April Rides

[emily_in_nc]

NY, so glad you are finally getting your new floors installed, and I hope you love them. I know we chatted about about cork and other possibilities, as I'd also been looking into them for our motorhome. We haven't done anything about it yet, as we're not sure how long we'll be RVing, and don't want to spend a lot of $$ if we're not going to do this long-term, but I do get so annoyed at our super shiny laminate floors that get chipped so easily! I try not to look too closely. I hope you love your new floors!

Today's ride surprised me. After some very warm rides lately, a front came through yesterday, bringing chilly northeast breezes, plus lower humidity (not complaining about that!) to central Florida. I couldn't believe that in April I was having to pull on my warm Terry Bolero and my wind vest! I had already packed all that stuff away, and thought I was done with them for the season. I wore wool socks but did not go to leg warmers or tights -- I refuse to do that in Florida in April. Was able to pull off the extra layers part-way through and enjoyed a nice tailwind on the way back, so it felt warmer. Still, only 73 degrees, breezy, and low humidity at the end of our ride made today feel a bit more like February in Florida than April.

I know, I know, I can't complain. No snow, no ice, and by afternoon I'm back to hanging out in shorts and a t-shirt, all our windows open, and feeling fine! I suspect in a month I will wish for days like this.

[north woods gal]

Emily, will you be staying in Florida over the summer or do you two plan to do your usual traveling? Honestly, after this winter, I'm wondering if we shouldn't do the snowbird thing.

[Crankin]

Hope you get to ride tonight, NY. It really felt like winter today. Sunny, but so windy and only 40, which felt like 30. Glad I was inside working, but I did have a free hour and since I was feeling a bit off today, I did not walk, as I usually do. I did do my 30 minute recovery yoga DVD this morning, for the first time in many months.
So, another "wintry mix," probably not more than a dusting on the grass tomorrow around noon, but the weekend is looking better. Cold, 45, but sunny. I can do that. Need to get those base miles in. I still have not ridden more than a 25 mile ride so far. On a sad note, our annual AMC Bike Workshop on the 14th was cancelled for the first time in 40 years, due to poor sign up. The Boston chapter has been doing this in Concord for a long time. Somehow, the Worcester (Central MA) chapter cycling committee decided to schedule their workshop in the next town (Sudbury), at half the price, the week after. We work really hard on this, and I am not sure why the other chapter chose a venue that is not even in their service area. It's not far, but the whole thing reeks. On the positive side, DH and I are doing our part of the presentation for the western MA chapter in May. I hope they get people; our friends have been trying to get a cycling committee off of the ground there since they moved. Thankfully, we were tardy in asking our LBS to borrow a couple of bikes for demo, so I don't have to go back there and say forget it.
I need spring, and I am not usually a complainer. It's a combo of rain, snow, and cold at various times that's thwarting me.

[emily_in_nc]

Emily, will you be staying in Florida over the summer or do you two plan to do your usual traveling? Honestly, after this winter, I'm wondering if we shouldn't do the snowbird thing.

We hope to travel. It all depends on when I get my braces off. We will be taking some side trips in between my orthodontist appointments in the meantime. Need to visit the parents and hope to do some fun travel as well. We missed out on traveling last summer since I had my accident on April 21, so we only made it from Florida to NC and back all year. Itching to range farther this year, and I do hope we get to!

[ny biker]

NWG, that snow is way too deep!

I felt cold when I left work tonight but it was just shy of 50 degrees so I just stopped thinking about it and rode my bike. Instead I thought about the rides in November and December when I was overdressed because it wasn't really cold. I also went overboard with layers at the start -- vest over my Gore windstopper jacket, Amfib tights, fleecy Gore booties, and a wool neck gaitor for the first time in years. After a few miles I took off the vest and neck gaitor. I had problems with dry eyes, probably from the allergy eye drops, and either my saddle needs to be leveled or I've gained too much weight and my shorts don't fit anymore . Overall it wasn't too cold but I wasn't comfortable for other reasons. So I cut things a bit short, for a total of 12.3 miles. My shortest bike ride in about a year. And probably my slowest.

Despite everything I'm glad I was able to get out and ride. Maybe I can go out again on Sunday.

[Crankin]

Ha, ha, NY. I have decided my athletic humble bragging on FB would sound something like this:
"What a great ride! I rode 12.5 miles, and felt like sh!t the whole time. My head hurt, my eyes were tearing, and my stomach didn't feel too good, either. My speed was comparable to a mountain climb in Spain, although I was probably dressed right for the weather. But, the wind was blowing with occasional 30 mph gusts and I felt like I was riding into it the whole time."

Really, I am so tired of seeing people say things like "I had such a wonderful run, followed by a tough session on the trainer. My power watts were through the roof and I have been hitting all my numbers perfectly."

[north woods gal]

Emily. I do hope you can get out and travel, this summer. I always enjoyed those posts of yours about bicycling in all those different places.

Hey, N.Y., you got on the bike and went for a ride. That's what counts. Very few of my winter rides have been 12.5 miles, this year. In fact, quite a few of them have been just long enough to claim I went for a ride. Had to drag my butt to make some of them happen, too. Wonder Woman I am not.

Snowing, this morning. Surprise! Surprise! Only an inch to two, though, today. Right, now, I'd settle for a good rainstorm. At least I don't have to break out the shovel after one of those.

[Crankin]

It's snowing. Not sticking, though.
Thank you, all for letting me post my humble brag here. I would regret posting it elsewhere.