30 Days of Biking, Complete

Day 30, That's a wrap

It rained on the last day of Thirty Days of Biking, of course. Looking back over the previous six challenges, it has now rained during five of my seven finales. If I were a wedding planner, I would advise against a ceremony on April 30th.

I headed out in a light drizzle towards Marblehead, intending to ride out to Fort Sewall and the perimeter of town, but remembered Amy mentioning some artwork installed outside of Tower School, so detoured at Smith Street and headed towards the school. (I wasn't impressed with the fish installation. Kind of bland.) From the school, I hopped on the bike path and continued towards Salem, feeling a bit chilled from the raw weather. That was it for me -- thirty days, done.

I didn't think I'd have the mental fortitude to ride every day this year, but the daily ritual of getting out on my bike, rain or shine, was exactly what I needed. The added stress of social distancing and masking up wasn't great, but not insurmountable. I took the stay-at-home advisory, which allows for outside recreation for fitness, seriously and kept my rides within a bubble. (Vermont suggests the bubble to be no more than ten miles from home -- I shrunk it to six.) Overall, it was a positive experience in a stressful time.

When I woke up this morning to pouring rain, my first thought was, "It's May. I don't have to go out there".

30 Days of Biking, done and dusted.

Defining Spring 2020

30 Days of Biking, Rainy Days

Day 27, Sun circle reflections (Pic 1)

Day 27, Another Nor'Easter  hits the coast (Pic 2)

Day 27, Sweet little discovery at Beach Bluff Park (Pic 3)

Day 28, light rain on my post-bootcamp ride
A view of Swampscott from Lynn (Pic 1)

Day 28, Parking is prohibited on the beach side of
Lynn Shore Drive, giving me my own protected
bike lane. (Pic 2)

30 Days of Biking, Through Snow, Rain, and Sunshine

Day 18, SNOW on April 18th. Crazy.

On April 18th, for the second time this week, we woke up to snow -- this time with temps cold enough for it to stick around. An inch covered the ground as I went for a quick ride while the snow was falling. Crossing Atlantic Ave towards the beach, I discovered the rain-snow line! (It was raining at the beach and snowing at the top of the hill on Beach Bluff Ave.) Riding home I could hear the morning birds chirping and a woodpecker knocking at a tree while the snow quietly fell. It was quite surreal.

Day 19,  The difference of a day. Sunshine and dry
streets. (Pic 1)

Day 19, Morning sunshine on Marblehead Harbor.
(Pic 2)

Day 20, wet and damp today. The buds are popping!

Day 21, hot colors on a cold day. My bike is well
hidden. (Pic 1)

Day 21 Detail from a shipping container wall
in Salem. (Pic 2)

30 Days of Biking, Chilly Days

Day 13, Rainy day ride to Riverhead Beach

We had another week of cold, wet weather interspersed with a few sunny (but still cold) days. I'm continuing to get out early on the sunny days to encounter the fewest people, and sleep in a little later on the wet weather days. (I very seldom come across another cyclist, runner, or pedestrian on rainy days.) My routes are all familiar ones, inside what Chip calls my "bubble", as I stay within a 5-6 mile radius from home. Our emergency order is still in place in Massachusetts -- Covid-19 hasn't yet abated.

Day 14, Social distancing in Salem

Day 15, One Boston Day, honoring the region's resiliency
and strength following the marathon bombings 7 years ago.

“This jersey that we wear today, it doesn’t say Red Sox. It says Boston. We want to thank you, Mayor Menino, Governor Patrick, the whole police department for the great job that they did this past week. This is our f**king city. And nobody going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong.” -- David Ortiz, April 20, 2013

Day 16, snowflakes in the morning, but Spring has spring

Day 17, another chilly day, temps in mid 30s at the start
(Pic 1)

Day 17, familiar routes through Salem  as I ride within
my bubble. (Pic 2)

30 Days of Biking, Easter

Day 12, Easter colors. Bike for scale

30 Days of Biking, Rainy windy cold days

Day 9, Rainy day errands. Discovering a river in the woods
off Salem St, adjacent to the gold course

The weather has been typical of April -- cold, rainy, windy. Usually by Day 10 I'm regretting this whole challenge, but to be honest, I've been looking forward to my daily rides this year, even when it rains.

With sunshine expected on Saturday, (and hence, more people), I bundled up and rode out to Marblehead Neck to catch the sunrise. It was 35 degrees at the start of the day, and I didn't encounter a single soul on my ride. It still feels like winter.

Day 10, Looking for empty spaces (pic 1) 

Day 10, Crazy windy day, (pic 2j

Day 11, Rise and shine to catch the sunrise (pic 1)

Day 11, sunrise to the East, moon still high in the west (pic 2)

30 Days of Biking, Ride Solo

Day 6, Rise and shine 

Day 7, Love (under the bridge 1) 

Day 7, Peace (under the bridge 2)

Day 8, Wearing a mask in public isn't that hard.
#BeSafe