Samichlaustag, Cold Rides & New Tricks
The freezing cold temps seemed appropriate to usher in St Nicholas Day this weekend, but it wasn’t necessary to put us in the mood for the holidays. I would have been just as merry had it been 50 degrees, in fact, I would have been a whole lot merrier! Despite the bitter chill that cut to the bone, we managed to squeeze in rides both Saturday and Sunday. 
I am still on the “ride once a week” program, so getting in two rides back to back was a shock to the system. Neither ride was stellar for me performance-wise. My fitness is non existent and my pathetic attempt to keep up with anyone makes me wonder why I even bother. Deep down I know exactly why I bother. Regularjoe reminded me as well. I’ll go crazy if I don’t ride. It is the only connection I have right now to keep me grounded. If I don’t, I might do something rash, like….become a shopaholic or a couch potato. Oh the horror of the thought.
If it wasn’t for a good network of friends, I would probably never surface between the months of November and March. Thanks to a little peer pressure, though, I can be coaxed into braving the elements for some two wheeled fun. However, the fun is limited to smaller time increments than our summer fun. Yes, friends make the miserable weather more tolerable, but once my core starts freezing, no amount of laughter can keep me on the bike. When I’m cold, I’m cold and I gotta stop.
Last Saturday at 1:00 it was 38 degrees and dropping for our Blankets ride with Robb, The Captain, and Regularjoe. Our original ride plans started out slightly earlier. At 7am we were driving north for the Snake Creek Time Trial preride. It was 101 degrees below zero and raining lightly.
I must have still been asleep when I got in the car which impaired my ability to make a rational judgment on pursuing this ride. As Raja drove I silently wondered, “what in the %#*& are we doing?” I did not want to do this. Sure the woods would be pretty covered in snow, but the trail would be wet and I was in about the worst shape physically I have been in 6 years. It would be a miracle for me to complete the course if it were dry and 70 degrees let alone these horrible conditions.
Several decades of countless epic winter adventures on bikes in snow, ice, and mud have more than satisfied my desire for adding anymore to the list. I’ve been there, done that. The novelty and allure are long gone for me. I’m old, tired, and grumpy and do not want to buy another drivetrain. Like I always say, “ain’t nobody paying me to ride my bike.” I do it for fun. Back to my original thoughts, “Why the H-E-double hockey sticks are we doing this?”
As we drove through Cartersville, Raja must have had an epiphany as he announced, “We’re not going, I’m turning around.” I said nothing in reply, but inside shouted, “Hallelujah, Whoohoo, He’s come to his senses!!!!” I could not have been more proud of him than I was at that moment.
Back home we saw pictures Ony and Mark had posted of the trail. Just as we suspected, it was snowy, wet, and cold. I was so proud of Ony for hanging tough and going for it. I can appreciate that he’s in the beginning of his journey, and he needs to experience that feeling of accomplishment over conquering such a ride.
We were very pleased with our decision, but this still left us rideless. Surprisingly, Blankets was still open for the day, so Raja made the call for a 1:00 Blankets ride.
Sunday was suppose to be slightly warmer, but it did not feel that way AT ALL. The sun was out, but it wasn’t doing a good job of warming! Tempted to stay bundled up in bed, more friends came to the rescue. Thankfully, Martina was in town. That’s my whirling dervish friend, a nonstop bundle of energy not affected by the cold. She and Cam rode over and Raja took us on one of his “routes in the hood.”
Dec 6th happened to be St Nicholas Day, or Samichlaustag as the Swiss call it. It was extra special to have my Swiss Sis in town with which to celebrate. Cycling is not the customary method of observing Smichlaus Day, but I’m never one to pass up on a reason to make a ride fun and festive. Martina and I are truly sisters in that we share the same passion to make a game out of everything. (We did get in a proper St Nicholas Dinner that evening.)
Again, my ride was pathetic from a fitness standpoint, but I enjoyed being out and playing. It was freezing cold, so I was grateful to have the motivation of friends to get me out there.
With the challenge of this long cold winter looming ahead, I need to get creative in ways to keep my body active. Cue the entrance of Martina. Our friendship could not have come at a better time in my life. Like a tornado, she has blasted onto the scene with her never ending energy, and I feel like her old pet dog trying to learn new tricks as I trail along behind.
Janusz could not have been more pleased when I told him I went swimming with Martina. He supports me in whatever activity I do, but is not overly thrilled with my cycling because of the constant abuse to which my body is subjected. He likes the idea of swimming because it stretches the body and he’s a big fan of stretching. A valid point, indeed. Exercises are constantly contracting the muscles and rarely do we stretch our muscles. They need the counteraction to contraction to work optimally, but nobody wants to stretch. That’s boring and too easy.
On the contrary. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Janusz it is the massive benefit from stretching my muscles. He taught me a nice routine that I try to implement on a daily basis that I sure wish I had learned 10-15 yrs ago. He’s also constantly adding these wicked abdominal exercises to my routine in order to make me as strong as Martina. I made the mistake of telling him I wanted to learn to do all her acrobatic tricks, so now he has me in training for that. He can do all the same moves with his eyes closed and cannot understand why I cannot do them too. Why didn’t I start learning all this stuff when I was in my 20’s?????? Can an old dog learn new tricks? You betcha!
I barely survived my first swim workout in over 10 yrs and am going back for more this wkd. It was brutal, but this did not surprise me. I have the utmost respect for swimmers and truly enjoyed observing Martina in her element. As a competitive swimmer growing up, she has an impressive base from which she can draw at any moment to knock your socks off.
My other new trick to learn is rock climbing. I know that swimming might help me with my endurance for cycling, but I’m not so sure how climbing will transfer to the bike. In fact, it probably won’t at all, but at least it will keep me off the sofa eating bon bons and getting fat.
With Martina in town for the week, I had the rare pleasure of climbing with her tonight. My first experience ever climbing was with her in Switzerland at the DisneyLand of rock climbing gyms and it scared the crap out of me. I vowed I’d never do it again.
Atlanta Rocks is much less daunting to a beginner like myself and I have been going on a weekly basis with Cam. I learned so much from Martina on tonight’s climb! So many pointers and tips that made perfect sense. Perfect for me to understand, but not so perfectly easy to apply. I watched as Martina gracefully and skillfully scaled up the wall and ceiling like spider man. Then I would try. Hmmmmmm. Not so graceful and skillful!
The teacher and student rolls have been reversed in my life. Now I know how it feels for people when I’m trying to teach them skills on a mtn bike. For me, nothing could be easier. I should hope so, after 20 years I better have something to show for it. I have forgotten that it takes time for the verbal understanding of instruction to click and manifest itself through action. I understood exactly what she was telling me to do, but was having a hard time making the practical coincide with the theory.
With constant updates from my friends abroad, I’m in awe of all the crazy tricks they do. It makes me wonder what have I been doing all this time? Riding my bike. That’s all I’ve been doing. Fiola has been racing in the Abu Dhabi Adventure, Jeff ran the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, and Kate constantly climbs and runs up the Alps.
I need to take a clue from all my highly motivated friends to get off my butt and learn a few things. There will be loads of time to practice my new tricks, because it looks like it’s going to be long winter. A long cold one. My Life on a Bike may be limited, but that will make me all the hungrier for it in the Spring. It’s going to be tough to weather the next 3 months, but fortunately, I have some good friends on which to lean. So, please, keep poking me and make me get out there on my bike, in the pool, or up a wall. No matter how much I kick and scream (and I may bite), keep dragging me out there. If you make promises of hot chocolate I will come willing! Cheers! Here’s to learning new tricks!
(Joe showing off one of his new tricks)
Your text made me laugh! And I feel honored… Way too much, but well, I’ll take it!
Mami turned 59 yesterday and she says she feels younger than with 40! So there’s hope I guess….
Oh and by the way: I always had slight problems with my neck and lower back when biking a lot. The more I rock climbed during the winter, the less problems I had on the bike in the summer. So yes, climbing DOES do something for you. Just like lifting weights, just WAY more fun! It’s strength and coordination, stabilizing at it’s best! True, belaying is not really the best thing for your neck, but climbing itself definitely is. Just keep it up through the winter, especially try to get in overhangs and bouldering every time you go and you will see!
Oh and JOE: Love your new trick! Joe is awesome!
Hugs to all
Martina
It’s all so true - Learning new tricks and doing new sports helps keep us all young. At least as long as we don’t kill ourselves learning them
Way to go - Keep on gettin out there - It makes that hot chocolate taste even better afterward! Cheers!
another awesome post by Laurie. It amuses me when you say you wished you learned things when you are twenty. I relate … except I wish I learned some of the same tricks and hints when I was 40.
old codger in New Mexico …