In the Ghetto

I've been getting pretty ballsy on my bike rides lately. A few times I didn't wear a helmet because it was 95 degrees, and then I realized I'd rather be sweaty and gross than brain dead, so I started wearing my helmet all the time. I don't care how nerdy it is, I'm in Massachusetts people. Everyone drives like an a-hole, including the guy across the street who decided driving 60mph down our street (which is only a quarter-mile long) at night while I walked Rags was a good idea. A visit from the police obviously knocked some sense into him.

I've also started riding on the street. On the correct (right) side of course, and always in the bike lane. Route 5 in Longmeadow is not what most Americans would consider a busy road, but being a somewhat newbie bicyclist (in that I always used to ride for fun, now I ride for exercise), I don't feel comfortable enough on the road. I ride on the road down side streets, and occasionally down Maple Road which is one of a few main roads in Longmeadow.

I got really ballsy yesterday and rode my bike into Enfield, Connecticut. I live on the border, and have to drive through Enfield for a few seconds every morning to on the highway to work, and I do most of my grocery and necessity shopping in Enfield, but the part of town I road my bike through is what I would consider the 'hood. There was no sidewalk on part of my route (between mile markers 2 and 3, basically), and I was shocked that only one disgusting hoodlum whistled at me. I was convinced I was about to get kidnapped right around mile marker 4. While riding on the sidewalk, a truck slowed down next to me. I was like, "Awesome. There is where they will find my bike." But no worries, he was just slowing down to make a left-hand turn. He never even looked in my direction. Whew!

I'm only half kidding about Enfield. Although Thompsonville is a rough part of town, I was in North Thompsonville and always on main roads, except for a tour of the part I used to play at when I was a kid. It looked nothing like how I remember it, and I realized I'm now at the age where it's creepy for me to be riding my bike through a playground where kids are playing, without having any kids of my own with me. I have been looking around for some good plyometric and equipment-free workouts, and a few suggest using the local playground. I'm not dedicated enough to get up and go workout at the playground before work and after work, there are too many kids with suspicious parents so I guess I will stick to my bike rides and backyard workouts...until it gets cold and then I don't know what the hell I'll do. I've considered buying a bike trainer - basically a stand that you put your bike into so you can ride it like a stationary bike. That seems boring, though. I might have to suck it up and use a gym this winter. I can use the one on campus for free, but I really don't want to spend any time here beyond the 35 hours a week I get paid for and the 10 hours I don't get paid for. There isn't anywhere spacious or finished enough in my house to work out (room is tiny and on the second floor, basement is only partially finished and that's where the wood stove is that keeps our house warm in winter) and our garage hasn't had power in years. The YMCA is only $20 a month, but half the people who work out there are homeless and/or on government assistance and clearly have hygiene problems, and it smells so bad. I joined my dad's membership, and he only uses it for the pool, which is actually nice, but so not my cup of tea. I don't do bathing suits...