What the Heck Am I Gonna Do All Winter?

photo credit: Lee Sie

Well it seems official ~ fall is here. The leaves are starting to change, the days are getting colder and the nights are getting downright COLD. Not only that it is getting rainy and the wind has been blowing full tilt for a week now. All of these things make me less than eager to get on my bike, even though I really want to go for a bike ride.

So I’m in a bit of a quandry.

It’s not like this type of weather is going to go away or get any better, for that matter, for the next 4 or 5 months. So what am I going to do with myself for the next 5 months?

I was reading Fat Cyclist’s blog this morning and he apparently intends to just let all his hard work and fitness go to hell eating twinkies all winter. I just can’t really handle that. I’ve worked hard in the last couple months to get myself in good enough shape to meet the goals I had set for myself. I just can’t wrap my head around letting it all go south and having to start over again in the spring.

Here’s the deal though ~ I hate exercise. Yeah, I don’t really consider riding my bike exercise, it’s just this fun thing I get to do to get some peace and quiet and alone time. It doesn’t much seem like that when I think about riding on a trainer in my living room with my toddler screaming and running around and me having to watch out she doesn’t put her fingers in the spokes.

So what’s a new bike rider supposed to do in her first off season?

Oh ~ did you think I was gonna have a big plan?

Not so much.

I do think I will get a trainer.  I would like to do more yoga. I would like to do more weight bearing stuff.

Hmm… these sound like the ideas I’ve been having for the lat 30 somthing years lol. Therein lies the problem. How do I actually get motivated to do all this stuff? I have an elliptical trainer and a full gym in my basement, but I haven’t been down there in a couple years. It’s not like the opportunity is not here, I just can’t get motivated enough to do it.

I am hoping to get a new road bike around Christmas time this year. If I got a trainer maybe I could set a mileage goal I had to meet before I can get my new bike?

I also recently picked up a training guide for centuries ~ maybe I could do the training involved on the trainer. That might be fun ~ maybe I could even start a contest with some cycling friends of mine ~ most winter miles?? Maybe I could even set up a way to do a century in my living room?

OK ~ I’m starting to see possible ways I can get motivated, and I really think most of it is going to have to be on the bike. It’s definitely not the same as having the wind in your hair and blowing in your ears, but I think I can make it work.  The alternative is letting it all go to shit and starting over in the spring, and I’m REALLY not feeling that.

So it seems the first order of business is to get a new trainer and eek out some space where I can ride it.  I’m gonna start looking at Craigslist today.  Know what’s really funny? My husband was trying to get me to buy a trainer a month or so ago. I kept telling him “I don’t need a trainer! I’m gonna ride outside”. Ha ha ha ~ yeah, I forgot what a wuss I was about being cold.

What keeps you motivated and in shape through out the winter? Is there something we can do together? I’m game, if you can think of something. I’m ready to stay in shape ~ I’m loving how I’m looking and feeling ~ and oh yeah, I really haven’t mentioned this at all but I’ve lost 12 pounds so far since I started riding my bike. That feels GOOD!!!

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