When Nature Calls You Outdoors

After five weeks of below average temperatures (global warming - where are you?) the sun finally popped out and pushed temps above freezing. Not that 33 degrees is warm by any stretch of the imagination but it was still warm enough to make me think that an outside ride would be fun. Unfortunately, I couldn't sneak out of work until 4:30 (16:30 for those of you from outside the U.S., as well as our heroes from the U.S. military - to whom I say Semper fi my brothers and sisters, Charlie Mike!) and that meant that the temperatures were dropping rapidly and the sunlight was fading quickly. Hidden icy patches, two of which had me fish-tailing, and automobile drivers, cutting too close because they weren't expecting to meet a cyclist on the road in February had me on edge the entire ride. Undaunted, I was rewarded with 20 outside miles and this pretty sunset (which I was able to capture because I had my camera with me). Note about the photo; this is the kind of sunset that has tourists in Hawaii scrambling for their cameras. With the exception of having a spectacular beach from which to take a picture, this sunset is just as lovely. It also says a lot about Wisconsin.

Winter sunset in Wisconsin

All of that was yesterday. Today I got a call from The Boss who was looking for a buddy to go with him on a ride. Since it was 46 degrees and sunny out and since The Boss is, well, The Boss, I went.

Riding on roads that we hadn't been on for a few months was a real pleasure. Most of the snow and ice had melted from the roadways, even in the shady spots. The spring-like weather had auto drivers in good moods too, so no trouble there. The only real problems were my legs. They felt like lead. Why is it that you can spend hours on the trainer, pushing your heart and body to near their limits and then you get outside on the road and it seems as if you haven't ridden in months? Yes, I know that wind, weather and road conditions can have an impact on your work-out but the difference in 'trainer fitness' and 'real world fitness' shouldn't be so remarkable. Just this past Saturday I did 50 miles on the trainer with Coach Troy, after which my legs felt a lot better than after today's 37 miles. Well, come to think of it, Coach Troy isn't near the whip cracker that The Boss is.

The Boss and I also had a chance to talk about logistics regarding our upcoming cycling trip to Texas. It's only a few weeks away. Item number one; get in shape. Item number two; get in shape. We also talked about how best to get our bikes down there (FedEx), how much on the bike food to take (lots), how many evenings will be spent at Texas roadhouses (all of them) and whether or not the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas was still operating (for research activities only you understand, so I have something fun to post in the blog). This last item also gives me a reasonable excuse to run the photo at the end of the post.

We also talked about how many miles we should plan to ride each day and how hard the miles should be. We agreed to ease into the week by doing two, two hour sessions for the first few days and then building to five hour rides by the end. Intensity is anybody's guess. We agree to avoid over doing things but my experience tells me that once the competitive juices start to flow all bets are off. In any event the trip is going to be fun and I'm looking forward to it.


Note: Dolly Parton starred in the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas movie. Jessica Simpson tried to sing Dolly's song, "Nine to Five" at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. without success, which you can read about HERE. And there's the connection. Besides, you didn't really want me to post a shot of 61 year old Dolly Parton, did you? I didn't think so. Enjoy!



Elvis totally doesn't know what Jessica's IQ is, but he wants her.