Freezing Saddles Update

OK, so when I signed on for Freezing Saddles, Bike Arlington's friendly competition, I vowed I wouldn't get carried away. It was just a casual bit of encouragement to ride through the winter. I wasn't going to care about points, or standings, or anything.

Right.

I mean, yes, it is serving the intended purpose of being effective motivation to keep me riding through the winter. I've biked to work more frequently in January than in September. But I've also gone a little nuts. I mean, not so nuts that I went out riding during the blizzard, the way my neighbor SJC did. I saw him out schlepping along on his bike when I was out XC skiing on the W&OD trail w Gina (of course, we were skiing in a blizzard - but that's not important right now). But, yes I did go out riding the next day, even though it required me to carry my bike three blocks to get to a plowed trail (yes, in car-hating Arlington they plow the bike trails *before* the streets).

For a brief moment I'm #1 on the weekly leaderboard!

The Monday after the blizzard most folks were smart enough to work at home (except for government employees, who didn't have to work at all). I biked to my office. I did the three block carry again. The W&OD trail was clear, as I had discovered on my previous day's reconnaissance ride. The Custis trail hadn't been plowed very well and I wound up walking my bike up the hills, finally bailing off the trail and taking the streets for the last mile to work. My Monday commute even briefly put me in 1st place for the week for my Freezing Saddles team!

Other representative crazy rides:

• Brighton Beach and Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn, 15 degrees, snowing - to get a bagel and coffee.
• Loops around the parking lot of the Leidos facility in Long Beach, Mississippi to get in my qualifying mile for the day.
• Some random park in New Jersey, maybe 20 degrees and windy, just to nab another state (there's a prize for most state ridden in during Freezing saddles!).

I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Am I having fun? Yes! Am I building a sense of camaraderie with my team mates, none of whom I've ever met? Yes again! Am I leaving my car in the driveway and biking to work, as I should? Yes! Yes! Yes!

Decked out for snowy riding