Post stress syndrome

It’s been a weird year so far. We have posted lower temps than usual around here, and the 9 or so inches that we got last month was the most accumulation we have seen here in a decade. The freezing temps have messed with my brain a bit. I haven’t been blogging, I haven’t enjoyed post ride drinks at Cogan’s since the rides kept getting cancelled, and I when I heard that Freedom Park closed after the storm, I started to think I would never ride again. We had to cancel our Superbowl mountain bike weekend, and I even got a charley horse style cramp one night after a maddening hour on an indoor trainer. I never get cramps even after several hours on the bike outside. Weird and kinda depressing.

I have to get something off my chest even as morbid as it may sound. I started thinking about what would happen if I could never ride again (e.g., injury), and I concluded that if it all folded tomorrow, I am happy with the years that the bike has given me. I may have even prayed a time or two in the past few weeks about how grateful I am for the lifetime of experiences, challenges and friendships I have gained from the bike. I am like so many others who have a passion for something, and I have passed that tipping point that one reaches (at middle age perhaps) when one can say, I’ve got something very important out of my system, and every day I get to continue enjoying my passion is a true gift because I have been given far more than I ever deserved.

I can think of nothing more profound to say other than I have never been so happy to see my cycling comrades as I was this weekend. Saturday, the Conte’s Laskin road ride resumed after the only 4 week hiatus the ride has ever had, and Sunday lots of us met at Freedom Park on Sunday for some great dirt miles.

We got history

So, it's Superbowl again and time for Hampton Roads fair weathered flatlanders to take on the winter mountains with all the flair of cold weather inexperience we can muster.  Our annual winter Pilgrimage promises to be epic since there have been multiple snowfalls in Shenandoah mountains this year. We can only hope for seasonably warm summits like this one last year on Reddish Knob, but forecast is saying that's not likely. 

We have a history of getting lost before even finding the trailhead.

We have a history of getting stuck in the ice.

We have a history of losing a rider on the way up the mountain.  Search and Rescue crews found Donna (not pictured) at 1am in the woods, temps about 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

I have been looking at Shenandoah blogs, and here is what the roads have looked like there for a month.  Chris Scott posted this picture and is currently cycling in Baja.  Why do you suppose he went to Baja to ride?

None of the locals' blogs or facebooks show themselves cycling.  They are all skiing, as shown in this photo on Sue Haywood's blog.  Mark Russell has been hiking through tunnels.  But no mountain biking.  I guess us Hampton Roads folks will have to show them how it's done.