Bike DC: A ride report

On Saturday morning, the temperature was 40 degrees and it rained incessantly. Riding a bike in this weather can only be described with one word: gruesome. Did I regret doing it? Certainly not. Sometimes it's important to simply shake your fist at the weather and say that nothing is going to deter you from your outdoor plans. This day, my opponent was not easily vanquished.

The route was awesome-- 25 miles of DC urban riding, and the entire route was blocked off to traffic. It only took 10 minutes for my fingers and toes to go numb, but once I got out of my saddle and really hammered, I could keep myself from reaching a hypothermic state. I skipped all rest stops and never really looked around because the rain was hitting my eyeballs. One really cool section was the George Washington Parkway. The cars really hated that we were taking "their road" for a few hours.

To be honest, I was supposed to be volunteering to help riders who were experiencing mechanical difficulties. But without waterproof gloves or booties, I was really in no shape to help anyone, including myself, with a flat tire. So I just rode as fast as possible, staying near the very front of the pack. I wanted to be done as soon as I could, and two hours after starting, the finish line was in sight.

There was an after-party at the end, but I just proceeded to the metro and hopped on the train. Getting back in my warm house and taking off the wet clothes was a delight. That was easily the worst weather I had ever ridden in, and it felt much harder than most century rides I've ever done.

I partake in activities like this because of, not in spite of, the pain it induces. There's nothing like physical suffering to remind you what it feels like to be fully alive. Most people spend their lives in fear of pain and death, but if you go through these physical ordeals on a regular basis, the familiarity makes them much less intimidating.

As we head into the winter months, I have one bit of advice. Don't let the weather get you down. Kick it in the butt.