Steaming feet

Early morning road tripping through the mist

A few weeks in Germany flew by. We got home last night just before midnight, unpacked the car, went to bed and slept for more than nine straight hours. I was quite tired. Even though sitting in a car an entire day isn’t physically hard, it just still drains your energy. I needed a proper sleep after the travel, so I set no alarm clock and told Thomas to not wake me this morning, in case he would wake up before me and see, that I looked like somebody who still needed her beauty sleep. He always laughs when I give him instructions like that. Wise man – he did not wake me up though (He probably knows, that in the end it’s beneficial for him too. I’m just so much more manageable to be around, when not sleep deprived).

We had a good few weeks in Germany nearby Bodensee. Even though the training conditions some days were quite challenging, it was very clear that we both enjoyed having left the normal daily life behind. There’s just less you have to deal with or take care of, when being away from home and even though it probably isn’t completely true, it still felt like that and that alone makes a big difference.

We started out with a couple of very rainy days on the bike. Luckily the temperatures were still relatively high, which made it easier to stay warm. Then we had a few dry and sunny days and then finally winter kicked in big time. Very cold temperatures and gradually more and more snow.

wet roads

dressed for wet days. Water proof clothing and plastic cover added on the helm

A rare dry day coming to an end

Since this time of year is essential for working on the basic endurance with long rides, I had to prepare myself for the elements with proper clothing. The solution was lots of layers and waterproof jacket and pants. I even used my plastic shell for the helmet, which all decreased the wind chill enormously. Speaking of which, I honestly down know why I never thought of wearing rain pants for cycling. I must say, that this kind of clothing is lifesaving in cold/wet conditions. I’m using a pair of cycling specific rain pants, meaning that they are designed in a way, so that movement is not impaired at all and they are wear resistant in the seat area and at the feet. Just wow! My feet were actually steaming from heat, when I took my shoes off, and trust me – that normally never happens in winter.

Deflect H2O comp pants

climbed a viewing tower

Some of the days I would start out with a session on the home trainer, then eat/rest and dress up for going for a second ride outside. And like that the entire day would go by just from getting the training in. Well, well.. – that’s why I’m counting down the few days left before we head off to Tenerife on monday. It almost feels too easy to soon be training with only one or two layers of clothing.

Car on fire at the carwash