After spending a couple hours with the Gmaps pedometer, I found a few pretty good routes to work. I'd post them on here, but I'd rather not show the entire world where my apartment and place of work are. Haha. It worked out well, only I wasn't aware of construction on one of the bike paths I was taking and I didn't know one of the bridges had a bunch of steps leading to it. I had to walk a couple times, but it was no big deal.

Everything else went very smooth. I actually made it to work faster than it would have been to take the subway! It's crazy! Here are my stats for the trip:

Distance: 21.17km
Time: 56.38 minutes
Average speed: 22.44 km/h
Max speed: 39.94 km/h
Average HR: 152
Peak HR: error
Time in zone 3: 28.42 minutes

It looks like I managed a higher average heart rate than I did on the weekend. It was probably because the extra distance required me to take it easier. There were a lot of times my heart rate spiked on the hills this morning. We'll see how the ride back compares.

I've also created Gmaps pedometer maps for the route we took on Saturday, and one for the next Saturday. Should be fun.

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Took a slightly different route on the way back, which I didn't have to walk at all on. I avoided the park, and did a bit more street riding. I think it's probably a more consistent route, although I'm really hating some of the cars. My next purchase will be a rear view mirror.

Stats from the ride back:

Distance: 21.24 - up from 21.17
Time: 50.41 - down from 56.38
Actual time: 59.05 - this includes stop lights
Average speed: 25.16 - way up from 22.44
Max speed: 55.77 - also up from 39.94. There were a few nice hills, which were much nicer to go down than up
Average HR: 147 - down from 152. I don't know how to explain that one. Work is almost at the exact same altitude from home. Maybe the configuration of the hills makes it faster coming back?
Peak HR: 172
Time in zone 3: 31.54 - which is up from 28.42. Another positive change, it shows I was working much less.

I'm very curious to see how things go next week when I try the return route to go to work. Maybe it'll remain easier.

It might have had something to do with what I ate at work today. I ate a lot better during the day today than I did last night. Either way, riding to work can be a very consistent way of measuring my progress.

Oh yeah... I forgot about the headwind. I had a pretty strong headwind on the way to work. That would explain everything. Doh!