Winter Blues

With winter moving in, I am struggling with the cold and dark already! With shorter days and longer nights, my commute in the dark and cold both ways and getting fewer rides in has been hitting me more the last couple of years. I usually head out in the morning, but now with the temperature dropping, riding midday or later when it's warmer is sometimes the way to go. You have less time to ride due to less light, and running lights is usually the case on the way back. My time outside in the sun is becoming less, like it is for most of us here on the East Coast. I never believed in seasonal depression when I was young, probably because I had more time to do me. I was running around the LES in NYC. Between going to school, work if I had a job at the time, training in MA, or hanging with friends, every day was non-stop.

Now at a different time in my life I have looked forward more to just getting a ride in on a Sunday morning. The more I talk to people the more it seems I'm not the only one feeling this way. With colder mornings and shorter days it is harder to get a ride in. If I do get one in and the temps are low the ride is shorter, still enjoyable as I try to get one in when I can.

The trees bare and the lack of color everywhere. The Winter does bring enjoyable experiences of it's own as does every season. The sound of tires rolling over the leaves, the smell of chimneys & of the pine cones to name a few. Oh and NO BUGS!

There is something very Zen like when riding. It's like hitting the reset button, very meditative. A calmness found when pedaling and focusing on the road/trail, leaving other thoughts out. Not thinking about your daily jobs but just pedaling and taking in the nature around you.