Changing Seasons

I'm calling tonight the first cold weather ride. Okay, it's only in the low sixties out there, but it's damp and dark as only Georgia in the winter can be. Mostly, for the first time during a ride, I looked down and thought, Damn, my toes are cold. Of course, bib shorts, short sleeve jersey, and thin socks don't offer much insulation.
The cool weather always makes me realize how adaptable we are as humans. People that spend a lot of time outside (cyclists, for instance) acclimate pretty quickly to the weather. I rode all summer in ridiculous heat and learned to tolerate it. Riding while it's in the mid 70's now feels like a cool fall day, and sixty degrees sends me running for toe covers. But, come spring time I'll be used to the cold. Sixty degrees will have me back in summer gear and seventy five will feel insufferable.
Temperature isn't the only thing we get used to. The years I'm riding a lot I find I feel more "plugged in" to the natural environment. You can almost feel the plants waking in the spring, the rush toward blooming and budding. The air is fragrant and rich with life returning. And in the fall you can feel everything slowing down like a worn out kid going down for a nap. I think this is one of the reasons outdoor activities are more popular than ever. Whether you're riding the local hills, shooting rapids, or even out hunting, spending time out there fills a gap that is getting bigger in this techno society. I'm sitting here at a computer typing away, and you're sitting there reading. We move just a little further away from our origins. So we all find ways to try to regain a little of that connection.
So some of us go ride. It's a hell of a lot more productive than sitting in a tree waiting for warm venison to amble by.

On less spiritual notes, my weight seems to have plateaued at an even 250, which is 20 lbs from my starting weight. The road riding has almost stopped for now, and I haven't ridden much for the past few weeks, so I'm confident it will start to drop again as I pick up my riding a bit. Jesse and I rode at Thomson tonight, and I turned a personal best time. I won't embarrass myself by posting it, and I had to make flipper ride a single speed and kick him in both knees to keep up. And I still think he was sandbagging. But I'm still faster than I used to be.

Picture Credits: The fantastic illustration is by Mary Teichman. For more info, visit PictureBook. Here's another one by her that you guys might like: