Day 1 - 30 Days of Biking

For 30 days I have pledged along with others all over the country to ride my bike every day in the month of April.  This phenomenon known as 30 Days of Biking was something I first heard about on Twitter and am so excited to be participating in it.  Even more cool is that I am part of Team Loving the Bike for the month long event and as a team we are competing, but also encouraging one another and offering our own perspectives and experiences about loving the bike.  I like to think of us as a combination between a big support group and an awesome cycling club. 

The whole purpose of 30 Days of Biking is to challenge people to get out and ride every day, whether it’s for recreation, commuting, or even racing.  Just being on the bike each day for the month of April is what it’s all about.  Personally, I’m going to be using this month to hopefully become more dependent on using my bike as my transportation to work and other places where I may have otherwise driven.  I’ve always ridden my bike for fun or stress relief and I consider myself an avid cyclist, and I’m looking for this experience to bring new meaning as to why I love riding my bike.

So with that said, let me fill you in on Day 1 of 30 Days of Biking.  After what seemed like almost 2 weeks of just cruddy, cold, and on a few occasions, snowy weather, the first day of April seemed to be our official start of spring here in Omaha.  After work I could hardly wait to get home and go out for a ride in the sun.  I chose to ride a circuit that I frequent often and that is very close to my apartment.  It’s at a recreational park that is one of the least visited in town (which is great for me) and has some wonderful smooth roads around it.  I tend to not ride on the bike/walking path in the park that goes around a lake simply because I have to slow down a lot, and because I just prefer to ride on the road.  My circuit is a two mile loop that includes a long curved hill that is about three-quarters of a mile long and some opportunities for fast descending as well.  I have found that it gives a good well rounded ride and with it so close by; I tend to ride it a lot.  There are also a ton of deer in this park.  I’m not kidding when I say that I see at least 10 every time I ride through, and it is always cool to me to be right out there with them.  Lots of people drive through to see them in the evening from inside their cars, but nothing beats riding the bike alongside the deer.  It’s one of my favorite things to do in the evening after work.  Day 1 was 15 miles of riding all over on the roads in the park, and several times around my circuit.  At one point when I was coming up the long hill, I saw three deer off in the grass, so I stopped to stare at them.  One was a little curious of me and carefully walked further out of the grass area that the others were in to, I imagine, scope me out too.  She sure was a cutie and I managed to get a picture of me with her in the background. 

Day 1 was a peaceful and great way to kick off 30 Days of Biking and I’m looking forward to what adventures the rest of the month has is store!

I tried to get this pic large enough so you can see the deer to the left of me standing in the sunlight.  She had quiet the personality and was so cute.