The temperature is just above freezing outdoors, less in the shade where there's unmelted ice. I got all bundled up in my bike clothes, factoring in sweat-wicking because uphill is hard work, and windbreaking because downhill is fast and cold after sweating uphill, and what about my feet, will I ever learn how to keep them warm, and...... with my tires all pumped up and the bike standing beside the front door, I gazed out the window and said, "Do I really want to do this?"
I have had frozen feet every single ride, can't seem to get a handle on it. And after a ride one day last week, I felt cold the rest of the day, despite hot tea, a fleece blanket, and a heating pad under my feet.
And I put the bike back, took off the layers of clothes, got dressed all over again, put my dog on the leash, and went running. It was SO nice to be lightly dressed and still be warm, enough that within 10 minutes I'd taken off my gloves and unzipped my jacket. And so nice to have my dog along.
So I might or might not make my impulsive goal of 1,000 miles on my new bike by the end of the year. I'm at 885 miles. If it warms up to, say, 40*F, I'll ride some more. And if I don't hit 1,000 miles in the next 2 weeks, I'll hit it next spring, and in the meantime I won't be getting salt and ice-treating road grit all over my bike, and I'll be warm.
1 comment:
Good call! It's COLD biking weather, and I'm in Southern CA where our low is about 39'. Running in the winter is SO much more fun! The important thing is getting out and being active! So jealous of your appalachian trail trek! We're hoping to tackle the John Muir Trail in 2013!
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