What is it about this winter that is making it seem endless? I grew up in Chicago. I’ve been through winters much colder, much snowier. How has this become my winter of discontent?
What is it?
Perhaps it’s because I have felt tortured all winter with images posted by cyclists that I talk to who live in California. Images like this, and this, and this. Through no fault of their own, they torture me…posting these beautiful pictures taken in moments of reflection during their rides. Moments when they stop pedaling and appreciate the beauty that surrounds them.
Perhaps it’s my yearning to be out on the road for a while with no training plan taped to my bars. That doesn’t happen on a trainer. You don’t ride the rollers or the trainer just for the sheer joy of riding. It’s a means to an end. That’s all.
Most likely, it’s knowing that I need to put in long miles in preparation for London to Paris. I’m building the base with my winter training – doing the work I need to – but nothing can take the place of spending many long hours in the saddle. Nothing can replace the contentment I feel during long rides…rides that clear my mind of the cobwebs woven during the week.
But the days are getting longer. February is coming to a close. And soon Chicago will reveal itself as the beautiful city I know it is.
In the meantime, I will relish the images posted by my friends on the coast, and I will remain envious of their joyful journeys. They feel compelled to be outside, and compelled again to share in the beauty of their ride. And I do not blame them; I would do the same.
Correction: I will do the same. Soon. And as my joy returns, my discontent will fade away…