A Cold One

Just like Fry in Futurama, I am frozen against my will.

We got to 30° in West Bend today, 10° below normal and 50-60° below where I would like to be. Today’s ride was a modest, 22-mile affair on the mountain bike, up to Kewaskum on the Eisenbahn State Trail and then back home with a detour through Glacial Blue Hills. It was my first ride since last Sunday. The weather has been rotten and soon will be even worse: we’re expecting 6-9 inches of snow between tonight and Tuesday afternoon. I am unlikely to ride again until next weekend. With just 50 miles to my credit this month, March is shaping up to be a big disappointment.

Today wasn’t too bad, despite being at the bottom of my temperature range. But like all rides of its type, today’s cold weather adventure was more valuable for my psychology than for my physiology. I just had to get outside. If the day had been a little colder or the clouds a little thicker or the winds a little stronger, then I would have gone hiking. I can kill only so much time with TV and other indoor distractions. The back pain I reported last Wednesday hasn’t gone away completely, so we’ll see how I feel tomorrow. My back did not bother me during today’s ride, but that doesn’t mean I won’t tighten up overnight. Meanwhile, the clock keeps ticking toward the start of the racing season …