Years back I participated in the Mississippi River Challenge with three other girlfriends. The goal was to paddle 44 miles of the Mississippi River in two days to raise funds and awareness for protecting the river. We were all at least intermediate paddlers and looked forward to "lily dipping" our way down the mighty Miss. After all, we were going to be paddling downstream, right? No one anticipated the headwind we encountered that turned our expected 8 - 9 hour paddle that day into 12 hours. It was grueling, but we made it through and the next morning we were back supporting the cause. So when I came across the Fitness Council of Jackson, Michigan sponsoring a Paddle to Work event, I was intrigued.
Apparently, the event was more about thinking outside the box when it comes to commuting. And it made me do just that. Although I take Metro daily to work, maybe I should try biking one day a week. Or maybe I should re-shellac the wooden paddle and give the waterways a try. I've heard of bike pools being formed in the DC metro, I wonder about paddle pools? I'd love to hear from anyone who actually paddles to work and wants to share their experience. Any takers?
Wendy Duren is a Business Development Manager at Arlington Transportation Partners,
and commutes with Metrorail daily.
I remember reading last year about a guy who combined a bike and kayak for his commute from the Eastern Shore, I believe. Of course, now I can't find the article. Maybe someone else read about it and can give me more direction in terms of keywords to search for?
Posted by: Melissa Esposito | July 20, 2009 at 11:43 AM