It’s winter. I am usually just returning from down south and having to adapt to the colder weather.
Having said that, I have also normally just ridden hundreds of kilometres, climbed about 10,000 meters of elevation on my bikes, and enjoyed a four-week vacation, so the winter weather doesn’t phase me much.
This year is a different story. No California and no mega rides enhanced by unlimited vitamin D … just winter.
I’ve been trying to ride more, eat better, and enjoy it as much as I can, but it’s hard. The cold temps, soft and mucky trails, headwinds, and torrential rains are like getting punched in the face on every ride, although when I return home, or arrive at work, I feel amazing.
If any of you have kids, a stressful job, or, and this is a bad one, are doing home renovations, you know how taxing this can all be on your brain. I’m no different and in 2020, more than ever, I let it affect me. The stress was over the top and my brain hurt on a pretty regular basis.
I would skip rides trying to tackle more projects, get ahead of it and all that. But it made it all worse.
Now as I look out at the waves crashing up on the beach, calculating if the trees are going to survive this wind, and wonder if I should start reno’s, or get some work done at Swicked, I decide my brain needs a break, and I start getting my many layers of rain gear on for another tough ride.
In a couple of hours I’ll be physically exhausted, but so relaxed.
I’m James Durand and I’m Goin’ Ridin’…