Turkey Day Eve, yep that’s a real day now. I just made it up. TDE, as I like to call it, presented a less than stellar version of itself to me as I peered out the window. Drizzle, rain, overcast, and fog. I thought, “Heck, I’ve ridden in that stuff before. How bad can it get?”
I’d planned on a great hill ride (like we really have much else here in southern West Virginia). I drove to my usual starting point and got out of the car to unload the bike. The weather had turned even worse than when I left home. To paraphrase my favorite movie, it was fine Scottish weather, raining straight down...well, slightly to the side. Just as that scene finished playing out in my head, the wind gusted and blew my coat out of my hands and across the parking lot. Well played Mother Nature, well played. Ok, so apparently it can get worse than drizzle, rain, overcast and fog. I forgot all about wind.
This kind of weather requires a certain level of gut check to even get out the door for those of us who aren’t professional athletes. You run through the checklist in your head. Long bike pants, full fingered bike gloves, shell to keep the rain off, shoe covers to keep the piggies warm, and maybe a hat. Even with all the right gear it’s a challenge to get motivated to run or ride in this kind of weather.
When you do get out and train in weather that can only be described as rude you can take several things away from your time in the elements:
1. You’ve accomplished something that a majority of your neighbors would probably consider downright crazy. That’s a…umm…hmm…good thing, right?
2. You’ll see things that will bring a smile to your face like that dog that always chases you but today will only bark from the porch because it’s just too darn rainy out there.
3. You toughen up mentally so next time that run or ride in less than perfect weather becomes just another day logging some miles not a missed day.
How do you get motivated to get out the door on a crappy weather day?
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