Slowing down and enjoying the ride

So far I love the new job. My co-workers are great, and things are hopping a bit more now that the kiddies have returned to campus. They're all pretty cool and it's fun helping them out some between patching laptops and updating the web site.

One thing I haven't really adjusted to is the commute. It's still bike-able, which is great. However, I got really spoiled with Yahoo being right down the street from my house. I could do a 2 hour ride in the morning and then be home within 10 minutes in the evening, which suited me great. Once I'm done working, I just want to be home. It's like a need a teleporter or something.

Anyway, so it seems I can ride to work between 50-55 minutes if I come straight. But, I have yet to beat an hour coming home. I think I just tend to ride a bit more cautiously in the dark or hit more lights in the evening or something. And, because of my desire to get home ASAP, I push the pace beyond what is comfortable and end up having to do a lot of panic stops at intersections where the cars fail to yield when crossing the bike boulevard, which frustrates me more.

So, last night, cyclistrick had a Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee meeting. I decided to just mellow out and ride at a comfortable "dark pace" and try to just enjoy the zen of the night riding. I did succeed in enjoying the ride more. I added about 3 minutes to my running time, but in the grand scheme of things, probably worth it to chill a bit more and enjoy. I think I will continue to practice this concept on future rides home.