I drove today because my legs needed a break. Seriously. It had nothing to do with the temperature of 11 F and wind chill of 0. I had ridden about 8 days in a row, including days off work, and my legs are screaming yesterday. The brutal cold front hitting the Eastern US barreled through NC yesterday afternoon, causing temperatures to plummet and wind gusts up to 30 mph. My afternoon commute was my slowest on record. It was essentially like riding uphill the entire way, 16.5 miles, and took me 15 minutes longer than the previous day. I was so worn out when I got home that I decided then and there that I would drive today.

As happens nearly every time I drive, I was quickly reminded why I ride to work most of the time. Most of my driving commute is on a 8-lane highway with the traffic flow going about 45-60 mph. Traffic was particularly heavy this morning, so it was moving slower than usual. The traffic had finally opened up and began moving up to speed when the traffic signal for a side street turned to yellow. The driver in front of me immediately slammed on her brakes, in a situation where 99 drivers out of 100 would have continued through the light. She literally screeched to a halt the second the light turned yellow. That forced me to hit my brakes hard, which sent all of my gear flying in the car. I restock supplies on days that I drive, so my lunch, several drinks, thermos, clothes, etc. when hurdling to the floor. Needless to say, I was cussing up a storm. I'll be back on my bike tomorrow.