Week 1...pretty awesome

i'm thoroughly enjoying my time at frito lay! such a great place and everybody is very passionate about the pepsico mantra "performance with purpose". i won't bore you with too many details, but suffice to say it's head and shoulders above a lot of corporate cultures i've heard about and/or experienced!

i tried commuting by bike today. it was harrowing to say the least and the route needs some tweaking, as well as my equipment setup.

1. commuting 28 miles one way with a backpack built for a 20 minute walk is a poor idea.

2. the wind is insane in dallas. just insane. i was nearly blown off the road many times. it took me 2.75 hours to get home today on account of the 40+ mph winds. that, and i was flailing around trying to find the right bike route markers.

3. i need to get my bottle situation dialed. freeze the night before and fill with ice from the cafeteria before leaving. today was only 94 and though i didn't feel hot; my body was thirsty when i arrived home.

4. i refuse to let this deter me. it's easy to give up and succumb to 21 miles of tollways ($4/day!) and traffic jams. i have few excuses not to commute by bike. it's not like i have a house/husband/kids/pets waiting anxiously at home. just the pigeons on my balcony.

5. i need to figure out a way to communicate about it better at work. people are naturally concerned for me when they hear where i live i relation to frito. i had no fewer than 10 people ask me about my commute today. 10! because cycling as i know it isn't a part of the culture, they aren't always aware that a cyclist doesn't just hop on a 75mph freeway. conversely, they aren't sure how i stack up in relation to the recumbant-pedalers and slow-moving bikers they see around white rock lake.

not that riding slow is bad. not at all. but i don't really operate the same way. i try to explain that i'm used to whipping around 90-degree turns at 30mph with 1 inch separating my front wheel from the wheel ahead of me. i have a different radar system for safety. i know better than to travel main roads. i search out schools and parks because people naturally drive more cautiously there. i commuted 17 miles each way when working at burt's, so this is old hat.

now how do i tell someone all of that without making them feel sleighted? it's tough.

i also don't want to be known as "the biker". i have many other things that i'm equally as passionate about (including business and business school) and i need to be careful that my personalilty and lifestyle don't overshadow my contribution at frito.

so much to ponder.

so little time.

oh wait: i've got plenty of time! nearly 5 hours of commuting per day!

wow...