Nothing’s harder then having to hang up the bike during the cold short days of winter. Going to work in the dark and coming home again after dark can be hard on the body and mind. It is important to keep active during the winter months and not let the darkness, cookies and egg nogg take over. Winter is generally a time of less activity and higher calorie foods and drinks.
Here at the Campfire Cycling we try and mix it up to keep our sanity both mentally and physically. Luckily Flagstaff is a place were the winter time options offer more then riding the trainer or rollers indoors, although our fearless leader, Josh is going to give the rollers a go this winter. Personally I choose to pick up the skates skis and head out to the Nordic center, I know Nordic in Arizona? Yes that’s right, remember your geography folks, Flagstaff is at 7000 ft. Skate skiing and classic Nordic skiing are a great ways to get an amazing work out and still get outside and enjoy nature. For those of you that don’t have a Nordic center or skis but still get good snow fall, snow shoeing is also a great workout. If you live in a place where it is cold, cloudy but doesn’t snow, much like Kansas and Missouri, where I grew up, then you better bundle up to ride or join a gym, bummer I know. There is also always running, but nobody likes to run, unless its from the police.
The key to enjoying any winter sport is having the right gear. I have had to learn this the hard way, trying to substitute less then par clothing to keep warm and comfortable which always ends in being cold and pissed.
So do your self a favor and drop a little coin on good fitting tech clothing such as Windstopper, and proper wicking insulation to keep you dry and warm. If you are interested in more informative winter time activities check out Handlebarsandwich and Epicrider.
So don’t let yourself just give up till it gets warm again, although it takes a little more effort and thought, fun healthy activities can be found during the winter months, which will keep you sane and help keep those winter calories off, even when you drink as much Baileys as I do.