Biking to Work

This week is Bike to Work Week in Chicago. I signed up for the bicycle challenge - last year my workplace had the most people signed up for our category - and on Wednesday, biked in to work. It only took me 30 minutes, compared to the El which can take 45 - 60 (!). It was kind of fun to be part of a line of bicyclists cruising down the street; at stoplights, there would be 8 - 10 bicyclists and I felt like we were some kind of nerdy street gang.

Thursday morning there was a commuter stop on my route in to work - free coffee, water, snacks and goodie bags. A nice little break.

Friday was the Bike to Work Rally downtown - it was pretty cool. The breakfast was not that great, a banana or orange and a bagel (no cream cheese), but I did get a t-shirt and there were a lot of different booths to visit. The I-Go booth was giving out the Audio Emissions cd, which is a great compilation.

All in all, it was pretty cool to ride my bike to work. I can see myself doing it more often, and I'm glad that Bike to Work week gave me the kickstart I needed.

Locust Street Beer Run

Team Crusty sucessfully completed the Locust Street Beer Run today, despite facing challenges that included a bum knee, sprinklers, and an extra beer stop (gasp!). It was a beautiful sunny day - perfect weather for a run. Especially a run with refreshments. PolkaGrl managed to complete the 1.8 mile course in a mere 35 minutes - woohoo! A half hour sounds like a reasonable goal for 2008. :-)

See Team Crusty's photos of the event here.

Running with Beer

Team Crusty is gearing up and getting in shape for the annual Locust Street Beer Run. I would post pictures from our training routine, but it's top secret. Training for a 1.8 mile run, including 4 beer stops, requires dedication and determination - luckily, PolkaGrl, Crusty Bill and (new this year!) Crusty Marcia are up to the challenge.

Stay tuned for for the post-event report, which will cover highlights such as brand of beers served, whether Team Crusty donned costumes, and how close to last we finish!