Biking for the simple pleasure of it: A bicyclist profile of James Temte

EDITOR’S NOTE: In honor of National Bike To Work Week on May 14-18, we will be running a series of features of bike commuters who work at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Southcentral Foundation and Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage and the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium in Sitka. Thank you to Laura Kotelman of Southcentral Foundation for supplying the Anchorage profiles (written by Janice Swier) and SEARHC for the Sitka profile (note, most profiles appeared previously in newsletters for the various organizations).

James Temte, Assistant Consultant of Environmental Health Support and Management Operations Support at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, believes in the words of John F. Kennedy, “Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike.”

Using his bike as a mode of transportation has been something Temte has been doing since he was young.  When Temte was a child his mother would make him ride his bike to school every day.  The activity became something Temte looked forward to and he has continued to use his bike as a mode of transportation in adulthood.

“I like to enjoy a bike ride daily,” Temte says of commuting to work by bicycle.  Temte admits that scheduling extra time to bike versus drive can be difficult at first, but starting off your day with fresh air and saving money on gas are both reasons that make the adjustment worth it.

Temte encourages those thinking of starting to commute by bicycle to schedule a few extra minutes so they don’t have to rush on their bike ride and can really enjoy it, “Bike commuting should be fun.  Allow enough time to enjoy the ride; then it won’t be a drag.”

Temte has enjoyed Bike to Work events in the past and is volunteering this year with Team Alaska Native Medical Campus (Team ANMC) in planning many of their Bike to Work Week activities. “Bike to Work activities are totally a bonus. The Blueberry Breakfast and the Bike Bash should be fun, I’ll be there.” Temte said of some the events that will take place on ANMC this year during Bike to Work Week.

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• Riding for wellness: A bicyclist profile of Lisa Sadleir-Hart

EDITOR’S NOTE: In honor of National Bike To Work Week on May 14-18, we will be running a series of features of bike commuters who work at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Southcentral Foundation and Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage and the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium in Sitka. Thank you to Laura Kotelman of Southcentral Foundation for supplying the Anchorage profiles (written by Janice Swier) and SEARHC for the Sitka profile (note, most profiles appeared previously in newsletters for the various organizations).

Lisa Sadleir-Hart has been commuting to work by bicycle off and on for 20-25 years, beginning shortly after she started working for the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) in Sitka. But she didn’t become more consistent about riding her bike until about 2004.

“My husband has consistently biked to work, and then when the Bike to Work Week was launched at SEARHC I started riding more,” Lisa said.

Lisa is community nutrition department manager for SEARHC and the coordinator of SEARHC’s employee wellness program, so she knows all about the health benefits of riding. But she also enjoys some of the mental benefits.

“I enjoy the natural beauty I encounter, and going fast on the downside of the bridge” (the O’Connell Bridge, which connects Japonski Island where SEARHC is located with downtown Sitka on Baranof Island), Lisa said.

Lisa’s commute is about 12-20 minutes, and she rides about 2-3 times a week. When the weather is bad or she has to run errands, she will drive. But as a member of SEARHC’s Green Team, she likes to save energy by riding.

Sitka is in a temperate rain forest, which means about 80-120 inches of rain a year. But Sitka’s mild climate means the winters have more rain than snow, which gives riders more of a chance to bike to work all year round.

When asked if she had any tips for new riders, Lisa said, “Invest in good gear, such as fenders, dry bags and rain gear.”

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• From recreation to transportation: A bicyclist profile of Andrew Cunningham

EDITOR’S NOTE: In honor of National Bike To Work Week on May 14-18, we will be running a series of features of bike commuters who work at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Southcentral Foundation and Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage and the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium in Sitka. Thank you to Laura Kotelman of Southcentral Foundation for supplying the Anchorage profiles (written by Janice Swier) and SEARHC for the Sitka profile (note, most profiles appeared previously in newsletters for the various organizations).

Biking started as just a recreational sport for Southcentral Foundation Clinical Exercise Specialist Andrew Cunningham, but as he used his bike for recreation he realized how easy it would be to use it as a form of transportation as well.

Cunningham has now been riding to work for two years, trying to ride every day, regardless of weather conditions.  “This winter threw some minus-20-degree (Fahrenheit) days at me, and I had to dress and prepare for that,” Cunningham acknowledges of one of the challenges he has faced with biking through the winter season.

According to Cunningham planning ahead and being prepared for all conditions is the most difficult aspect of commuting by bike every day.  Initially when he started commuting by bike, Cunningham had to take the time to figure out a reliable route and an alternate route, just in case.  Cunningham admits, “Changing my routine at first was a challenge,” but Cunningham now bikes 7-10 miles, depending on the route, to work nearly every day.

He would tell you that there are a lot of good reasons to use your bike as transportation: getting a workout, saving money on fuel, less wear and tear on your vehicle, etc.; but Cunningham says that for him, “The most rewarding part of commuting by bike is feeling energized first thing in the morning, which helps me through the rest of the day.  Also, I love getting outside every day, year round.”

Cunningham encourages others, “If you are considering commuting to work on a bike, give it a try!  If you don’t feel like you are fit enough to ride the full distance for your commute, start by driving a little closer and find a place you can park your car and ride to work from.  Build up from there and make gradual increases in your distance.  Not only will you eventually save gas and wear and tear on your vehicle, but your health will also benefit, mental and physical.”

Cunningham has participated in the last two Bike to Work weeks and will be participating in events again this year by both riding his bike and volunteering at an event.

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• A bike-commuting tradition since 1975: A bicyclist profile of Richard Hall

EDITOR’S NOTE: In honor of National Bike To Work Week on May 14-18, we will be running a series of features of bike commuters who work at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Southcentral Foundation and Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage and the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium in Sitka. Thank you to Laura Kotelman of Southcentral Foundation for supplying the Anchorage profiles (written by Janice Swier) and SEARHC for the Sitka profile (note, most profiles appeared previously in newsletters for the various organizations).

Richard Hall, Director of Statewide Health Information Management Service for Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, first started using his bike to commute to work in 1975 and didn’t stop when he moved to Anchorage in 1978.

Hall typically bikes to work two or three days a week during the fair weather seasons — spring, summer and fall — only deterred from biking when he has events that will require the car during the day or when the elements of the day are not conducive to biking.  Hall says, “There are three factors that determine whether it is a yucky day to ride: dark, cold and wet.  I can deal with any one at a time, but two or three at the same time can stop me from riding.”

“It [biking to work] is fun, good exercise and cheap,” Hall says of his three mile bike commutes.  Back when the Alaska IHS (Indian Health Services) Area Office was downtown, Hall would have to ride in some busy traffic lanes in order to get to work.  Hall much prefers the trails and often carries his camera while he bikes as he likes to occasionally stop and take pictures of wildlife or pretty vegetation.

Hall concedes that there are challenging aspects of commuting by bike: weather, what to do on days you are running late, bike storage, and worrying about being presentable for work; but these are all challenges that can be overcome.  His advice for people who want to start commuting to work: dress appropriately: stay dry, warm and visible.  Hall also warns, “Watch out for geese and dogs, they do nasty things on trails.”

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• Sharing his commute with his son: A bicyclist profile of Christopher Campbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: In honor of National Bike To Work Week on May 14-18, we will be running a series of features of bike commuters who work at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Southcentral Foundation and Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage and the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium in Sitka. Thank you to Laura Kotelman of Southcentral Foundation for supplying the Anchorage profiles (written by Janice Swier) and SEARHC for the Sitka profile (note, most of the  profiles appeared previously in newsletters for the various organizations).

One could argue that Christopher Campbell could be the poster child for Bike to Work.  Pulling his 1 1/2-year-old son behind him in the Chariot; Campbell commutes to work by biking, skiing, snowshoeing, or jogging year-round.

Campbell, a provider at Southcentral Foundation’s Anchorage Native Primary Care Center, started commuting by bike for a few reasons: to be more physically active and to both save money and add fewer pollutants into the air by not driving.

After starting to commute by bike Campbell recognized additional benefits, “I found that biking home from work helped me unwind from a busy day…[and] my son enjoys going by bike much more than by car.”

Campbell and his son have been commuting together for almost a year, though when it is below zero Campbell’s wife drives their son to daycare.  Campbell encourages other parents thinking about commuting by bicycle with their children to, “Give it a try, it is more fun and easier to do than most people believe.”

For those commuting during the winter, Campbell encourages, “You don’t need any special equipment besides studded tires, good snow boots and a decent light.”  Campbell uses his ski helmet rather than a regular bike helmet during the winter, since it is warmer, and he purchased a good head lamp.

Campbell contends that, “the most challenging part [of biking in the winter] was trying to dress with the right layers for the temperature.”  Campbell admits he doesn’t like being cold, so when he first started biking in the winter he would dress too warmly for the commute.  He learned to dress in one less layer than he thought he’d need since he would quickly warm up as he biked.

With all the snow Anchorage got last winter, Campbell had some additional challenges as some days there was just too much snow to bike.  If Campbell knew in advance there was going to be a lot of snow he would ski or snowshoe with his son rather than bike.

This coming May 14-18 Campbell will participate in his third Bike to Work week.  Campbell likes how many people ride their bikes for that week but he wishes that more people would continue to ride after the week’s events are over.  Riding his bike is only one of the things he likes about Bike to Work Week, “I also like the food stations.”

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• Keeping me and the earth healthy: A bicyclist profile of Megan Lemasters-Soule

EDITOR’S NOTE: In honor of National Bike To Work Week on May 16-20, we will be running a series of features of bike commuters who work at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Southcentral Foundation and Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage and the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium in Sitka. Thank you to Laura Kotelman of Southcentral Foundation for supplying the four Anchorage profiles and SEARHC for the Sitka profile (note, all profiles appeared previously in newsletters for the various organizations).

By Janice Swier

For Megan Lemasters-Soule, physician at the Anchorage Native Primary Care Center, there is more than one reason to park the car for the summer and ride a bike instead.  “In the summer I rarely drive anywhere, only if I am going somewhere. … I cannot get by [without] the trails,” Lemasters-Soule stated.

When asked why, Lemasters-Soule would tell you her main reason for biking is to lower her impact on the environment.  According to the Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage, commuting five miles per day on a bicycle rather than using a car will reduce an individual’s annual carbon emissions by one ton.  Lemasters-Soule also argues that biking isn’t a time-inferior alternative to driving, “It usually doesn’t take that much longer to get somewhere when you ride vs. drive.”

By pulling her two children behind her in a trailer, Lemasters-Soule is also able to teach her kids an important lesson about caring for the environment, “My 4 year old asks me, ‘Are we going to bike today to make Mother Nature happy?’”

Lemasters-Soule also wants to practice what she preaches and set a good example for her patients and community.  “I am often speaking to my patients about finding ways to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives,” Lemasters-Soule said.

While she admits that there are parts of the 3.5-mile journey from the Alaska Native Medical Center’s Campus to her home that she dreads, “Biking with children makes it a bit harder, mostly on the way home as it’s uphill,” Lemasters-Soule recognizes the great health benefits biking gives.

Lemasters-Soule has been participating in Anchorage’s Bike to Work Day event for the past five years.  She thinks that it is a great community outreach event and is happy to report that she has met new friends in previous years by speaking to other riders at the way points. Lemasters-Soule says that she will definitely be participating again this year and will be doing so with her two children in tow.

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• Exercise for more than exercise’s sake: A bicyclist profile of David Singyke

EDITOR’S NOTE: In honor of National Bike To Work Week on May 16-20, we will be running a series of features of bike commuters who work at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Southcentral Foundation and Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage and the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium in Sitka. Thank you to Laura Kotelman of Southcentral Foundation for supplying the four Anchorage profiles and SEARHC for the Sitka profile (note, all profiles appeared previously in newsletters for the various organizations).

By Janice Swier

Southcentral Foundation (SCF) Executive and Tribal Services Administrator Dave Singyke has participated in Bike to Work since 2007. Bicycle commuting is more than a one-day event for Singyke; in summer, he bikes the 24-mile round trip to work three or four times a week.

Biking over 90 miles a week is no small feat, but for Singyke it is a preferred form of exercise.

Singyke stated, “It’s more fun to accomplish more than one thing with a workout.”

Singyke likes being able to blend his daily exercise with commuting.

Singyke’s proudest bike ride was from his house to Crooked Lake — an 80-mile ride.

“I love riding my bike,” Singyke said happily.

Singyke is already excited about the upcoming Bike to Work Day, May 20, and thinks that everyone should try biking at least once.

“Biking is a lot easier than most people think…[and] it’s a blast,” said Singyke.

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