Hot Blooded

"I'm hot blooded, check it and see." While the song then diverges from the point I want to make, this phrase applies very directly.

I went out for one evening commute with the following morning back to work. The evening was very pleasant with temps above 60° F, but the morning was down around 40° F. So, being the prepared cyclist that I am, I put on my cold weather bibs with the long pants, by warmest jersey, a skull cap, and a wind-proof vest. I figured that I didn't want to get too cold.

That combination was great for the first three miles, then I started to doubt the wisdom of the vest and skull cap. While I would have been a little chilly without one or the other, I quickly became too warm with both. I think that I could have skipped the vest and relied on the wind resisting properties of the jersey to regulate my core temperature. It had just been so long since I'd ridden in the cold that I had forgotten.

And this week I've not helped my learning curve since I blamed bad weather for my lack of motivation to get back out on two wheels. Instead, I've been putting in time on my NordicTrac in the mornings. It's a good cross-training workout, and perhaps heralds the end of this cycling season.

But how can the season be over while I have my bike at the office waiting to be ridden? I guess I'll have to ignobly haul it home in the bed of my truck. Poor bike. Poor me.

But I will get through another off-season and look forward to another great year of biking. In the mean time I'll listen to The FredCast to regularly remind myself that I am a  cyclist, and work to not get too fat during the sedentary season.