Hard Holiday Weather

Scout Island trail

Each year of late Strava has this "Festive 500" thing where people try to ride at least 500 km over the holidays, from December 24 though December 31. That kind of distance over eight days, 310 miles for those of us still measuring things based on the length of somebody's foot, isn't outside of my normal routine, although I suppose there have been years where meeting that goal provided a bit of motivation to get on the bike when the holidays might otherwise provide ample excuses for missing a day or two. This year, however, I suspect only those with legit OCD might not have thrown that goal out the window already. By Thursday the 22nd we were already being inundated by dire warnings of  winter Armageddon, which around here just means it will be significantly below freezing for a significant amount of time. Such events are rare enough that it isn't unreasonable to just take those days as "rest days" and carry on when it warms up, which usually happens by the following day. This time, though, the following day would be a bit worse.

So with faucets dripping to keep them from freezing Friday morning the 23rd started out well below freezing. I was already coming down with a sore throat, so things weren't looking too good for me, but nonetheless I waited until 2:00 pm when the temperature was barely above freezing, and took the cyclocross bike out with the idea of riding some of the trails on Scout Island in City Park where there would be some protection from the 10-15 mph north wind. The ride was just to move my legs and get out of the house, with no effort to do anything that might resemble training. It was quite nice on the trails, actually. Afterward I decided to ride to see what Lakeshore Drive looked like. That mile or so right into the freezing north wind was brutal, and Lakeshore Drive was closed because of the ice on the road from the waves breaking over the seawall. My average speed for that ride barely cracked 10 mph.

Friday night was, I think, even colder, and so on Christmas eve I again waited until afternoon when the temperature was up to around freezing before going out for a short solo ride on the windblown levee. At least the sun was out. I got in 30-odd miles, again at an agonizingly slow speed. The sore throat was still there, and so I was expecting it to all evolve into a chest cold any day.

My brother and niece came in on Christmas day, and between the cold I was nurturing and the cold temperature outside I didn't have any trouble convincing myself of the wisdom in staying off the bike on the 25th and 26th. On Tuesday it was still pretty cold and windy, and I was starting to get some chest congestion, so I went out at 6 am to the levee with the idea of sitting on the back at the lowest possible effort level and turning back early to minimize the chances of turning it all into pneumonia. As it turned out, it was just Charles and me, so we just did an easy ride out to Williams Blvd. and back. On the plus side, the temperature was supposed to be much warmer on Wednesday. 

Since I was already coughing and generally feeling pretty much under the weather I wisely decided not to go out to the WeMoRi and instead aim for a solo ride later in the day when it would be over then degrees warmer. 

I headed out under a nice blue sky around 10:00 am with the idea of keeping the effort level low so as to avoid doing more harm than good. Considering the much-improved weather, and trying to ignore the gradually increasing southeast wind, I put a gel in my pocket just in case I found the motivation to do a longer ride. Knowing that I was already suffering from a chest cold, I went ahead and pulled on the leg and arm-warmers even though I knew it would be in the mid-60s. Up on the levee, and lured by a nice tailwind, I cruised along at a minimal effort level all the way out to the end of the bike path at Gramercy, about 44 miles upriver. I knew it would be a very long ride back, almost entirely into a strong headwind, but I was determined not to push myself too hard. I probably averaged 14 mph at best all the way back and was quite suitably tired and hungry by the time I got home.

With the chest cold in full effect I waited until after noon to go out yesterday, again with the idea of just putting in a few easy miles on the levee. I ran into Charlotte on the way out, so we rode together until she turned back a bit after Williams Blvd. I was not feeling too bad, so decided to continue to the little Dip. I rode a little bit harder on the way back, which again was largely head and cross-wind. This morning, Friday, the forecast had been calling for rain and thunderstorms by 7 am, but when I awoke that had all been pushed back by a few hours. Even so, I decided not to risk it by going out to see who might show up for Friendly Friday. I could have ridden and stayed dry but perhaps it was better to skip it until this chest cold clears up a bit more. It's been raining non-stop now for hours and things will probably be wet until at least 3 pm, so prospects for today are looking rather bleak. Just as well, I guess. With one more riding day left in 2022, I'm a bit over 13,000 miles for the year, which is more than adequate. Here's the past ten years;