Friday, February 1, 2019

Can we really trust a groundhog?

Coffee and a cookie break

We had a relatively storm-free January in New England but have not escaped the Arctic freeze this winter. Today’s temps barely nudged over 20 degrees. I was feeling restless after a week of bitter cold, so I bundled up and headed out for a trail ride at noon. I did not go far. By the time I got to downtown Marblehead, (just 3 miles), I was stupidly frozen and frustrated, and needed to stop and thaw my numbed face. Coffee and a cookie lifted my spirits slightly for the slog home, but I kept wishing I had called someone to give me a lift back. I’ve really been dragging this winter.

My rides and runs were inconsistent last month and I wasn’t very diligent in my training. It’s been hard to focus on summer plans with the polar vortex bearing down on us. On the bright side, it’s 15 degrees as I write this, while Will has 6 degrees in Ann Arbor, (up from -17 yesterday) and Chip has 2 degrees in Quebec City, (in Canada for the weekend) — just a reminder that it can always be colder.

Are we halfway through the winter, yet? Just two months to go!