My Tour de Saint Paul

Over the last year, I've been contemplating an effort to bike every street in Saint Paul. I had imagined it to be a summer time project, but personal circumstances this summer prevented me from launching the attempt. On a whim, I'm going to start the effort now, in mid autumn. I'd like to think that this is something I could accomplish by the end of year, but that might be wildly optimistic. Phase one of the project, is to see how many miles of Saint Paul Streets I can bike in the month of October. 

I'm calling this a "soft launch" because, I'm not planning on telling anyone immediately. This was a spontaneous decision and I'd like the chance to abort the project without shame until I have a few good rides under my belt.

The idea originated from a combination of factors:

1. It was inspired by the online application Strava, which includes an option to view a "heatmap" of all your rides. This tool begged me to undertake some kind of challenge.

   

2. Sometime in the spring of 2016, I overheard a conversation at the Goat Coffeehouse (formerly the Dancing Goat) between the cashier and a customer who was explaining his own attempt to bike every street in Saint Paul. I did not catch his name, but have since found this blog (which may or may not be him). I expect that I'll gradually hear of others who have already done this. 
3. The timing of this effort was heavily influenced by the fact that I'm between jobs right now (as was the decision to start "soft") and looking for my next opportunity. I need a project to focus on that will keep me both mentally and physically healthy, during a stressful time.