Cold Biking

I'm a Colorado girl.  I can take it.  I got this.  That's what I tell myself, anyway.  It's winter.  Despite the fact that we have had warmer-than-usual weather and precious little precipitation, it is still too cold to ride most of the time.  The fact that it's winter and the sun goes down before I even leave work doesn't help.  In other words, biking days are few and far between.  The few days that have had sun and would have been warm enough to bike, I'm stuck at work.

Mid-40's wouldn't seem like a terrible time to bike, you wouldn't think.  And maybe if it were sunny at the same time, that would help.  But no such luck for me.  But I did get out on Friday and do my usual 12 miles (without the extra two and a half miles to the airport and back).  It didn't help my attitude any to see ice on the little river I ride along.  There was, thankfully, no wind.  My ears were cold, my toes were cold.  The rest of me was warm, despite the fact that I was wearing my favorite capri sweat pants and a long sleeved t-shirt under a short-sleeved t-shirt.  Maybe if I had better clothes, that would help, but because of the time of year, I still can't ride except for weekends when I'm off work.

I could certainly tell I hadn't ridden in more than a week.  My knees and thighs were feeling it.  Still are, two days later.  Ouch.

And I would have walked more this last week, but it appears that my foot injury has worsened.  I do need surgery, and was hoping to be able to put it off until next year.  The tear is at 2.5 cm, but will certainly worsen.  The pain isn't horrible, but I can feel it, even with my brace on as I walk.  So extended walking is out, which is my go-to exercise all along.

If the weather proves normal, I will be riding my bike once or twice every other week, and no more than that.  I am going to have to find another way, at least for the weeks when I get nothing.  There is a local Planet Fitness here, and it has a pretty low-end package that should only cost me $10 a month.  We also have a city-run rec center, but their fees are much higher ($6 to just walk in the door, and more depending on what I'm doing).  So I guess I'll be making a stop at Planet Fitness to check out the bikes and treadmills, and see what else they have that might be good for me.  Some weight training wouldn't be bad for me, but I'm really mostly interested in keeping my knees limber and pain-free, and since I've discovered that biking does that for me, I need to keep up with the biking.

It makes me sad to see my baby in the garage just doing nothing.  And I miss my rides.  They are an hour of my own thoughts, in relative peace and quiet (no one talking to me).  They are an hour of being reminded that I love my body, that I need to care for my body, and that every push of the pedal brings me closer to my goal of being completely pain-free.

I saw a poster the other day that I agree with.  It shows a woman working out.  The caption says, "Strong is the New Thin."  I will never be thin, but I can be strong.  I can be fit.  I can be in as good a shape as possible for my size. 

Go, me!