Pedestrian crossing

I swear this race is making me a better driver.

On what could have been another lazy weekend morning, I was gifted with a free hour when my family went out to the library for some playtime. I threw on my gear, shoved some snacks in my pockets, grabbed my phone and flew out the door. I cruised out of our neighborhood, through a few intersections, and finally set my sights toward Strong Memorial Hospital. Not a difficult ride, but good enough for a chilly post-breakfast workout.

A few more of these signs might encourage more road sharing.

Those of you who’ve ever driven around the hospital campus know that it’s bordered on one side by Mount Hope Cemetery where, in my seasons of running, I’d always ventured to for a scenic and thoughtful route. On the west side, you’ll see a humongous parking lot for some subgroup of the medical center’s employees (though not humongous enough for them all, I assure you). Behind the Elmwood side of the hospital is where the construction on the new cancer center has been going on, as well as some tree-lined, residential streets that many a medical resident has called home during their time in Rochester.

And on the east side? A growing stretch of cafes and eateries abutting a busy thoroughfare with not too much room for the cars to squeeze by in the two lanes going in either direction.

To play it safe I took the sidewalk. Not the most challenging for a road warrior such as myself, but part of me kind of likes the ups and downs of the ramps and sidewalks, weaving in and out of pedestrian traffic, and honestly, keeping my gears out of the stop and go of a congested area.

I’ve driven here before, too. In and out for a cup of coffee or a midday meeting with a colleague. Swinging by to get bagels for my students. An occasional frozen custard when the season’s right. But I have to say, in all of my ins and outs, I never noticed the bike traffic. So, for example, when I was inching down Mt. Hope Avenue past the very same eateries, imagine my surprise when I was met with a stopped vehicle waiting to turn wedged right in the crosswalk.

Wait! Make that two vehicles.

Normally this would be no cause for alarm, mind you, but in the cold, and in the newness of my road shoes and clipless pedals to which I was still becoming accustomed, I did an awkward dance of hoping the cars would find their windows of opportunity to turn but veering into a nearby parking lot when they didn’t, just so I didn’t a) crash into them, or b) fall, ever-so-ungracefully, to the pavement as I struggled to get out of the pedals on short notice.

The good news? I didn’t crash. I did get a friendly wave of apology from one of themotorists. The other seemed eager to get to his destination and didn’t seem too interested in salutations.

I did not get a cup of freshly brewed java on my way back, but I did discover that I’d left my housekeys safely inside of our locked home when I flew out the door.

On the upside, I’ve been a much more mindful driver as I peek my car out of a driveway toward the street, looking carefully both ways as I now recall they taught me in driver’s ed. So for those of you other Tour de Cure riders out there, I’ll wave you on from a respectable distance back from the curb as you roll by. You’ll know it’s me from the line of cars beeping behind me. 🙂

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Tags: Strong Memorial Hospital, Tour de Cure

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