Sleet Stings

In part to relax my muscles from the Saturday run I decided to cycle to work in spite of a Winter Storm Warning being in effect. The wind and precipitation forecast didn't look particularly bad during the times I'd be riding. I'd faced worse winds, temperatures, and moderate rain. So I thought it'd be fine.

Well, I had never ridden in sleet.

It started hitting a few minutes into my ride and the wind blew it into my face until I got to work. Of all the days not to wear my ski mask! It felt like a barrage of tiny bullets on my face; hard enough to be painful and annoying, but not enough to cause any real damage. Where it was safe I found myself wrapping my left arm around my face much like you'd see a stereotypical Count Dracula hide his face behind his cape.

Image from
http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/File:The_Count_cape_cover.jpg

When I finally got to work it looked like snow had only fallen from the front of my bike.

It sure wasn't a pleasant ride, but it was a good experience to have, and at least it wasn't hail!

Running is not Cycling

Yesterday I had a chance to go on a quick run. Ended up running about 5k in around 30 minutes and I was happy with the results, since I hadn't gone on a run in over a year.

It was a rough start, since I'm used to cycling with eye protection and the wind in my eyes was stinging at first. Also I didn't know what to expect in terms of temperature. It was around 30 F outside and I dressed as I would for a ride, but once I was warm I learned that there wasn't enough airflow to keep me cool, so I started sweating and shedding layers, fast.

Today my body has reminded me that running, unlike cycling, is a moderate impact activity. My arms, shoulders, back, and feet are sore. Also my left knee is feeling the weight of compensating for achy feet. 5k is too much if you haven't run in a while.

On the plus side my cardiovascular capacity seems to be OK. No heart attack. But I really need to incorporate some running into my weekly routine to work what cycling doesn't.

Commuting Through the Desert

So, the snow has been melting. It seems that I've been riding past an animal carcass on a daily basis. More than ever I'm reminded that I live in a desert.

Why I Cut Through Parking Lots

Today, while riding home from work I was hit by a car. With that bit of info there's a lot of ways you can imagine it went, and since I'm writing this you can infer the driver didn't kill me.

Accidents happen. It's not uncommon to see cars pulled to the side of the road during rush hour, the drivers filling out forms to the light of a patrol car. But when a collision happens between a car and a cyclist the risk isn't even close to even. The driver is cocooned in a metal bubble while the rider is prone to bounce around and pop. Like a bubble.

That's why I cut through parking lots.

Normally inside a parking lot cars go at a fraction of the speed. Less speed translates to less momentum and easier emergency breaking. That was the difference today between me landing gently on the hood of a car being brought to a sudden stop, with only a bruised ankle to show for it; and being flung in the air at bone shattering speeds if I'm lucky, or run over if I'm not.

Bike needs a little work. Happy there was nothing more to it.