It just started snowing outside about 30 minutes ago.

I like the snow, but I'm already so sad about what the change in seasons is doing to my riding. Its not really even the weather yet, today is the first cold day, but the lack of daylight. Its just getting light when I leave for work, and by the time I get home its starting to get dark. By the middle of December its pitch dark when I leave work at 5 pm. My plan is to try and ride one day a week at lunch. The problem is a shower after riding is mandatory, which then means hair drying and makeup re-application, unless I'm having a day where I just don't care what I look like . . .

Usually in the winter I hit the gym a lot, I used to do aerobics 3 x a week plus one or two days of weights. But lately my knees have been protesting even aerobics, which is likely due to my feeble attempts at running. I'm determined to run my first 5K in a couple weeks, then I can ditch the running. I've never been to a spin class, but I'm thinking I'm going to try it soon. I've always been intimidated by the spin crowd at the gym, they seem to have this superior attitude. But hey, I'm a real cyclist now, so there's no reason for me to be intimidated. Then there's just the whole cold factor. I have asthma, and I don't know if that makes my lungs extra sensitive to cold or what, but any form of exercise outside in the winter just burns. Yet I seem to deal with it for snowshoeing, because I love it so much I guess it distracts me from the freezing air, so why should cycling be different? I went for my first chilly ride this weekend, it was about 55 out, no sun, a little windy, and even then I could feel the cool air tormenting my lungs. I figure this is good practice because it will likely be cold that morning I go out to run my 5K. I just hope that my lungs will get used to it and stop protesting.

For today I'm happy that I rode on Sat. and ran yesterday because there's already about an inch of snow on the grass.
(Lucky for me snow melts fast here, I'll be out on my bike this weekend).