In Los Angeles, Drivers and Bicyclists Learn to Coexist - NYTimes.com

If Los Angeles can do it, then there is hope for the rest of us.  Interesting article on the change of mindset over time.  Click title for link.

Just a little update on yours truly and biking.  Since January 2011, I have logged almost 4,000 miles.  For the past 9 months or so, I have committed to do a minimum of 10 miles a day. I incorporate bike riding with daily errands like going to the bank or post office, or simple shopping trips.  Sometimes I take longer rides and sometimes I take some days off.  Most of my various routes take me through Lake Worth and I see familiar faces from time to time as I peddle through neighborhoods.  It's also been fun to have Bill tag along with me most of the time and our first date was a bike ride.  I don't believe in over-analyzing numbers, so I do not know how much weight I have lost through the process, but most people say that they see a difference.  I will find out tomorrow exactly how much I have lost over the past year, since I will find myself going to the doctor's office.

Two Friday's ago (5/11) I noticed what amounted to some discomfort behind my knee cap.  This is after a week of routine riding and thought little of it.  If anything, it felt like I might have hyper-extended my knee at some point - either on or off the bike, I wasn't sure and at the time, I didn't care.  Bill and I planned a ride to Northwood in West Palm Beach the next day - which is well within the limit of some of the longer rides that I take.  We took the trip - you saw the pictures of the house like mine that we stopped by - and got home without incident.  It was almost 20 miles total.  Sunday, we got busy around the house and I thought it was o.k. to take the day off of biking as time quickly got away from us.  We went to the Gay Lake Worth picnic that Commissioner Amoroso and others help organize (btw, a great turnout and tons of good food!)  It wasn't until  Monday that I felt some stiffness below my knee, on the backside of my calf muscle.  This discomfort was enough to prevent my usual daily bike ride.  Tuesday was worse - the day I started with ice to combat the swelling.  Wednesday I upgraded to Tiger Balm and was visibly limping around.  By Thursday morning, it felt like someone had hit me with a baseball bat just below the knee.  That afternoon, I received an acupuncture treatment and since then, the pain has receded, but now I have a lot of remaining stiffness.  Just to make sure everything is o.k., I am going to see my local, regular doctor tomorrow.

I am not looking for a pity-party, but if you haven't seen me around town or on my bike for a week, that is why.  The moral of the story is listen to your body and do not over-do.  And, for this being my first sports injury after the number of miles I have done, I should be pretty thankful.  I hope and expect to be back-in-the-saddle soon.