We’re at the end of a rare January warm up that lasted all of two glorious days. We’re back into snow today, but I made hay while the sun was shining…

The high temp on the car’s digital thermometer said 46 degrees F (8 C) on the way home yesterday afternoon. I’d made my call to my sponsor to let him know I’d be taking advantage of the mild temp by going for a ride with my normal riding buddy, Chuck. I was a mere hour away from my ride, but I was exhausted. I’d shorted myself sleep and I was not in a good space. I had to grapple with the thought of a nap more than once. I simply didn’t have time. I readied my Trek for a night ride which included witching rear wheels (trainer to outdoor wheel), setting the headlight on the handlebar, pumping tires, water, and so on.

Then I went into the bedroom to contemplate what to wear. This was a little tougher than I’d imagined it would be. I’m constantly battling the urge to overdress just to be warm. When it was all done, I opted for a light long-sleeve, a thermal long-sleeve, and a light windproof rain jacket.

I rolled my bike out the front door just after 5 and headed for Chuck’s.

The ride over was simply fantastic. I’d managed to dress perfectly for the effort – slightly less than moderate. Chuck was ready shortly after I pulled into his driveway and we rolled out. We didn’t break any speed records; we didn’t bother trying. We simply enjoyed the ride in the decent evening weather.

The Trek felt fantastic. After all that time spent with the rear wheel locked into a trainer, it was nice to get the bike outside again – and for once at a temperature that wouldn’t cause normal, sane people to wrinkle their nose when it’s learned you rode outdoors.

The pace was interesting. There wasn’t much push to either of us, though we did open it up a few times just to get the lead out. The fresh air was exactly what the doctor would have ordered if I’d seen the doctor… certainly what the psychiatrist would have prescribed… were I to actually need a shrink.

Meh, I bought a bike instead. Cycling (and a program of recovery, of course) keeps the need for either at a bare minimum.