Freezing feet, boogers frozen to my face and a sore butt. Winter cycling sounds like a lot fun and as a matter of fact, it is. I’m taking a break from running so that I can recover from a foot injury. Cycling has been a great way to get my dose of the outdoors and to maintain my fitness while I take a break from running.
I ride the KHS Grit gravel bike which has been perfect for winter weather. My gravel bike has a hybrid tire which is larger than a racing slick but smaller than a mountain bike tire. I can cruise on smooth sections of road and I also have the traction that I need to navigate wet or snowy sections. I lucked out when I bought my gravel bike in the summer, I didn’t realize it would be perfect for winter riding. I haven’t ridden in snowy conditions and I don’t plan on it. I stick to mainly clear and dry roads.
I’m cycling so that my foot will get better however cycling has been taking a lot of pressure off my knees as well. I developed a knee strain last year from running which was tough to shake. It’s common knowledge that cycling is much lower impact on your knees than running. My knees have felt great over the last few weeks that I’ve been cycling and I’m hoping that this running break will pay dividends for when my running starts to ramp up in the spring.
I still haven’t found the right solution to keep my feet warm – I have no problem keeping every other body part warm though. I think the main problem is with my cycling shoes. My feet are packed like sardines into these shoes which keeps the blood from getting to my toes. It’s not for lack of effort, I wear a thin sock with a larger wool sock over top and then put a neoprene cover over my shoes. I had some success on today’s two hour bike ride by stopping after 45 minutes of riding and taking my shoes off for a short break. I put my gloves over my feet and wiggled my toes until the blood returned. My feet were okay for another 45 minutes however I chose to power through the last 30 minutes with frozen toes – probably not a good idea.
Taking a break from running was the last thing that I wanted to do however it hasn’t been that bad. Cycling has done a good job at filling the running void for me over the last few weeks. I like that I’m building my stamina on the bike and that I can still train for longer efforts similar to how I would with trail running. I plan on continuing my break from running until my foot gets better, hopefully by the end of February. I’m glad to have cycling as alternative however I can’t wait to get back on the trails.
