I am not, in general, dissuaded from riding by cold weather, figuring I can always pile on enough clothing. My coldest ride in the past has been 17°, and I had hoped to better that this year. I feel as if, having attained 60 years now, I should be getting tougher and building up my strength. However, this winter seems to be the harshest we have experienced in several years—whereas each of the last two years there have been numerous days each winter when I could ride outside, this year I have not ridden outside since December 9. We have gone through a particularly devilish stretch the last couple of weeks, with many nights plummeting to subzero temperatures.
Today, however, was different. It was milder (currently, at 12:30 p.m., 33°—a veritable heat wave!—and I strongly considered my first outside ride of the year. But, in the end, I held off ('wimped out'), as it remains quite raw—damp and gray—and was happy to go ride inside on the stationary cycle.
I am enough of a purist that I have only wanted in the past to count the miles I have actually ridden. But my friend Tom Brown strongly encouraged me to count the miles I ride on the stationary cycle at LA Fitness as well, and, accepting this advice, I have so far this year done 88.5 miles. So I am off to a start which I guess could be characterized as slow but steady, doing about 11 miles a day in the hour we are allowed on the machines.
The picture below, which my sweet Michelle took of me last August, shows me in decidedly different conditions. 😎
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