I am so used to do a long run every Saturday morning that it felt weird not to have one in the plans. I decided that I would supplement a long bike ride for a long run instead. I thought about just going out for a long ride but decided I would kill two birds with one stone and do some errands as well.
I had all afternoon, so I even stopped to take pictures of the snow melting. It was a great feeling not to be rushed. 
The roads and sidewalks are nearly clear of any snow, but the paved trails around town still have quite a bit of snow on them. I had to stop and walk my bike through this section. 
I was about one mile from home and almost to my first destination when I realized I didn’t have my bike lock. There was no way I was not going to lock my road bike up, so I had to go back home to get my lock. I’m glad I wasn’t pressed for time. 
I had gotten my lock and was back on my way when the second mishap happened. I had to stop and get off my bike in order to get over the curb. My left foot was planted on the ground, and as I was swinging my right leg over my bike, I felt my foot get caught on the bike when I knew I was going to fall. I felt the left side of my body hit the pavement, scraping my elbow, hand, hip, knee, shin, and ankle. In all honestly, it really wasn’t that bad of a fall. My hand didn’t bleed that much and the pain subsided pretty quickly. But even though it wasn’t that bad of a fall, I’m surprised how sore my hip and shin are today. 
I continued on to do my errands: Fred Meyer, Target, and the mall. It took me about 3+ hours to go to all these places. I was not able to bike very quickly between my destinations because I often had to bike on the sidewalk because of the busy roads. And biking on the sidewalks is always difficult with going up and down the curbs. Plus there were sections of ice, water, and mud on the sidewalks, so I took it slow through those sections. Anchorage is not the best city for biking. There are a lot of trails, but if you have to ride in the road, be prepared for some dirty looks and honks from some. 
Even with the couple mishaps, it was fun to get out and be green by running errands on my bike. I am hoping I can do this more now that spring seems to be on its way. (I have a hard time calling it spring when there is still snow on the ground.) I know biking takes longer, but I think it is worth it.
Questions
How bike-friendly is the town/city you live in/near?
What was the worst bicycle accident you had?
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