Today is a national holiday, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, so the ride was on, despite the cold weather. Today's ride made me reflect about how brave I once was, to ride in NYC weather that was significantly colder than today, all decked out with goggles, electric socks and a facemask. But no more. Today's weather dictated my new limit. Upon leaving my apartment it was only 30F and I don't think it ever hit 40F. The roads were slick, the vineyards were covered with ice, and we had to do a flat ride in order to avoid any dangerous, icy descents. I wore 5 layers of clothes, which still wasn't enough to keep me warm and my feet froze, even with booties on. Even so, we covered 90K, and I bonked and cramped up at around 70K. The guys all took turns giving me a little "push" to get me back home before I passed out. Now, this I didn't mind at all....but sure felt silly....I haven't bonked like this since climbing the Continental Divide in Colorado, or was it Utah with Susan T.? It took about an hour for my toes and fingers to defrost when I got back. There were only 8 riders today. The smart ones stayed in bed.
After eating more pasta than I deserved, I wondered how a country that is so good for my soul could be so bad for my body. I'm sadly out-of-shape and anxiously await the opportunity to ride in San Clemente.
I also received today, a note from Debbie Myers, with photos of the OCW girls making quilts together, in anticipation of Christmas. It was sweet, and made me miss some very special people.
This will be a very new and different Christmas for me. The streets are filled with a wonderful Christmas feeling, which is actually complemented by the cold weather.
I will be back in San Clemente exactly one month from today.
