Since haven't been spinning in awhile and Bekah gave me some awesome cold weather workout gear for Christmas, I decided to break out the bike and give the new clothes a try.
My "little adventure" started with me trying to fill my air with tires. I haven't had the bike out since October, so the tires definitely were deflated. I successfully filled my back tire with air in about two minutes. Apparently, I lost all talent after that moment and became bicycle pump impaired. I literally struggled with the air pump for about 15 minutes to try to fill the front tire. After working up a sweat (remember I'm wearing cold weather clothes), I gave up; convinced that it was full enough. I finally exited the garage about 20 minutes later, sweaty, but thoroughly excited for my ride and the brisk air.
At this point I was feeling quite proud of my attempt to brave the thirty-five degree weather. It took me a few times to clip in, but finally I was out of the driveway and on my way. Immediately I started having second thoughts about the ride; it was a little chillier than I had expected and the road was covered in sand. Nevertheless I pressed on, determined to stay out longer than the amount of time it took till fill my tires. About two blocks down the road, I noticed that my fleece was beginning to be coated with little white dots. I had started sleeting. I continued, figuring that I could just cut the ride short and bike one lake, not two.
A few blocks later, my body had finally started to warm up. I had convinced myself that this was the life of a hardcore triathlete, and if I wanted to be a good one, I just needed to stick it out. The rest of the way to the lakes I tried to enjoy the ride, but it was difficult. The road was like an obstacle course filled with potholes, snow, and sand and the cars seemed to whiz by closer than normal. After making to the lakes without incident, I realized I was not as hardcore as I had originally thought. The walking paths at Harriet was littered with runners, and dog walkers. I even saw a couple of kids trying to cross country ski! Although most runners were wearing hats and jackets, I did see two men in shorts.
I completed my lap around the lake in a relatively short amount of time and then headed back home. I blamed the "lake effect" for my frozen toes and runny nose. Mostly I was disgusted by the amount of people at the lake. Apparently, Minnesotan's really don't mind the cold. On the ride home I focused on my love for Hawaii and how I would be there 48 hours. I really don't think I could last the winter without it. Even this "warm winter."
Obviously, I survived my first "winter" ride. Honestly, it really wasn't that bad. Some warmer socks and I really would have been fine. The most surprising thing about the ride was the amount of people at the lake.
