Featuring the usual suspects
Sunday, 24 February 2013
Winter Training
With several challenges planned this year on the bike, its time to get fit ready for the spring.
Unfortunately this means riding, regardless of the weather, road conditions or temperature!
Winter training can be a lonely place, even when your riding with other people, when you have a bad day on a bad day you know about it!
Three things make this all worth while:
1) A bowl of soup at the cafe stop, after 50 miles at 0.5 deg C there is no gastronomical delight better than a warm bowl of soup or beans on toast or even better......... both.
2) Getting home and soaking in the bath while your fingers & toes thaw out.
3) When the temperature finally allows, leaving the training bike and all the lbs of added winter baggage behind for the first time and flying (relatively to the preceding few months) on your best road bike up that first climb. Its like being released from the clutches of an ice breathing dragon and pushed on your way all at the same time.
There is actually one other thing that makes riding in the winter very satisfying, its not the quiet roads free from tourists, or the great views as the air at this time of year can be very dry giving great visability. It's not the feeling of getting fitter or the knowledge that next week (or maybe the week after...) it will get a little warmer, or even the colours of the snow and the dead bracken as the snowdrops start to appear. No its the fact that everyone else, who stay at home nice and warm, think your bloody bonkers!!! Which of couse...............you are.
Unfortunately this means riding, regardless of the weather, road conditions or temperature!
Winter training can be a lonely place, even when your riding with other people, when you have a bad day on a bad day you know about it!
Three things make this all worth while:
1) A bowl of soup at the cafe stop, after 50 miles at 0.5 deg C there is no gastronomical delight better than a warm bowl of soup or beans on toast or even better......... both.
2) Getting home and soaking in the bath while your fingers & toes thaw out.
3) When the temperature finally allows, leaving the training bike and all the lbs of added winter baggage behind for the first time and flying (relatively to the preceding few months) on your best road bike up that first climb. Its like being released from the clutches of an ice breathing dragon and pushed on your way all at the same time.
 |
| Heading to Port Carlisle |
 |
| Duddon Estuary from Corney Fell |
 |
| Honister pass. |
 |
| West side of Thirlmere |
 |
| Wasdale |
There is actually one other thing that makes riding in the winter very satisfying, its not the quiet roads free from tourists, or the great views as the air at this time of year can be very dry giving great visability. It's not the feeling of getting fitter or the knowledge that next week (or maybe the week after...) it will get a little warmer, or even the colours of the snow and the dead bracken as the snowdrops start to appear. No its the fact that everyone else, who stay at home nice and warm, think your bloody bonkers!!! Which of couse...............you are.
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