Motivation

I was asked by my boss how much longer I thought I would continue to bike to work during the summer. It's Dallas. It's hot. Surely no one has the willpower to continue this 365 days a year.

WRONG!

I have two factors at work here that really help me to continue on in my commute. Regrettably, one has to do with topography. The first part is key: if I ride to work, I have committed myself to twice the effort by being required to ride back. If you only have to commit to a small portion up front, the latter part is determined for you already. The second factor, as mentioned, is topography and location.

Dallas is hot in the summer, but is tolerable in the morning. This makes committing to the morning ride a lot easier. Topographically speaking, my commute is generally downhill one way. There is a 60' vertical drop from the slab of my front porch to the front doors of my office building, so the ride in the morning is quicker and easier.

I fancy myself a smart person, but I am human and can be lulled into making stupid decisions. We have a tendancy not to think a situation through to it's completion, so I have leveraged this in my efforts to motivate myself. It's kind of like talking a scaredy cat (yours truly) into getting on a roller coaster. The hard part is getting them in line. Once they are buckled in, there is no turning back.