Carpe Diem, The Series: When Weather Disrupts Your Ride

Paul Stevens

Carpe Diem (but in a relaxed sort of way)

When Weather Disrupts Your Ride

Up until the last few days, spring weather has been harder to find around here than low-calorie marshmallows. Suddenly, however, the big heat switch was thrown on and now we have temperatures in the high 20s, low 30s range (that’s the high 80s/low 90s territory for the unconverted).

Last weekend was the “May 2-4” in Ontario, giving us a long weekend and signaling the unofficial start of summer or at least summer-type activities. While we had brilliant blue skies, a stiff northerly wind off Lake Huron meant that the air was unseasonably cool. Not cold mind you but decidedly cool. Sweaters and or jackets were definitely the order of the day.

Feeling Underdressed

Last Saturday morning, the Manditos gathered for our regular ride and I have to admit that I was under dressed for the weather. The only way to keep warm was to maintain a strong pace to generate some body heat. We had a great ride of about 55 km and had the wind at our back or in our face depending on which direction you were heading. Funny thing about the wind; there is no known way it is going to be in your favour coming and going, unless perhaps you have the misfortune of being caught in a tornado. Enjoy it while it is in your favour, thus giving you a needed break when you are going headlong into it.

Earning Indulgence

At about the ¾ mark of the ride, we stopped for a breakfast at one of the local golf clubs. We stuck out like sore thumbs as we were the only guys dressed in riding clothing. Everyone else in the clubhouse was obvious golfers: meaning funny coloured garments that you would not wear anywhere else, other than at a Halloween party or on the shuffleboard court in Florida. My fellow Manditos opted for the full-on breakfast consisting eggs, bacon, toast, with a coffee chaser. Me? Since I could not ride some 45-50km without some fuel in my tank at the start of the ride, I had decent breakfast before we started so I was not overly hungry, needing only a large chocolate milk.

With the smell of fried food wafting through the air however, I just had to have a side order of bacon. I didn’t really feel the need for food but there is something almost primordial about the smell of bacon in the a.m. Hungry or not, you just have to have it! Pleasantly sated on all fronts, we had a spirited sprint to our finish line coming in around noon, so we still had a nice chunk of the day to enjoy, do the household chores, or whatever.

For us, we had a family gathering to attend which meant way too much food but I did not hear even the suggestion of a complaint from anyone. A superb way to spend the day knowing that to a certain extent, you have earned the opportunity for indulgence.

Taking A Drive

On Sunday, my wife and I took a leisurely drive up the coast of Lake Huron to a little lakeside town called Grand Bend. This is a place that once excelled at beach-town tackiness. Souvenir t-shirt shops, arcades, burger joints with the permanent smell of greasy food hanging overhead. Much has been done to the town over the past several years to vastly improve the streetscape and level of cleanliness and the place still retains just enough of it’s of its cheesy roots to let you know where you are. Since it was a cool day, the beach, which would normally be crowded with sun worshippers, was pretty much deserted and of course, no one was even close to the water. Not even little kids who would otherwise always be eager to be the first in the water for a swim on the initial long weekend of the season.

Sunday Shopping

With not much going on in Grand Bend, we continued up the lake to another little town called Bayfield. This town is the polar opposite of Grand Bend and each has appeal in its own right. Grand Bend can fairly be called a party town and therefore appeals to the younger crowd whereas Bayfield is significantly gentrified with a fine assortment of fashion boutiques and artisan’s shops offering a wide range of crafts.

It’s the kind of place women love and the menfolk just tag along to be nice. We had our dog with us and I would wait outside the stores while my wife would browse the shops. Our dog is a sweet little pooch, great disposition, medium sized at about 45 lbs. and a golden retriever/poodle/Wheaton terrier mix – black in colour. I have no problem with this as I can people watch while my wife does her shopping thing.

Sitting outside on the shops, my wife was entering at about the same time two women were leaving. Looking in my direction, one of the women says, “Aren’t you a cutie!” “Not so bad yourself. “ was my reply until I quickly realized she was talking to the dog and of course I had to make further comment to that point. Fortunately, she received my comment in the spirit in which it was given so we both had a chuckle. When I told my wife about it, she gave me that all-to-familiar roll of the eyes knowing that at the root of it, she is convinced I really am in need of therapy.

Bonus Day

Shopping and browsing done, time to return to the homestead and relax for the remainder of the day. Nice thing about long weekends is that while Saturday and Sunday are done, Monday still beckons as another day off! So what did we spend our bonus day doing? Painting of course! At least we got a lot done and I was finished in time to enjoy a late afternoon spin on the bike. All in all, a great weekend and because we no longer live in a big city, getting around was painless – no traffic jams, no honking horns, no frazzled nerves.

With a fresh weekend soon to be upon us, the Manditos will once again hit the road for our Saturday cruise and we’ll probably do at least one mid-week trek as well, one for sure to be with the local cycling group that has scheduled Wednesday evening rides.

Your friend, Paul.

And remember – Carpe Diem (but in relaxed sort of way)!

You Might Like:

The Science of Temperature Therapy

Temperature therapy (also known as “thermal therapy” or “thermotherapy”) involves the use of heat or cold to improve health and function. Interestingly, thermotherapy has been around for centuries, with ancient cultures regularly using hot springs,...

The Predictors of Longevity You Need to Care About

Living a long and healthy life is a universal aspiration, and with the publication of Peter Aittia’s new book “Outlive”, it has never been a bigger focus. With this has come the realisation that, while...

How Overtraining and Undertraining Impacts Hormonal Health

While maintaining a healthy hormonal balance is essential for overall health and wellbeing, it is an often-overlooked component of women’s health. Hormones play a vital role in regulating various bodily functions, including metabolism, energy, mood,...