round trip commute. My morning commute is the first nine miles, mostly downhill with one little climb at mile two - really a pretty easy ride and a great way to start the day. The afternoon commute is a booger with that one big climb (luckily under the cover of big oaks on a twisty road scattered with vineyards and nice, well-thought out properties to admire), and two smaller climbs with heavy, fast car-traffic. The advantage of having the tougher commute going home is that it makes me save something, mental and physical, throughout the day in order to get myself home. And the real booger about it is that last climb you see. That's where we live - 185 feet of climbing in, like, a quarter of a mile! One of these days I'll do the math and figure out the percent grade.

Here's the route. I started at the green arrow in the upper, left-hand corner. It looks like a big leg and foot!