One if by car, two if by train
That's the order of finish for the Monday commute, of more than 2 percent of Ash-West residents

By Lindsay Sauvageau and Karen Mann

After over 20 years of waking up early for school - elementary, middle, high school, college - barely two years of working a 9-to-5 have undermined the stamina of two reporters and made this early commute a test of will.

It was at 6:29 a.m., while sipping two medium iced coffees (one regular, one with extra sugar) that we met Jason Lefferts at Cumberland Farms on Electric Avenue in Fitchburg. The traffic around town was light, even around the 24-hour Dunkin Donuts where we purchased our drinks and Karen's coffee cake muffin in the center of Fitchburg.

The morning air was as brisk as Nestea though the sun was already bright and rising in the east.

Our first reaction to the Route 2 East traffic was mild surprise: it was minimal, and the drivers seemed easy going, even with the sun in their eyes (watch for solar glare around Shirley). Only one forsaken raccoon was a sign that we were on a busy highway. Most people who take this route into the city for work, recreation or other reasons will tell you that aside from the commonly congested areas such as near Alewife in Cambridge, the scenery and peace of Route 2 make it an enjoyable ride.

Passing a sign to our right indicates that Boston is only 39 miles away.

At 6:47 a.m., we're startled by a large, flatbed truck that attempts to cross over into the left lane while we are in it. It reminds us of an important lesson learned back in driver's education: Stay out of blind spots. It also reminds us how easy it can be to let the laziness of the drive and still waning exhaustion get the best of a driver.

We reach the first set of lights on Route 2 at 6:50 a.m. These are the lights right before the Concordian Motel and without even realizing it, pleasant conversation and the right soundtrack have brought us into Concord with ease. We have reached Track 7 on the CD, Vast's "Touched" is picking up pace and lead singer Jon Crosby sings of a love that he will never find again.

At 7 a.m. we reach the Concord State Prison. The rotary was no problem at all - a quick glance over the shoulder and we were around and through without a hitch.

However, it is a few minutes later that we see an odd sight. A man driving a maroon suburban appears to be eating corn on the cob, holding one end with a Dunkin Donuts napkin. We both watch him closely to verify that it is indeed a starch that he's eating. The Dunkin Donuts napkin prompts the question, is he having coffee and corn for breakfast?

Mile 123.2 of Route 2 and 7:10 a.m. we hit a fair amount of traffic that slows us up near Walden Street. We both wonder what Henry David Thoreau would say about our