The goal changed to be 120km for the week, which meant I needed a long commute home (over 24 km). My day transpired against me, so I was only able to eek out approx 16 km on ride home Friday which lead to a week total of approximately 112.35 km ridden. I am still very proud of that number, and it is something I am aiming to beat next year.
Over the week I came to love riding my mountain bike turned road bike. I put some fat slicks on my green machine, and wow, was it ever a blast to ride. I know the balance points on that bike really well, so I felt very comfortable leaning it into corners. It also has a favorable geometry, comfortable seat, cushy front fork with 5 inches of travel, wide handle bars, and some nice hydraulic rim brakes. Fun fun fun.
The other thing I grew to love was riding with my messenger bag. I bought a plain jane MEC Brenta Courier bag. I found this way more comfortable than a back pack, and offered more visibility when looking for traffic. I also thought that my gear was more stable on my back when twisting to look for traffic. Overall the slicks and the pack were excellent purchases from MEC.