Getting through the Winter

Okay, the year is launched.  Most folks (not all!) have put away the Christmas decorations.  The greeting card companies are already gearing up for an attempt at Valentine’s day.  In somewhat typical fashion, our north Georgia Winter has arrived in earnest.  To make matters a bit worse, there are any number of bits on “resolutions” in various media.  (Most of these are pretty depressing.)  What ever are we to do?

For those of us who ride, getting through the Winter is a tough chore.  Yes, the days are getting slightly longer now, but it will be a long time before the effect is worth noting.  Winter brings us cold, rain, and dark, often all three at once.  It take some strategy to get through this.

In my experience, the biggest aid to getting through all of this is to have some goals.  Long term goals are good.  They motivate us.  Intermediate goals are mileposts that help us keep track of our progress in reaching the longer ones.  Short Term Goals and Process Goals keep us on track, and accountable, in the day-to-day routine.

For the Long Term Goal, pick something big and exciting, something that turns you on.  This isn’t a “it would be nice to…” kind of thing.  It should be something that feels like you must do it.  Something from your “bucket list.”  Don’t pick something because you feel you should, but rather go for that thing that grabs you by the throat.  The thing that makes your heart race a bit.  And yes, the thing that’s a little scary.

In my own modest way, I’d like to offer some stuff that might work in with your goals.

There will be an annual Audax Ride coming up in the Spring.  In aid of that there will be four Audax Tune Up rides.  The Seasonal Night Rides will resume with the Spring Equinox in March.  I’m considering a couple of weekend touring type rides.  These will be two or three day self-supported tours to distant locations and back.  You’ll be seeing more about all of this (dates, times, and descriptions) in the very near future.

In the shorter term, we are still offering Spin Classes at Bicycles Unlimited.  These will continue until Spring.  Don’t delay.  Come in and sign up now.  (There’s that intermediate goal thing, coupled with some process goals.)

Basically, the best suggestion I have for getting through the dark months is, “Get busy, and stay active.”  Goals help.  More to come.