Bicycling And Jogging Has Begun, As Spring Has Sprung

Today I went for my second bicycle ride in 2026.

Second Bicycle Ride: 2026

Displayed below is my bicycle parked in front of the new Amazon distribution center at 711 Perkins Jones Road in Warren, Ohio, on my way to the Western Reserve Greenway Trail.

The distribution center hasn’t opened yet. I’ll write a separate post about that rack on my bicycle. I installed it last year.

Anyway, in my area, I only commute by bicycle going to and from the Greenway Trail. There are two reasons for this:

1. My area is between rural and suburbia, and most of the nearby roads don’t have enough pavement past the white lines. This makes it exceedingly dangerous for bicyclists, who often get forced off the road and into ruts and debris.
2. There aren’t enough cyclists (a chicken/egg concept). In bigger cities, I feel safer because there are more cyclists. I’ve noticed that motorists are more aware of cyclists when there are more of them on the roads. It’s a positive reinforcement loop.
   • Here’s my policy: “Safety in numbers.”

As such, my bicycle ride was just to and from the Greenway Trail (round trip: seven miles), which used to be railroad tracks when I was a kid, but have since been converted to a multipurpose, paved trail for walkers, joggers, and cyclists.

Nevertheless, I’m surprised that so few people use this awesome trail. Today I only saw a total of four people on the trail, and I was on it for just over an hour:

• One young guy running
• One young guy walking while reading his mobile device
• A middle-age couple walking their little dog

Furthermore, it was a pleasant mid-afternoon day – partly sunny and 56 degrees.

Fifth Outdoor Jog: 2026

As for jogging, today was also my second day in 2026 running at the Greenway Trail.

I chose a 7-mile course, which is not much farther than I set for myself after last year’s running season. The idea is to run fewer miles to prevent knee injuries and such. I’ll monitor the situation and adjust accordingly.

Nonetheless, I actually ran outside three other times in 2026, just an out-and-back from my home. No bicycle involved. That course was five miles, so I had plenty left in the tank.

Music Motivation

For pumping iron and hitting the pavement on bicycle or by feet, I often listen to music for motivation. I shared my music motivation playlist previously, back in June 2025. However, I rotate songs every now-and-then.

Here’s my playlist as of today.

List of Music Artists

I only use the mp3 player, which is from 2003, when I’m jogging outside. When I exercise indoors, I just stream music from my laptop to a wireless Bluetooth speaker.

The new additions to the playlist, as of today, include the Cro-Mags, Rudimentary Peni, and The Mob. The first two are hardcore punk;¹They actually might be a bit too hardcore for me! the third is anarcho punk, which I only wrote about on social media²I referenced a few more links related to The Mob: Rockaway Park (a creative hub), a reissue of its main album, Let The Tribe Increase, and Chapel of the Unrest. back in May 2023 (and the lead singer, Mark Wilson, liked my post!):

I’ll write about each of them separately in future posts.

Spring Has Sprung

Although I haven’t begun planting seeds for my garden yet, I have perennial and wild³The dandelion leaves and others have emerged; no flowers yet. herbs that I’ve already been picking. Here’s a picture of some rows of garlic, which I planted last November.

Closing Words

I will write separate blog post on several of the topics touched upon in this post, such as the garden, those punk bands, fitness level (probably a summer update on any progress), and my very convenient bicycle basket.

Footnotes

• 1
  They actually might be a bit too hardcore for me!
• 2
  I referenced a few more links related to The Mob: Rockaway Park (a creative hub), a reissue of its main album, Let The Tribe Increase, and Chapel of the Unrest.
• 3
  The dandelion leaves and others have emerged; no flowers yet.