I didn't ride for two weeks -- first I was sick, then I was out of town.
Yesterday I had a catastrophic flat (see thread in rbt) just a few miles
into the ride. I won't get a chance to ride tomorrow. So I really wanted to
ride this morning.
I had a later morning meeting on this side of town, so there was no need to
ride in to the office. I would have ridden to the meeting, but I had a time
crunch when it was over, so I couldn't. So I figured I'd just do a little
ride around the general neighborhood instead, take a shower, and go drive to
my meeting.
It was raining pretty hard. I thought if that was really the way I wanted to
spend my couple of extra hours I had. I decided yes. I really, really felt
like I wanted and needed the ride. In fact, I wanted it enough I decided
against just a doopy little ride down to the lake and back. I decided I'd do
the Gold Coast route (also known as The Points Route, because you go by
Hunts Point, Yarrow Point, etc.), where you ride by all the long driveways
of the region's Rich and Famous, like Kenny G and Bill Gates. The loop out
there and back is about 25 miles.
While I was sitting at a stop light in the pouring rain a mile or two in to
the ride, I took a look at the time/temp sign that remains on what used to
be a bank building. It said 34 degrees. Now, even if that was a little
low -- if it really was 34, I think there would have been sleet or snow
mixed in the rain -- it still might have been about 37 or so. So here I was,
getting completely soaked, when it was near freezing, completely
voluntarily, doing a "fun" ride.
About an hour later, I was riding through a swamp, and I could hear the
redwing blackbirds sing. I don't think they're migratory around here, but I
also don't hear them sing until spring.
When I got home, my feet had frozen past the toes, clear to the metatarsals.
Yesterday it was 50 degrees during my ride and it was dry, and I hadn't
prepared my feet for it being wet and temperatures so close to freezing. I
had chilblains. I took a hot shower and felt a little nauseated, a sign I
had a touch of hypothermia. It took 10 minutes of the shower before my feet
started to feel close to normal again.
Why did I take that ride? The weather was miserable, I wasn't 100% dressed
for it, so that I got seriously cold. But I had a good time. I enjoyed
waiving or saying hi to the gardeners and construction workers along the
Gold Coast, and there's hardly any cars out there. I enjoyed hearing the
redwing blackbirds sing. I enjoyed climbing the two big hills I had along
the route. I enjoyed the view of Lake Washington. It was fun.
--
Warm Regards,
Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
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