My first ride of 2010

Today, with temperatures in the upper 40s and winds blowing briskly from the northeast, I rode my bicycle for the first time in 2010. Although quite unremarkable in its length (10.4 miles), it was nevertheless a very important ride.


For me, the first ride of the season allows me a proverbial litmus test for my own physical conditioning. It doesn't take many miles of cycling to ascertain how much the long, winter break has robbed from my core strength. On this day, I faced two additional opponents -- chilly temperatures and a strong northeasterly headwind that was felt most keenly during the first half of my ride.


My goal today was simple -- to ride to the Schaumburg Starbucks on Irving Park Road, have a cup of coffee to warm up, and ride back. For the first time, I wore the Craft base layers that I recently purchased online, which worked much better than the layers of clothing I had previously worn. Expressly designed for such use, these new base layers wick moisture off the skin, allowing the skin to remain dry and warm. Over these base layers I wore long woolen tights, one of my red cycling jerseys, and my red cycling jacket. Despite the wind chill, I never felt chilled, and when I stopped for the coffee, my undergarments didn't get sweat soaked. The base layers were a very good purchase indeed!


Even more importantly, my first ride of 2010 revealed that I'm in remarkably good aerobic shape. Despite minimal off-season exercise, I discovered that I'm not in as bad a shape as I feared. The worry is behind me. Now, it's simply upward and onward! Livestrong!