Run-to-Work Day, Everyday!

Commuting sucks. Crowded sidewalks, crowded buses, crowded subways. Monthly MetroCards costing 17 percent more.

Fortunately I've discovered an alternative that involves doing something I truly enjoy: running.

You can do it, too. All you need is some planning, some place to lock your valuables in the office and, if you are commuting to work, access to a gym.

It's four miles door to door from my apartment in the Upper East Side to my office near Penn Station. I can add a mile by going through Central Park or another few miles by going along the Hudson River. If you live too far from the office, you can consider running part way and jumping on a train for the rest. Every minute to spend running is a minute avoiding the getting squished on a bus or a subway. At the height of my training, it wasn't even worth getting a monthly MetroCard, because I'd need the transit system for community so few times.

The toughest part is getting started. I recommend starting out with a run home every week. Then make it two. And then three. Bring running clothes to change into once you're ready to leave work. Bring along some cash, IDs and other important cards – including any keys or building access card you'd need to return to work the next day. Lock the rest in your drawer or conceal it under that folder you know no one will ever check – it might be marked “high priority” or something like that. Bring along your house keys, and you're on your way. You can retrieve your work clothes the next day or later in the week.

Running to work takes more planning, as you'd need to bring work clothes and shoes you'd need ahead of time. Also if you pack lunch, you'd need to bring extra the day before. After you get used to running home two or three times a week, try running to work once a week. You might not have room to bring your entire wallet or purse, so just bring the cash, cards and IDs you'd need. At the office, swing by your desk to grab your work clothes. Head to the gym, shower and start the work day refreshed.

Once this becomes a routine, you might plan ahead for the week – bringing enough stuff for a few runs to the office and a few runs home after the work day. You'd also have to make sure you have enough coats at each place, lest you'd have to return home or start the next morning without warmth. I save at least an hour a day in commuting, and I can't even recall the days I'd take a subway and bus home only to change into my running gear and spend another hour on the run. - Nick J.