I've been sleep deprived this week so yesterday it seemed unwise to ride my bike in City traffic. The subway is a fairly long walk from home, and once I'm on it, I take it only two stops. It's almost silly to take the route, but yesterday, it made the most sense.

This morning, I thought about doing it again. I'm still tired and sleepy, and the extreme summer heat is reducing my energy level. But the thought of the heat on the platforms and the awful smells and the general sadness I see during rush hour made me decide differently. So I jumped on Citi Bike. I told myself I don't have to ride hard. And wouldn't you know it, as usually happens, I rode harder than I needed to, and I think it was good for me.

I started this job/internship position on July 8. I need to be there by 8am, and for NYC, that's early. NYC seems to be a later city than others. Many people start work at 9 or 10. So I'm out before it gets really busy and crowded. Maybe that's why I see a lot of people in exercise or athleisure clothing. My neighborhood is deeply gentrified, and maybe that's why there are so many slim women wearing tight-fitting clothing, but the trend seems accentuated on these mornings. Maybe the change is noticeable because it's a different route than I've ever had. My commutes for many years have started by going north on the Hudson River. Now I'm going southeast into the streets into neighborhoods where I never worked or went to school. I suppose that accounts for some of the difference.

My GPS tracks for today

I think I'm going to try a couple of different routes so I see more neighborhoods.