Winter comes together

At times winter can drag me down. Steals my motivation, as the cold tears my breath from my lungs. And then there are moments where elation in the season bubbles to the surface. Skiing down a perfectly packed trail, the birches and spruces zipping passed as I kick, skate and glide. The zebra pattern of shadows on the snow, the warm orange sunlight on the ridgetops tempting me to explore just a bit further down that trail, a bit deeper into the woods. And some nights the sky comes alive with swirling color, as it did last night. Magic is not too strong a word for the aurora. Even, I the consummate scientist and logician can be struck dumb by an empty sky suddenly filled with the northern lights.

Next time you are out, look up, you never know what you may find lurking in the sky above.

Snowing!

Just a quick update to let everyone who cares know that it is currently snowing here in Fairbanks. Two or three inches fell overnight and there is another 4 or so predicted before it clears out of here about midnight. The more the merrier!

Spent an hour or so climbing with a friend of mine last night at the rock gym at UAF. Felt great to be pulling down again. I still suck, but it is fun. Also I bought a new set of skate skis yesterday. They are being waxed and mounted with bindings today so I should be able to take them out for a spin on some fresh snow tomorrow afternoon. I'm looking forward to that.

Winter settling

Despite continued cold temperatures (it has been sub-zero in the mornings for several days now) we haven't gotten much more snowfall. Which has been poor for skiing since we could really use at least a few more to put the trails in decent condition. But it has allowed what snow we have to harden into a very rideable crust.

Over the weekend I took my bike out on the local trails to do some exploring and check conditions. Things were still a bit choppy on some of the little-used stretches, but other parts were perfect with a smooth hard couple of inches of snow over frozen ground. I think it was in the low single digits when I rode and my toes tucked into my biking shoes and clipped into my pedals quickly felt very, very cold. By the time I detoured off the really crummy, chopped up trail sections they were going numb. I've never had frostbite and didn't want to experience it so I cut the ride short, took the first exit off the trails, returned to pavement and bolted for home where I got my toes warm again, with only moderate doses of re-warming agony. Aside from the cold feet, my summertime tires (WTB Exi-wolfs 29x2.3) did not do so hot in the snow. I appreciated how wide they were by the nobbies are not agressive enough for snow-riding and my traction suffered.

After this painful intro to winter riding, I went out and bought a pair of neoprene booties and my Nokian Extreme studded tires arrived in the mail. So yesterday I headed out for another ride after dark. I wore a headlamp strapped to my helmet and an LED headlight on my handle bars. My riding get-up was some cross between bad-ass and real dork. I had on the booties over my shoes which made my feet look a few sizes too big, then a pair of not so tights as riding pants, a soft-shell, a fleece vest, a neck gaitrer and a beanie for under my helmet. At first I thought I must look pretty cool, like some hard-core winter biker to admired by all the fair-weather riders out there, but after my girlfriend started chuckling and snappeda photo of me (not to be shared here) I realized, I in fact, looked more than a little silly (though I prefer the term "practical").

It was upper single-digits when I finally got out the door and I decided on a short ride following the same loop as above. Everything came together nicely. The trail was somewhat better packed and the Nokians did great. They are bit narrower (2.1 instead of 2.3) so I lost some flotation but the agressive tread and studs gave me substantially more traction on the hard snow pack. I rode along, pondering in the dark the feel of the trail, the bumps and moose tracks, the way the tires squeek pleasingly through the snow. It was all very good and made me realize that winter mountain-biking really can be fun. And also made me wonder just how much MORE fun this could be if I had a Pugsley or a FatBack... Back on the frozen pavement I pushed down harder and listened to the sound of hundreds of carbide-tipped studs tapping the pavement. (Sounded like a speed-freaking bowl of Rice Crispies). Nice to be back on the bike.

Still a slacker

Well its been a few days since I've posted here and I think my slackness here has related to my slackness in the fitness front. Now however, I have no more excuses. Winter has arrived. It snowed about six inches over the weekend there is a solid base and I no longer have any justification for not getting out. In fact the day the weather decided to strike I was all set to run a 5k race. I of course ran it anyway (I'm not that much of a slacker). I arrived at the race start to snow falling hard and about four inches of fresh on the little traveled roads. It was a lovely winter scene with perfect temperatures for a winter run. However I think the snow kept the field of runners to a bare minimum. Indeed a very low bar for competition and you know what? I won!

Well, kinda. My friends Glenn and Cameron and I led the race throughout the three one mile laps and since we ran the whole race together decided it would be just as well if we finished together, so we did, crossing the finish line at exactly the same time. This was not a usual 5k however, the snow aside, this race was a fundraiser for new local library and at the end of every lap, runners were required to stop and write a short poem using magnetic poetry before continuing on. Lets just say this was not the most competitive event of Fairbanks' running calendar. But for once in my life, probably the only time in my life, I got to see what a race looks likes with no one in front of me. (It felt kind of good.)

Finally, this morning that other aspect of winter struck...the cold. It is is -4 degrees outside my office window as I write this. But there is snow and I plan to put on skis this evening for the first time this year. I'm looking forward to it.

On Foot Again

Well my shins were healed enough from a recent bout of shin-splints to permit me to go for a short run yesterday. I did about three miles. I don't want to overdo it so I'm starting off running again very slowly and easily. Since there is insufficient snow on the ground right now to be useful, running is pretty much my best option for exercise and I don't want to wreck it. Since I had no pain whatsoever yesterday I push it a touch farther today and go for more like four miles. Wish me luck.

I hope I didn't jinx the snow situation today when I bought a new pair of skate ski boots...

Slacker

We are in the awful, in between period right now. Not enough snow to ski, but so much that the trails suck for bike riding, and too little for them to pack down to a rideable condition. So I gave myself permission to have an easy week last week. I rode one more day, a snowy, slippery ride up some some nearby dirt roads which turned out to be dangerous outing with the icy roads and the still-studless tires I'm riding. (Put that one the list to buy).

Unfortunately, though there is snow spitting out my window right now, there is still not enough to be much value for skiing. So this week is going to be tricky to get back on the work-out routine. I can give myself one easy week with the justification that occasional breaks are good for me, but two weeks is a lot harder to swallow. So tonight...I'm going to do, well, something.

Anybody know any good snow dances?

And So it Continues

Another inch fell day before yesterday and there is 1-3 more predicted for tonight. There is no denying it any longer- Winter has arrived. And I'm cool with that (no pun intended). In fact yesterday I took a snowy bike ride on the local trails and it felt darn good to be out in the cold air, by breath leaving a trail of fog behind me. I like the crunch of snow beneath the tires and chill air. And I found one added advantage: you get a much better workout riding on snow. It must be the added rolling resistance because I found myself pedaling in the low gears most of the time, rarely coming out of my smallest chain ring.

This thought led me on to thinking about snow biking. And how on a snow-bike, like the Surly Pugsley, the best gearing set-up might be to skip the three chain rings on the front instead opting for a single small one. Keep the casette in the back to retain the granny gears and call it good. If I could only afford a Pugsley right now (or better yet a FatBack) I'd give my idea a shot.
(All of these thoughts seem to have manifested themselves last night into a dream featuring a dancing Surly Karate Monkey frame...very, very weird.)

The bizarre dream, I believe finds its routes in several nights of tossing and turning as I think about the renovations that need to be done to the cabin I just bought. Yep, closed on Monday for a nice little log cabin, work shop, and sauna on ten acres of land north of Fairbanks. I'll be putting my middling carpentry skills and check book to the test over the next couple of weeks as I work on the upgrades.

Mileage:
29 September: none
30 September: none, but a wicked strength workout.
1 October: 8 miles biking

October Totals:
Biking: 8 miles