a Clyde in winter
(first off, no snarky comments from the California/fair-weather bunch please)
I lost 40 pounds last spring and summer doing my daily commute (26m RT) and the occasional weekend (half/metric/full) century. more than the pounds I dropped, though, cycling gave me energy and confidence. I continued it into the fall and winter, hoping for similar results.
but the opposite has happened. even though I loaded up on studded tires, Lake winter boots, Showerspass raingear, etc., winter cycling has been misery. my usual 60-minute trip to work has become 75 or 80 given the plowed snow blocking traffic, the need to slow down for ice, added resistance of studded tires, not to mention the time it takes to dress up. moreover, when I arrive I'm not energized but exhausted, and I frequently get headaches that last all day even though I'm hydrating well.
worse, I find myself ravenously hungry when I bike in the cold. I'm sure I'm burning more calories, but I end up consuming those and more. I've put 10# back on in the last few months, which really sucks. I've tried sticking to various eating plans, but I"m just too hungry to follow through.
between the weight and the wait, I think I'm done until spring. I might put on some miles using the trainer, but I just don't think it's worth it anymore. sometimes I think the only reason I keep going is to get that "wow, you rode today!" reaction from my co-workers but that's a false economy.
and wouldn't you know it, 3" of new snow this morning... arrgh.