May is National Bike Month and this past Friday, May 20th was National  Bike to Work Day!  I must admit that with this years  long, cold, and rainy winter it has been a little more difficult for me to find the motivation to get back on the bike.  Events like  Bike to Work Week provide me the needed challenge and motivation to get back out there—and just in time for summer!

(see this link for Seattle’s Cascade Bicycle Club’s Challenge  http://www.cbcef.org/btw/cc.html )

Biking to work has numerous benefits!  For me, I can’t help but think of the positive effects it has on my health http://www.bikeleague.org/resources/why/health.php and the environment  http://www.bikeleague.org/resources/why/environment.php .  Not only does my bike commute provide physical benefits, but mental benefits as well.  My bike commute provides space to process and reflect on the days activities and/or life happenings, sometimes I’ll even take the long way home to allow more time for this much needed time of solitude.  Each day I ride, I arrive to work feeling refreshed and energized–with a clear head ready to start my day.  Likewise, I arrive home feeling satisfied and accomplished.

Here are a few more great reasons to bike–provided by the Cascade Bicycle Club

Commuting Statistics

Bicycling Improves Your Health

• Number one strategy for reducing inactivity-related diseases: shifting from auto trips to walking and bicycling [Centers for Disease Control],
• New bicycle commuters can expect to lose 13 pounds their first year of bicycle commuting. [Bicycling Magazine]
• Behind tobacco, leading cause of death among adults: inactivity / sedentary lifestyles [California Dept. of Health Services]

Bicycling Makes Financial Sense

• Trimming one vehicle from your household, saves you $340/month [City of Seattle]
• Cost to purchase and install one bike parking rack: $1503
• Number of bikes that can be parked in one car parking space in paved lot: 6 – 203
• Estimated cost of constructing one car parking space in a paved lot: $2,000
• Estimated cost of constructing one car parking space in a garage: $20,000 – $30,000

Bicycling Makes Environmental Sense

• America’s cars and trucks consume 10% of world’s oil supply [League of American Bicyclists ]

Bicycling is just more fun

• 25% of the U.S. population bicycles [Omnibus Transportation Survey by Bureau of Transportation Statistics, July 2001]
• 20% of Washingtonians rode a bicycle in 2001 [WA State Assessment of Outdoor Recreation, March 2002]
• 60 million Americans bicycle at least once per year [Bikes Belong]
• While in Japan 15% of commuters bicycle to work, in the Netherlands 50% of commuters bicycle and in China 77% commute by bike; only 1.6% of U.S. commuters bicycle to work [Washington State Energy Office Extension Services]

Bicycling is the fastest growing mode of transportation in our region

• 100,000 bike boardings on Community Transit busses annually [Community Transit]
• 500,000 bike boardings on King County Metro busses annually [King Co. Metro]
• 66,000 bike boardings on Sounder Commuter Rail annually [Sound Transit]
• Miles of bike trails in Seattle: 283 [City of Seattle]
• Miles of striped bike lanes in Seattle: 15 [City of Seattle]
• Miles of signed bike routes in Seattle: 35

Safety Matters

• Cyclists who ride sober, with the flow of traffic, using lights at night, are 99.999% likely to survive their rides [John Hopkins]
• 70% of adults and 50% of children in King County wear bicycle helmets – the highest irate in the nation [Harborview Medical Center]

Today I participated in Beat the Bridge – Race to Cure Diabetes 8k.  I participated because my friend Kim in Atlanta, asked me.  She has had type 1 diabetes for most of her life and has become a strong activist to find a cure.   I am proud of her humility and inner-strength to ask all those she knew to help her by participating in this race.  Luckily I was able to convince a few friends here in Seattle to participate with me, especially when it is still cold and rainy. I haven’t been able to run in many months due to a foot injury, so this was my first race, and I planned to stagger between walk and running as I slowly build my tolerance back.  I needed a good reason to get back at it, and am so glad I signed up.  The event was inspiring and motivating for me after being side-lined for so long with an injury but more importantly because I was able to share love and support with my friends, old and new.

First — there were a ton of people who came out to run in the POURING RAIN to support such an important cause.  I thought of my friend Kim and others who have diabetes and the struggles they face– and how thankful I am to have my strong body…and how I must treat it kindly.

Second — I just love the feeling of seeing and being involved in an active lifestyle.  Seeing fast runners, slow runners, walkers, wheelchair racers, families and friends participating together or alone is motivating to me!  There is an energy and it is contagious!   I don’t know if my foot is ready—but I am!!

Third — I ran it with my friends…and met friends after to share our silly story of walking and running (yes, the running was surprisingly comfortable and without pain).  It’s a shared experience and that’s what makes it special to me.

I’m lucky because all  this excitement will carry over into my week.  I can’t wait to work with my boot campers and my seniors at my retirement community where I work.  Both groups work hard to do their best. Doing their BEST means they are living and getting stronger—and I am thankful for the motivation they give me in return. Let’s remember how special our health is, how special our friends are and how sharing the journey together makes it all worth while.