PART 1: THURSDAY

You may not know this, but I am the self-appointed Master of Multi-Modal Commuting (MMMC). This post is a mini-series about some cool multimodal commuting I did last Thursday and Friday. There are a couple things I love about MMC.

• It’s environmentally friendly by nature – avoids the ‘just get into the car’ mentality
• It can be super time-efficient, mixing a commute with a workout
• Finally, for those of you from the A-team generation, there’s a piece of me that loves these complicated connections that work out, and, like Hannibal (George Peppard) at the end of every episode, “I love it when a plan comes together.”

The bike dropoff in Needham! Love the lobster gloves for riding

Here’s the word problem:  Ali & Nurit live in Cambridge; Ali works in Dedham (13 miles SW of Cambridge); Nurit goes to school in Wellesley (13 miles W of Cambridge, 8 miles from Dedham); they have one car and a bike.  How do they get to work / school?  MMC!

(Note about this post: I took so many photos that I love, but didn’t want to jam up the blog too much. I posted all the photos here)

If you click on this, you can see the 8 mile Dedham - Babson run

It started Thursday morning. Nurit dropped me off at the side of the road in Needham with my bike. I biked 5 miles to Dedham.  She drops me off at the side of the road a lot.

Thursday evening, I did an 8 mile run from work to Babson, a really nice run at around sunset. A pretty uneventful run, except for a cut through the beautiful Wilson Mountain Reservation which, duh, had icy trails and resulted in my first real fall after all the icy miles this winter.

After leaving the reservation, a trafficky stretch of the road,  I realized that maybe it’s not a great idea to run near sunset on busy roads dressed in all black.

Click to see this (really) silly video. btw, I am making a fool out of myself for donations. Some generous friends have promised a donation for every video I post...

As it was getting dark, I proceeded to Babson and met Nurit for the drive home.

PART 2:  FRIDAY

Click on this to see the 15 mile Cambridge-Dedham run. Check out the elevation change. High point at Larz Anderson Park.

I got up early (for me) at 6:15 on Friday morning. As demonstrated by my training log, these days it is rare for me to run in the morning. For some reason, I got the urge to do some spackling on walls on the apartment before I left.

It turned out to be the perfect day to do this 15 mile run/commute. 50 degrees and sunny. I only had to wear light layers.

The first two miles were in Cambridge and I crossed the Charles on the BU bridge.

Gorgeous picture of one of our favorite views of Boston from the BU Bridge. At sunrise.

I proceeded down through Brookline and the first event happened. Nature started calling. Oy. 645 AM, not much is open…  Residential areas are a no-go… As it was getting desperate, like a beam of light in the dark night, there was a construction site. Construction sites = Port-a-Potties! Another self-appointed title is that I am Master of Finding Port-a-Potties, or MFPAP. So, a gracious contractor on the site allowed me to use their facilities.

Thank you construction site! Love, MFPAP

I crossed Route 9 and headed down the Muddy River. I know this route very well, because I have biked the 13 miles from Dedham to Cambridge hundreds of times over the past 3 years. Finally, the path opens up onto Jamaica Pond.

Jamaica Pond, shedding its ice shell.

And then I head into Brookline, starting with a ½ mile huge grueling uphill. At the top, however, I am awarded by being at one of the most gorgeous and unknown parks in the Boston area – Larz Anderson Park. It was once a mansion house at the top of a hill and has a beautiful view of the Boston skyline.

Larz Anderson Park. Click on the photo to see more photos of this cool park.

Now, to go directly to work, it would be about 7 miles from here. But, to show my dedication to this blog, I took a 2 mile detour to show you one of the coolest, craziest places that I have come across in Boston. First, I turned into Allandale Farm, a working farm within Boston! It is a gorgeous piece of land (photo).

At the top of a hill behind Allandale is this beautiful hidden huge house, with luscious, ornate gardens. What a mysterious place. Who uses it?

The Hidden Mansion. The photo doesn't do it justice. More photos if you click on the image.

I saw a truck, and I waved down the driver, who wore dark sunglasses. The following conversation, I could not have made up:

“Excuse me sir, I was wondering what the mansion at the top of the hill is used for.”

“Medical research,” he answered very tersely and seriously. “Are you a local?”

I thought he was going to tell me some confidential biowarfare chemical they were developing there that was putting my neighborhood at risk.

“Yeah … I live around here,” I said cautiously.

“Watch out for coyotes.”

“Coyotes? Here in this area?”

“Yes, there are four or five of them that are very vicious.”

“Um… OK. Thanks! Bye!”

Whoa. Weird.  (Real answer is that it used to be Management Science for Health, but they left.  No idea now. Anyone?)

I continued on the final 7 miles of the run, which I knew by heart. All 3.5 big hills, the little hills, the VFW parkway, the graveyards, the Ice Arena, and, yes, the Charles River, which comes through Dedham.

I stopped at Dunkin Donuts to get a Gatorade at 12 miles. I was so proud of myself for bringing money. It was $2.09. The WORST possible price. First of all, I got 91 cents change. I mean, 91 cents? That probably weighs like a pound. And then…, well you’ll see.

Click here to see the video (1:30)

With 5 pounds of $1 bills, I cruised through the last three miles. In Dedham Center, I was SO tempted to stop for coffee, but resisted the urge. And ended up back at work.

Here’s what I affectionately refer to as the Executive Washroom, with a shower, where I keep about ¾ of my wardrobe so I can do these crazy commuting things. Thank you Woodard & Curran!

Mocha Java. Mmmmm!

Executive Washroom

And then, happily, before 9AM, I sat down to my own Breakfast of Champions, or what Nurit refers to as The Brick, that I’ve been eating for the last 10 years.

My Breakfast of Champions, a.k.a. The Brick

To finish out the circuit, I rode 8 miles to Babson in short sleeves, it was so warm.  Spring?!  Boston had a little more wolf up its sleeve before winter would let go.

Bike ride to Babson. Done!!