I rode my bike today outside for the first time since New Years Day. Yup, you read that correctly, New Years Day. There’s a bike group in the area that has a New Years Day ride every year between these two small towns near where I live. Its about a 10 mile round trip ride, which is nothing for someone who rides regularly, but obviously depending on the weather can be difficult. This past January 1st was cold, but it wasn’t snowing or raining, and there wasn’t a lot of snow or ice on the ground so I decided to join the ride.
I froze, and I say this as someone who knows how to dress for outdoor activities as I work outside. There was a headwind for the first 5 miles, I should say a January headwind, and even though I was wearing gloves and a hat and other warm clothes, I froze. I actually thought I might end up with frost bite on my fingers. But the headwind we experienced for the first 5 miles was a tailwind coming back. And by the time the ride was finished I had convinced myself it wasn’t so bad, but in reality it was.
I tell you all this because for a brief time today the sun came out and it appeared to be a nice spring day. That’s when I pumped up my tires, put on my bike shorts and headed out the door. Within 2 miles, my ass was sore, my legs felt like jelly and a relentless headwind was making my lips chapped. Later as I was watching the weather on the evening news I found out that there were wind gusts up to 40mph. Now, I don’t know if I was biking in 40mph wind, but it sure as hell felt like it especially when you have a sore ass. And it was one of those winds that felt like it was in my face for the entire ride. There were times I was barely going forward and even times the wind pushed me across the road a bit. It was so ridiculously absurd I actually yelled out on more than one occasion…
“Is that all you got?”
And you know something, the entire 2 hours I was on my bike was wonderful, because I wasn’t cooped up in the house worrying about everything else going on.
The news right now is awful with no end in sight, a new normal has taken over, one where the wearing of face masks and gloves is recommended. I worry about being there for my family, but for a few hours on a windy spring day, I yelled…
“Is that all you got?”
Peace and be safe
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