Winter Riding Therapy
It's a bit nippy outside today...actually it's downright cold. It's the time of year when KC hibernates till March as St. Paddy's Day comes around and ushers in the first big hoopla of the changing seasons. But between now and then, it's worthwhile to explore the idea of riding in cold weather. We'll be doing a series of posts exploring the things we learn and like from riding in the cold. To kick things off, I can personally attest to the mental benefits of riding in the winter.
Like many people, the earlier sunsets and clocks being turned back, all contribute to the reality of SAD (seasonal affective disorder). Essentially it's the gray cloud that hangs over you and makes you want to put on the sweatpants and hoody as soon as you get home and remain there till bedtime at 8:00pm. I'm sure it's tied to circadian rhythm and the ancient hibernation cycle of mammals and other hardwired elements of being human, but still, it's a challenging time of year for a lot of people. Most of us who deal with depression of any kind know the value of keeping active and engaging the heart and mind at the same time, which is why exercise is so powerful. And while trainers do a great job of getting the heart rate up, they leave some real aesthetic experiences to be desired. Bicycling and hiking are replete in aesthetic experiences, and regardless of the time of year, these experiences are why I enjoy both very much. Just like us, the natural world slows down: the animals that don’t hibernate are active in the woods and even in the city. They have the never ending and difficult task of getting enough calories to survive the least food productive time of year. But their constant activity makes it easier to spot them in the wooded areas of parks and trails around KC. There is much to see and take in from a winter ride and the benefit of the completed cold ride is one of heart and soul: it can be a truly aesthetic experience for a time of year when so many of us need as many as we can get.
Winter riding is a mindset first and foremost. So let me say it: You can do this and you can enjoy it. You'll have to adapt your thinking to welcome it as another season of experiencing the joy of two wheels and the world as it reveals itself to you in it's various forms of being. Winter riding is about the slower miles where you may stop and have a hot chocolate or coffee on an afternoon ride (or even an Irish coffee). It's also about stopping and seeing the view off the saddle in areas you've always found peaceful or serene in warmer days, while whizzing by at 18+ mph as you trained for your next bike race or ride. The lesson here is to know that the experience of outdoor winter riding is holistic, as we all are, and it makes the senses tune into a world that is mysterious to many who hole up and wait for the season to pass. And with that, I present a challenge of sorts. Try framing your mind differently about the winter experience. Take the baby step of donning some layers (even if they’re the “wrong” things to layer up in) and put your feet on the pedals and go to some place on your bike that you enjoy because of the serenity it provides and take it in from a winter point of view. This is the time of year to fall in love with biking all over again. It’s not about how fast you’re riding or how far. It’s that you rode, you saw the world (and probably even bicycling) from another point of view, and you begin to realize that, just like the non-hibernating wild life you’ll see if you’re paying attention, winter is when we slow down, but we keep on moving.
Ride Safe.
Kiley