Why Ride When its (Cold, Rainy, Windy, Hot, Crappy) Out

As I posted yesterday, despite pretty cold weather conditions in Appleton (windchills in the low 20's), I was able to get a 34.6 mile ride in. Could I have toughed out a few more miles--probably. But almost 35 miles is nothing to complain about on a day like yesterday. Yes, it would have been easier and warmer to stay in and watch the NCAA tournament game, but this wouldn't have helped me get to my goals.

For me, the short answer to why did I ride yesterday was all about goals. The Great Lakes 200 km brevet is only 4 weeks away. With so few base miles in (285 miles total for the year at the start of the day), snow expected Saturday night eliminating Sunday as a riding option, I wanted to get some miles in. Over the course of a year, a 35 mile ride isn't a big deal. But I didn't want to take a zero for the weekend, especially since spring weather is so unpredictable. At least I got something in.

But I think there is another reason to try to ride on some days when the weather isn't exactly your friend. Most cyclists have some sort of goals. Maybe its doing your town's century ride, maybe its an MS 150, maybe its Ride the Rockies or Cycle Oregon. The fact is, on any event, there are no guarantees about the weather. Events are held rain or shine, warm or cold. If you have been planning and training to do an event for months, you don't want to have to sit out because of weather. So on some of the crummy days, you go out and train so you know how to deal with less than ideal conditions. Here are some examples:

• The year I did Ride the Rockies, one morning we started off and it was 34 degrees. People where complaining about the cold left and right. had been commuting to work on my bike all spring and spent a lot of cold mornings riding to work when it was in the 30's. I knew how to deal with cold. I knew how my body would react and to get myself warmed up, so while everyone else was being miserable, I was OK.
• I did a century ride in Pocatello, ID where 70 miles into the ride, the heavens opened with a rainstorm Noah would have been proud of. In addition to being wet, it cooled off considerably. The last 30 miles were honestly not a lot of fun, but I have ridden in the rain enough to know how my bike handles and how to cope with wet roads so I didn't put my safety at risk
• The next year on that same century in Pocatello, we had a tailwind the first 50 miles and straight into a headwind the last 50. Once again, I've ridden in enough wind to know how to pace myself and how to work my way through it. It is never enjoyable, but I get home.
• I can't even count how many long rides I've done when the temp has been over 100 degrees. But I know from experience how much I need to be drinking in that weather. And I know when my body is telling me that maybe a little longer break and some more fluids is in order, so I can address that before it becomes a problem.
  

The point is, on any ride you do, there is a very good probability that the weathr is going to play a part. If you have only trained when its 75 degrees, blue skies with light tailwinds, you won't have any experience to draw on to help you overcome these obstacles. When you train in less than optimal weather, you learn what problems you encounter and how to overcome them, so the next time you face that condition, you will be more prepared to handle it. Training is not only about sustained wattage and heart rate and calories burned. Its also about learning how to handle different situations on the bike.