Winter Ride

Well, the cold weather is finally making its way here in the East. We’ve had unseasonably mild weather throughout November. Then on December 1, it was 69 degrees Fahrenheit. What’s going on here? Is it Global warming? Perhaps. But to all of us that depend on the weather for training, this kind of weather had its definite appeal. I didn’t get a chance to get the bike out on Dec 1 and I regretted it. The next day, on Saturday, we gathered for a 90 minute, Zone 1 to 2 group ride. It was the start of IM training for some. For me, I’m pushing it off 1 more week. Anyway, at ride time it was a brisk, 37 degrees. It was definitely cold enough to break out the cold weather gear. But not as cold as a day last January. We had started a ride with the temperature at 27 degrees F with a wind chill of about 20. I was not prepared. At about 6 miles out, I started to get light headed not to mention that the tips of my fingers and toes were in this extreme, sharp pain. I tried to gut it out but unfortunately I had to turn back. The pain was so intense that I stayed in the car for 15 minutes, with the heat blasting, before I could drive home. It’s needless to say that I learned a lesson that day. I was under dressed for the weather.

So, it was December not January this past Saturday but I’m taking a lot of steps to prepare for the cold weather this year. Number one is dressing correctly. The day turned out to be delightful as the sun came out and it warmed up to about 42 degrees F. It was a good start but I’m positive that many cold days lie ahead. I can deal with the cold but snow is another story. I like to ride outside during the winter not in the basement on my trainer. That just doesn’t feel like riding to me.

We followed the ride with a 20 minute run and the training season, unofficially, was off to a good start. Now, I’m on my way to the camping store to buy some of those hot packs for my gloves and shoes. They work wonders!