Despite having lived through 39 Pennsylvania winters and 7 Michigan winters I have yet to learn to embrace winter. I’ve got better at dealing with winter over the years by adding activities like snowshoeing and rides on the Fatterson with my camera into my routine but saying I embrace those activities is just crazy talk.
Most often there is a lengthy debate in my head before I set about layering up to head out for a ride in the winter cold, and the older I get the more persuasive I become in arguing the finer points of riding the trainer in the No So Stankment or just sitting in front of the fireplace drinking IPAs and playing EA Sports FIFA. Luckily (I guess) I failed at that argument on Saturday and forced myself outside for a ride on the Fatterson before the snow started.
The ride started by pedaling directly into a brisk southwest wind. This did nothing to convince me that I made the right decision and as I was heading up the first climb about a half mile into the ride I said “Fuck it, this is stupid as hell,” did a U-turn and started rolling back to the start. Then, about 10 seconds later I did another U-turn and heading right back up the hill and into the wind. The only thing that really motivated me to keep going was the fact that I spent all that time getting stuff into my cold weather gear and I didn’t want that time to be wasted on me puddin’ out. I also didn’t want to do the ride of shame past that pen full of beagles barking their heads off and their camo jumpsuit wearing owner who was out feeding them their allotment of frozen gruel. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of thinking me a wuss. So onward I went, setting small goals for myself.
I eventually started warming up and after a few miles, I was finally able to ditch the headwind that was freezing my face right through the balaclava. As per usual the cold wind is one of the biggest hurdles for me enjoying winter rides. For the most part, I am almost always warm enough, but there is something about riding into a cold wind that really jacks with my mind.
With B-Man having an early evening soccer game, I wanted to get home and have enough time to eat something and get cleaned up, so even though I was finally starting to enjoy the ride I decided to end it with a little under two hours.
Two outdoor rides and three indoor workouts provided a pretty good week of doing stuff and allowed me to remain fat but fit.
Sunday morning brought more soccer for B and had us driving to and from the bubble in a snowstorm that laid down about 5 inches of fresh snow.
I guess it was a pretty good weekend, looking forward to the week ahead and doing stuff, whether that stuff is indoors or out.
Later.